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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

129
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415
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2,354,908
Hansard contributions
1999–2026
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Official Report

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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): Con Committee
04 Dec 2001
Convener
I agree with the convener. The Deputy First Minister is before the committee to talk about our EU governance inquiry. However, we should seek an assurance from him that we will receive an answer by a certain date. Over the past three months, we have tried three times to get fr...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
04 Mar 2003
Executive Priorities<br />(Greek Presidency)
I heard your response to the convener's question on uptake. Like the convener, I am one of the few who has been a member of the committee from the Parliament's beginning and I was a member of the committee when the programme areas presented their plans, which we scrutinised. A...
Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): Con Committee
22 Sep 1999
General Priorities
I would like to say two things. This is our fifth meeting, and I have to say that we have done the square root of nothing. We have carried out a few examinations and we have learned about amnesic shellfish, but by the end of today's meeting, can we have our priorities and our ...
Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): Con Committee
16 Nov 1999
Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
This report was written over the weekend and submitted yesterday lunch time. It has been written without seeing the submissions from Alzheimer Scotland, the Southern General hospital or the British Medical Association that are now sitting on our desks. I would like people to n...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
12 Dec 2000
Petitions
As some of us will no longer be members of the committee in January, I place on record my thanks to the clerks, Jennifer Smart, Joanna Hardy and Irene Fleming, who keep the committee going and without whom we could not work. I also thank the convener and those members who are ...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
14 Sep 1999
Subordinate Legislation
My understanding is that our role as the European Committee is to have a view on whether the SSI is the right way of implementing the EU directive. That being so, are we not doing things back to front? We should get the final product. For example, on the Environmental Impact A...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
09 Nov 1999
Convener's Report
I am available on 17 November.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
09 Nov 1999
Convener's Report
Yes.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
09 Nov 1999
Convener's Report
I will try to get back from Hampden in time.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
09 Nov 1999
Convener's Report
I am well aware of this matter. What is required is for the Executive to change the Scotland Act 1998 and the Scottish statutory instrument pertaining to members' interests. The difference between ourselves and Westminster is that we are subject to the Scotland Act 1998 and ca...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
07 Dec 1999
Convener's Report
I would like to make a point about the objective 3 plan. Some of us went to the briefing that was held on it last week, at which it was made clear that the plan has not yet been finished. We have been promised that we will get it by tomorrow. It is a 400-page document, and som...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
07 Dec 1999
Convener's Report
I had a detailed brief based on the original plan, but when I asked questions from it at the briefing the officials said that they had changed the plan so much in some areas that they were reluctant to give answers based on the previous draft. What worries me is that we will h...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
07 Dec 1999
Convener's Report
Although this is partly the Executive's fault, I must say in its defence that it is tied as well, as this report must be in Brussels by 17 December. As it is a lengthy report, can we get a briefing on it if it comes in tomorrow or the day after? Can a SPICe researcher give us ...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
14 Dec 1999
Convener's Report
I want to come in on that.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
21 Mar 2000
European Structural Fund Programme Management Executives
I know that the convener asked you about the gap in the core funding for some voluntary groups. You assured us that they should not be relying on European funding, past or present. That is another area where I feel that there may be a lack of co-ordination. The funding priorit...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
02 May 2000
Convener's Report
We do not know where the change to the map came from. No one knows whether it came from the Department of Trade and Industry, the Executive or the European Commission. When we were discussing the assisted areas map and the objective 2 map, the minister clearly said that he wis...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
30 May 2000
Convener's Report
On a point of order. The initial remit of the European Committee, which is still agreed, is the scrutiny and sifting of European documents. I am aware that that might have been suspended while we undertook our other tasks, but have there been no such documents for our scrutiny...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
30 May 2000
Convener's Report
Okay. Thank you.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
13 Jun 2000
Convener's Report
While I am supportive and consider that we should avoid anything amounting to a trade war, can the clerks or the Scottish Parliament information centre find out the background to the conflict? As I remember, the conflict is not directly with the United States, but with the Wor...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
13 Jun 2000
Convener's Report
Yes, it was.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
13 Jun 2000
Convener's Report
And to our Scottish MEPs.
Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): Con Committee
31 Oct 2000
Convener's Report
I have to dispute what the clerk has said. The Treasury is fined by the European Union if any region or part of the United Kingdom fails to apply the directive. It is up to the Treasury whether it chooses to pass any fine on to us. The UK Treasury is the interface with the Eur...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
31 Oct 2000
Convener's Report
I have an interest in LEADER +.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
12 Dec 2000
Convener's Report
There is a lack of information about when the whole structural fund—not only objective 3 issues—will come into play. Many hoops had to be jumped through in relation to objective 2 and a lot of organisations are uncertain about when they can apply and when they will get their m...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
27 Mar 2001
Common Fisheries Policy
I feel like I am trapped between a rock and a hard place. I apologise to the director general for members' behaviour.For many years, Scotland has led the way on adopting technical measures to try to contribute to conservation and capacity reduction. Could enforcement be steppe...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
27 Mar 2001
Convener's Report
When the committee first began its work, I remember that we discussed holding a conference. Is that conference still in the pipeline?
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
27 Mar 2001
Convener's Report
Elizabeth Holt from the European Commission office in Edinburgh was extremely helpful, as was Dermot Scott. Without their help, we would not have made such good contacts.
Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): Con Committee
19 Jun 2001
EU Governance
I apologise for being late, convener. I was held up in the corridor. On the draft terms of reference, I considered in depth the terms of the Gothenburg declaration and of the Council meeting in Luxembourg on 11 June. I hope that we can consider Scotland's position in relation ...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
19 Jun 2001
Convener's Report
The Confederation of British Industry's submission points out that UK legislation already exists to address the issue. I ask for clarification and a comparison between that legislation and the current position with EU law. For example, I was not aware of any 90-day consultatio...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
19 Jun 2001
Convener's Report
That is brilliant.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
19 Jun 2001
Convener's Report
At a summit a year ago, the UK was involved in discussion on the proposals in the document to which the First Minister signed up, and blocked them. I would be interested to know why we were not consulted on, or informed of, the Belgians' proposals. The First Minister is suppor...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
19 Jun 2001
Convener's Report
The matter that I raise is part of those procedures. The procedure began when the idea was first mooted and blocked by the UK. It ended when Mr McLeish signed a framework based on the idea.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
04 Dec 2001
Convener
With respect, it is not unreasonable to expect a date. The minister is in the job. He should know what his job is and its parameters. The job is new and he has just been handed his brief, but he should understand what he is doing. The Executive has, on three occasions, signall...
Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): Con Committee
18 Dec 2001
Convener's Report
I welcome the Executive's response because I supported the United Kingdom Government's line on the issue.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
18 Dec 2001
Convener's Report
The UK Government's nomination for the working committee on what was agreed at Laeken is David Miliband MP. I think that he is the only UK member of the committee, which will be headed by former President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. We could ask David Miliband to appear before u...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
18 Dec 2001
Convener's Report
This is just a working group.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
18 Dec 2001
Convener's Report
Yes. The working group will discuss how the convention should proceed and what it should be. Given David Miliband's proximity to the Prime Minister, inviting him to appear before the committee would be an easy way to have Scotland's voice heard close to the centre of power.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
Obviously, the visit to Europe will tie in with our future work programme. Before we deal with that, it is important that we deal with our current work programme, which goes back to the committee's beginnings, when we had many reporters. Much work has been scrapped and much of...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
I am conscious that the report on the euro was handed to the clerks. The clerks must prepare reports, but perhaps members should do the reports that deal with political issues. We had the nightmare of going through every line of the report on the euro, which was partly my faul...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
We should decide who is going to complete the reports. Should the committee as a whole complete them, should we have a rapporteur or should we leave it up to the clerks to produce a draft that the committee then spends a number of weeks picking over?
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
I want to see what we can achieve. We have a large list, which includes two hefty reports. The work programme as it was drafted a fortnight ago is pretty big. Will we get through that programme by the end of this parliamentary session?
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
I ask only that we speak to the Commission. Elizabeth Holt was very helpful last time. We should find out the practical implications. If it is harder to access Commission members when the Committee of the Regions is on—because they might be answering to the Committee of the Re...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
Not bad.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
"Generalitat" sounds to me like it is in trade union language.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
We are in the same situation in relation to the date and the venue; we did not discuss either at the December meeting—they were decided by e-mail.In the game of enlargement, the Commission plays the role of the referee; in effect, it is neutral. I would not feel awkward about ...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
The west end is Leicester Square.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
Lloyd Quinan made a good point, and I also agree with John Home Robertson. I would have expected the Education, Culture and Sport Committee to deal with this matter, because, whatever happens to the bid, and whatever the political failures or successes, we must be in a positio...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
I am also convinced—
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
Where the stadiums are put is not a European issue—it is a Scottish sports issue.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
29 Jan 2002
Convener's Report
I have completely lost my train of thought. However, I think that the Executive has not yet worked out how it will put together the bid. This is a fresh announcement, which was made only last week. I know how slowly the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and diplomatic circles wo...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
12 Feb 2002
Convener's Report
Where is the Conservative representative?
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
12 Feb 2002
Convener's Report
I think that you will find that we were stitched up and that we do not have one.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
12 Feb 2002
Convener's Report
Although I do not have the same views as Lloyd Quinan, I regret that what was a parliamentary issue at Westminster became a party-political issue. The European Scrutiny Committee at Westminster put forward two nominations, but the parties got hold of the nominations and change...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
12 Feb 2002
Convener's Report
A deal was struck and it is important that we at least have that access. As far as I know, it is almost set in stone that we cannot send more people. I do not know how many regional governments or stateless nation governments there are in Europe, but if they were all involved,...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
12 Feb 2002
Convener's Report
I believe that anything that is decided at the convention will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny in the member states. Then, members of Parliament for the respective parties in this room could feed influence from this country into Westminster. I would expect that. I hope th...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
23 Apr 2002
Executive Briefings
I have to disagree, convener. We need to know which minister is intending to attend because that places a responsibility on that minister's department to consider the issue—Council attendance should not be just a decision that is made by an official or by a minister. If a mini...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
23 Apr 2002
Convener's Report
That is the responsibility of Fife Council.
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
23 Apr 2002
Convener's Report
I have received answers to questions that I lodged about the number of vessels that have been decommissioned, the number that the Executive had expected to be decommissioned and the enforcement regime. I do not remember the exact figures, but the number of vessels that had bee...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
07 May 2002
Future of Europe <br />(Scottish Parliamentary Forum)
I want to caution that, like it or not, Europe is a politically charged issue. The committee is not big enough to go across the regions. I am a Conservative and Nora Radcliffe is a Liberal Democrat and I am sure that we could raise a number of people to come to see us—our part...
Ben Wallace: Con Committee
21 May 2002
Convener's Report
The moves that have been taken and the departure of Steffen Smidt threaten Scotland's interests and are not in keeping with the rules. Given that we have carried out an inquiry into the common fisheries policy, we may be able to exert more pressure and make it clear that the H...
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Committee

European Committee, 04 Dec 2001

04 Dec 2001 · S1 · European Committee
Item of business
Convener
Wallace, Ben Con North East Scotland Watch on SPTV
I agree with the convener. The Deputy First Minister is before the committee to talk about our EU governance inquiry. However, we should seek an assurance from him that we will receive an answer by a certain date. Over the past three months, we have tried three times to get from the Executive a simple definition of the remit. Surely there is no harm in saying, "We are not going to question you on that subject today, but can you give us a date on which you will return with, or forward, exact details of your remit?"

In the same item of business

The Deputy Convener (Mr John Home Robertson): Lab
Good morning, colleagues. I have received no apologies, so I assume that Ben Wallace is on his way. Welcome to the 15th meeting in 2001 of the European Commi...
Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): *
Hear, hear.
The Deputy Convener: Lab
I am sure that she will enjoy herself.On the decision of the Parliamentary Bureau, the convenership of the European Committee has been allocated to the Labou...
Dennis Canavan: *
I have nothing against Irene, as she well knows, but could we have some clarification of how she emerged as the Labour party's nominee? Was it a democratic d...
The Deputy Convener: Lab
I do not think that it would be appropriate to go into the details. There were consultations among the Labour members and we are all happy to nominate Irene....
Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): SNP
Naturally, we are happy with Irene as a human being, but we might question the method of her selection by the Labour party.
The Deputy Convener: Lab
You have made that point.
Dennis Canavan: *
I have a simple point of clarification: is Irene Oldfather the nominee of the committee's Labour group or is she the First Minister's nominee?
The Deputy Convener: Lab
She is the nominee of the Labour party. There was widespread consultation, not only among the European Committee's Labour group, but further afield.
Dennis Canavan: *
Do you mean the Labour party in London as well?
The Deputy Convener: Lab
No, I mean members of the Scottish Parliament. Your paranoia is getting on top of you.
Dennis Canavan: *
You said the Labour party.
Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): LD
I welcome Irene's nomination. She has the background and the skills to do the job and is an excellent choice for convener.
Irene Oldfather was chosen as convener.
The Deputy Convener: Lab
I am happy to move over. Good luck to Irene in the chair.
The Convener (Irene Oldfather): Lab
I am delighted to accept the convenership and I thank colleagues for their support. The European Committee has done a great deal of good work in the past two...
Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): SNP
I congratulate Irene Oldfather on her elevation. However, a pressing matter results from the reshuffle—the handing of the Europe and external affairs brief t...
The Convener: Lab
We have to accept that it is not normal practice for committees to be consulted on Cabinet appointments or on changes in portfolios. I understand from the cl...
Mr Quinan: SNP
On that point—
The Convener: Lab
If I could just finish—
Mr Quinan: SNP
If the minister has just been given the brief, and there is no definition of the brief, how can we question him today and expect him to add any great weight ...
The Convener: Lab
The fact of the matter is that the subject of the report that we are discussing is European Union governance, which is in the minister's brief. A great deal ...
Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): Con
I agree with the convener. The Deputy First Minister is before the committee to talk about our EU governance inquiry. However, we should seek an assurance fr...
The Convener: Lab
It might be difficult for the minister to give us a date. I am happy to say to the minister, in my preliminary remarks, that we are looking for a speedy resp...
Ben Wallace: Con
With respect, it is not unreasonable to expect a date. The minister is in the job. He should know what his job is and its parameters. The job is new and he h...
The Convener: Lab
I agree with members that we need to have the definition of the brief. We have been seeking it for some time and it is now a matter of urgency. I am happy to...