The Committee will meet at 9.15 am in Committee Room 1

1. Telecommunications Developments Inquiry: Consideration of evidence and areas of questioning for witnesses.

2. Telecommunications Developments Inquiry: The Committee will hear evidence from-

Scottish Natural Heritage;

The Royal Town Planning Institute in Scotland;

Mr and Mrs W J Sinclair, Kinross;

Ms Jame McLeish, NUJ, Aberdeen;

Edinburgh Tenants Federation;

Friends of the Earth Scotland.

3. Scottish Statutory Instrument SSI 1999/116: The Erskine Bridge (Temporary Suspension of Tolls) Order 1999.

12^th Meeting

The Committee will meet at 9.45 am in Committee Room 1

1. Consideration of Forward Work Programme.

2. Consideration of draft Report on Regulation of Cross-Party Groups

3. Initial debate on lobbying

4. Consideration of complaint against Mike Watson

5. Further consideration of draft Report on matters raised by the Observer newspaper.– It is expected that the Committee will agree to discuss this item in private.

7^th Meeting

The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in the Chamber

1. Local Economic Development Inquiry:
The Committee will hear evidence from-

Confederation of British Industry Scotland, Federation of Small

Businesses, and the Forum of Private Business;

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities;

Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

2. Local Economic Development Inquiry Future Work Programme.

3. Referrals from the Subordinate Legislation Committee:
The Committee will consider–

The Education (Student Loans) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1999 (SSI 1999/124);

The Thurso College (Change of Name) (Scotland) Order 1999 (SSI1999/126).

4. Other Inquiries: Petrol Price Differentiation and the Semi-conductor Industry.

9^th Meeting

The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee Room 4

1. Briefing by Professor Curtice, Department of Government, University of Strathclyde. The committee will receive a briefing from Professor Curtice on his research on electoral systems on behalf of the McIntosh Commission.

2. Rating revaluation: Inquiry
The committee will receive evidence from:

Scottish Retail Consortium

Forum of Private Business

Scottish Assessors Association

3. Remaking Scotland’s local government conference – 25 October: Report by Donald Gorrie.

4. Convener's Report:
The convener will report on:

Meeting with COSLA President and senior officials, 4 November 1999

Reply from Minister for Finance re Special Islands Needs Allowance

8^th Meeting

The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee Room 3