Present:

Also present: Linda Fabiani

The meeting opened at 9.33 am.

1. Petition: The Committee took evidence on petition PE14 by the Carbeth Hutters’ Association from Robert Balfour, Vice-Convener, and Michael Smith, Legal Adviser, Scottish Landowners Federation.
   
   
   

2. Scottish prisons: The Committee took evidence on the future of the Scottish Prisons Service from—

Andrew Hogg, Secretary, and David Melrose, Chair, SPS Trade Union Side and Derek Turner, General Secretary, Scottish Prison Officers’ Association;

Tony Cameron, Chief Executive, Mike Duffy, Director South and West, Peter Russell, Director of Human Resources, and Alastair MacIntyre, non-Executive Director, Scottish Prisons Service.




3. Scottish prisons (in private): The Committee considered a draft interim report on Scottish prisons. The Committee decided not to issue an interim report on the evidence taken at its 4th meeting, on HM Chief Inspector of Prisons’ report for 1998-99 and the visits by members of the committee to HMRI Longriggend and HMP Low Moss. Instead, the draft interim report would be expanded to include discussion of the evidence heard today and considered at a later meeting.
   
   
   

4. Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Bill (in private): The Committee considered a draft Stage 1 report on the general principles of the Bill. A number of small changes was agreed. It was agreed that an amended draft report, which would also take account of evidence heard at the 10th meeting on 17 November, would be considered next week.
   
   
   

5. Meeting in private (in private): The Committee agreed to meet in private to consider draft reports on the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Bill and the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill at its next meeting.

The meeting closed at 12.58 pm.