Scottish Grand Committee

HC Deb 05 November 1999 vol 337 c356W

Mrs. Ewing

To ask the President of the Council what proposals she has for the Scottish Grand Committee to meet in Scotland. [97586]

Mrs. Beckett

No decisions have been taken about possible sittings of the Grand Committees next session.

The Grand Committee is a useful mechanism for Scottish MPs to highlight UK-wide policies which have an impact in Scotland. As the hon. Member may be aware, in the Government's response to the Procedure Committee's Fourth report on Procedural Consequences of Devolution, it recognised that the role and procedure of the Grand Committees would have to be adapted in the light of experience with devolution. Decisions on future meetings will be taken in the light of this.