1 Introduction
1. The Scottish Affairs Committee's concentration
during this Parliament on short, sharp inquiries of a wide and
varied nature has continued to prove successful, with interest
expressed by both the public and the media. For example, the Committee
was pleased to note that, on successive Saturdays in July, BBC
Parliament broadcast in full the oral evidence sessions with Ministers
on the Scotland Office Annual Report 2004 and with the
Joint Trade Unions at BP Grangemouth and BP's Executive Director
on the inquiry into the Implications for Grangemouth of BP's
plans for its petrochemicals business.
2. Devolution has resulted in many responsibilities
of the former Scottish Office being transferred to the Scottish
Executive; consequently, many of the objectives and tasks for
departmental select committees set by the Liaison Committee do
not apply to this Committee. Our Report is therefore not structured
by reference to the 10 "core tasks",[1]
but we do seek to reflect the overarching objectives identified
by the Liaison Committee. Nonetheless, as this Report shows, we
have conducted effective scrutiny of proposed legislation, taxation
and expenditure.
1 See Liason Committee, First Report, Session 2002-03,
Annual Report 2002-03, HC (2002-03) 558, Appendix 3. Back
|
