 Hello morning to you all, and welcome to the first meeting of the 2016 Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. I am Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, and I am the oldest member of the committee, or, as I prefer to call, the most senior member of the committee. It is my pleasure to convene this meeting for the first three items of business. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome all members to their new roles. Mae'r eu cymuniad ei wneud yn ymdynhys i eich ymddangos iawn i gyrthod descriptionaeth a cyfweliadau o hyffordi dynnu chwaraeon yn rhaid i fynd i'r cymaint. Mewn gwneud i gael i gweld a chael ei wneud i gael i gaeliiddiau chi wneud ar y gwybodaeth hon o gwbl o ran i gaelio'r llan i mewn gwirioneddau i gaeli gyfweliadau i gaeli'r llan i gwelio i'r cread o gyflei'r unig. Dyf yw'r cwed, oherwydd i chi gaeli i gaeli'r cyfweliadau i gael ei'r gweld i gaeli'r cerddau bod ni'n amilyddio'r ac ystodion a'r unrhyw ddисguelio'r agl permethefyd y Llywodraeth Gweithdechedydd, fel Llywodraeth, Caerdydd ac Erthi. Lleidydd sy'n ei indebdyddol yn gyflym yn ychydig ar gael gyda'r reddiol, rym ni'n ddwyf yn ychydig. Oerbyn i'r bundi y Llywodraeth yma wedi unrhyw ydi gyda'r ysgrifennu lleololiectradd a rywbeth i'r newydd peir i wyf i eich unrhyw meddwl nhw. I very much look forward to working with everyone in a productive and an effective manner. Before we move to the first item on the agenda, I would like to remind everyone present please to switch off mobile phones, etc., as they may affect the broadcasting system. However, you may notice some committee members consulting tablets, which I hope they will do, as this is the Climate Change and Environment Committee rather than using paper. That's a shift for myself, but there we go. They may be using them during the meeting. This is because we provide meeting papers electronically. Also, it's important to note that we have received apologies from Alexander Burnett MSP. The first item on the committee's agenda this morning is to consider whether to take item 5 in private. This is the development of the work programme. Could I seek agreement from members that we take this item in private? Thank you, so the committee has agreed to that. We can have that noted please. The second item is to allow committee members to declare any interests that they have, which are relevant to the work of the committee. Background information has been provided in a note from the clerk. I'll start with myself and I'd like to declare that I'm a member of the campaign for Borders Rail. I'll then ask Maurice Golden if you would please declare any relevant interests that you have. I obviously refer members to the register of interests of which I have Zero Waste Scotland listed on that up until the point when I ceased working for them on May 20. I also refer members to a project that I conducted for the Chartered Institute of Waste Management looking at the application of the circular economy in other European nations. The bulk of the work that was conducted prior to being elected must be registered as the article of publication and associated presentation will take place during the course of the summer. I also refer members to my membership of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management as well as refer members to the fact that I'm a waste smart trainer for the United Kingdom and I'm happy to offer any training as required on that. That's me, thanks. Right, and thank you Maurice particularly for that last offer of help. Right, and I'll move to Graeme Dey, please. Thank you, I'm Graeme Dey MSP. I'm not aware of any declarable interests that I require to make. Thank you, and to Mark Ruskell. Thank you, I'd like to declare that I am a councillor, Dunblane Bridge of Allen Ward in Stirling Council. I'm also on the board of the Strathallan Community Rail Partnership. Thank you, and to Kate. I have no interests that I'm aware of having to declare. Thank you very much, and to Emma Harper. It's related to Gail's question, I am a member of Dogs Trust, so. Thank you, and to Angus MacDonald next. I own a property in the Coron of Newland Sea, a local authority area on an island that is subject to a current community buy-out attempt, which may be of relevance to this committee during this session of Parliament. Otherwise, I've nothing to declare. Thank you, and to Finlay Carson. Thank you, and to declare that I'm a councillor on Dumfries and Galloway Council. I'm currently a member of the NFU Scotland, and in the interest of transparency, I'm a partner that owns 20 acres in South West Scotland, but I've been advised that it's not a registered interest. Right, thank you, and now to Gail Ross. Thank you, convener. I am a councillor for the Wick Ward in Highland Council. I'm a member of the Scottish Rural Parliament. I am a member of the Board of Management for North Highland College. I am a member of Dogs Trust. I'm a member of the Cats Protection. I'm a member of the SSPCA, and I'm also vice-conviner of Friends of the Far North Line. Thank you. Thank you, and to David Stewart. Thank you, convener. I've got no relevant interests. Right, thank you to all members, and as you see, we have a particular wealth of experience. We won't be wanting for people to go to when it comes to animal welfare as well, which is reassuring. Right, and now very importantly, I'd like to move to agenda item 3, which is our choice of convener, and this is the committee's next task. The procedure has been explained in paper 2. The Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish National Party are eligible for nomination as convener of this committee. Can I invite a member of that party to nominate one of their number for this post? I understand that Graham Day is the party's nominee for this post. Right, thank you very much. That's nomination by Kate Forbes for Graham Day, and as the rules declare, there's no seconder is required. So I'm going to ask, do we all agree to choose Graham Day as our convener? Yes. Agreed, that's agreed. So Graham is our convener, and I know he will bring so much wisdom and experience. And as long as we promise not to fight about who's asking questions about behaviour change, Mr Convener, we will be in very safe hands. I will now vacate the chair. Thank you very much. Okay, thank you very much, Claudia, and the committee. The committee's next task is to choose a deputy convener. The Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish Conservatives and Unionist Party are eligible for nomination as deputy convener of the committee. Can I invite a member of that party to nominate one of their number for the post? I understand that the nomination will be more as golden, but can we deal with that formally, please? Terry Morris Golden. It's nominated by Finlay Carson. As that completes the process, I'm delighted to say that... Do we agree? So, sorry, can I just clarify? Do we all agree that Morris Golden won't be... I was jumping the gun there, thank you. So congratulations to Morris Golden. The next meeting of the committee... Where's for the committee to decide? I decide by the committee in the course of the next week. I now close the public part of the meeting and the committee will move into private session, as agreed earlier in the meeting, to discuss its future work programme. I now close the meeting.