 I welcome everyone to this, the 16th meeting of the Standards, Procedure and Public Appointments Committee in 2023. Unfortunately today the committee is without Evelyn Tweed who is feeling unwell. So can I welcome Alasdor Allyn to the committee as substitute and invite Mr Allyn to register any registered interests that he may have that might affect decisions of this committee? I can't see anything that's relevant, although I would refer people to my register of interests. Excellent, thank you. Unfortunately, but welcome this morning. Our first item on the agenda is a decision to take matters in private, and that is agenda item 5, which is consideration of the committee's work programme. Are people in agreement to take that in private? Excellent, thank you. Our second item for the committee today is to consider an application for the recognition of a proposed cross-party group on Ukraine. I would like to welcome to the meeting Colin Beattie MSP, Miles Briggs MSP and Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, who represent potential convener and deputy conveners. Colin, can I come to you first and ask for an explanation for the need and the reason for this proposed cross-party group? Good morning, convener. I'm grateful for the opportunity to say just a few words in support of the formation of the cross-party group on Ukraine. I don't believe there's ever been a cross-party group formed against such a somber background where the subject state has been the victim of aggression and invasion by a foreign agent. In this case, Russia. For me, this has provided both the impetus and the drive behind the formation of the cross-party group. There is little that this Parliament can do in real terms to assist Ukraine in its struggle to retain its independence and to regain its occupied territories. But what we can do is to offer comfort and support to the Ukrainian refugees who have sought sanctuary in Scotland. Many of the initial members of this CPG represent refugee groups across the country. More are contacting us all the time seeking to reach out to other groups and to become part of a larger gathering such as the CPG would represent. The purposes of the CPG are similar to that of other CPGs on nation states. We seek to strengthen political, economic and cultural ties. In regard to the political ties, contact has been made by members of the Ukrainian Parliament which seeks to establish a Ukrainian-Scottish friendship group and to create a closer relationship with the Scottish Parliament through the CPG, and I very much welcome that development. I know that all MSPs will wish Ukraine well in its fight to retain its freedom and way of life. I will say again that this is an unprecedented situation. If we are through the establishment of this CPG, we have an opportunity to contribute in some small way to support Ukraine and its people in their hour of need. Ukraine needs friends and now is the time to step up. I'll just keep it brief, convener, and then there, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you or the committee members may have. Many thanks, Mr Beattie. Unusual, but I'm going to turn and invite the potential deputy convener, Miles Briggs. Is there anything you would like to add to that? Thank you, convener. Good morning, colleagues. I think for me especially, and I think probably Alex, as well as Edinburgh MSPs, when we had the ship here in Edinburgh, we welcomed them, warmly welcomed them into Edinburgh as a society, our schools especially, stepped up. One of the key things I, during that period, felt was the need for our Parliament to have something established to be able to discuss their concerns and issues, and we didn't have that, so we can invite people into this Parliament for meetings, but to formally be able to work with that community was something I felt needs to be improved. As Colin has outlined, I think for most of us, our support for Ukraine at this moment needs to be fully taken forward, and I think that this gives us an opportunity as a Parliament to do just that, so I hope you'll consider this application and we can hopefully build that formal opportunity for Parliament to take forward long-lasting relationships with Ukraine. Thank you for that contribution and Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, can I turn to you? Is there anything you would like to add? There is, but before I do, I am required to draw members' attention to my register of interests. Firstly, I was a host for Ukraine for nine months with a Ukrainian refugee living with our family. I am also under sanctioned by the Russian Federation for my work with the Ukrainian diaspora here. On the 22nd of February last year, our world turned on into success and Russia brought war to continental Europe for the first time in a century. The fighting men and women of Ukraine are not just fighting in the trenches of their homeland for their freedom and their sovereignty, but I would argue for the freedom and the sovereignty of all the free democracies of this world. We owe them a debt of gratitude that we will never repay and I think that it is important in the formation of this cross-party group that we recognise that as a struggle, but not only for the people who are still fighting in Ukraine but also for the Ukrainian diaspora who are choosing to make Scotland their home. We know that much time in the chamber has been taken up with a recognition of their needs and interests and the fact that we still have some way to go in terms of settling them in this country. For both of those reasons, the cross-party group deserves the support of this committee and its recognition in this Parliament. I hope that it will be long-standing that the war that we see fighting when the Ukrainians win their freedom and victory over the Russian Federation. Thank you very much. Can I turn to the committee? Do any members have questions? Well, content. Can I just ask, not to much ask, but just inquire? I mean that clearly is very strong cross-party support in the documents that you filed. When I look at the non-MSP members of the group that have expressed an interest, almost unusually we have 23 individuals who have expressed an interest in being associated with it, along with 5 organisations. Would you like to explain or can you explain the range of the individuals that are interested in this? Because obviously cross-party groups are for those outside this Parliament to meet and talk with MSPs so that MSPs can better understand the situation. The names of the individuals here, most of them represent refugee organisations locally. One or two of them are academics and people who will contribute in their own right to the strength of the cross-party group, but the vast majority are representing very local refugee groups that we welcome in. Some of them are the ones that I mentioned that are trying to reach out to other refugee groups to get support and help, and the cross-party group is a good forum to be able to accommodate that and to facilitate that. So I welcome them coming forward. Thank you very much, convener. I would echo what the convener said about the welcomeness of this group. You mentioned that there might be Parliament to Parliament and that is part of the remit that you would like to see the group develop. If so, how? It is certainly part of what the group should be developing, given its remit to look at the political relationships. We have one Ukrainian MP who is prepared to put together a friendship group within the Ukrainian Parliament to develop that relationship further by participating in CPG meetings remotely, obviously, and doing the best that they can to continue to develop the relationship between Scotland and Ukraine. I think that is a really positive thing. I am aware of a number of relationships that have organically sprung up between parliamentarians both in this place and in Ukraine in the Rada. I think that this group will have a great opportunity to formalise that and, as Colin says, establish a standing friendship committee that will further those sides. Thank you. If there are no further questions, thank you gentlemen for attending the committee this morning. The committee will formally consider whether to approve the application for recognition at agenda item 3 and the clerks will inform you of the committee's decision in due course. If we move to agenda item 3 which is consideration of approval of a proposed cross-party group on Ukraine would anyone like to have the opportunity to make a comment to ask a question or can I... Stephen Kerr? I am just going to say that what was said by you and Dr Alwyn when they were in the room. Clearly this is a good idea and it's a way of expressing our collective solidarity with the people of Ukraine in their darkest hour. I think it was a very powerful contribution by all the three MSPs and I think Colin Beattie's explanation of 22 individuals who actually represent far more of the diaspora for Ukraine was very powerfully made. Can I put it to the committee as this proposed cross-party group and we are in agreement? Can I thank you for that? Our next item the committee will consider a paper on the cross-party group's compliance with the code of conduct. We've received the paper at paper 2. Would any members like to make a comment on it or indeed a question about it? It's... The appropriate actions are being taken in order to encourage the compliance that is required under the code of conduct. Obviously I would remind those watching that the committee have committed to consider a full report on compliance with the code in early 2024. So am I content to put it that the committee is happy for me to write with regard to the CPG on China, the CPG on Japan and the CPG on the future of football in Scotland as proposed in the papers. Excellent. Thank you for that. Well just before closing the public session of the committee I would like to put on record on behalf of both the committee and myself the sterling work of our senior clerk Dr Katie Orr who for over five years she's brought her quiet wisdom and expertise and patience I think to all areas of the committee's work I would like to place on record my special thanks to Dr Orr for her patience towards me in a very steep learning curve in this session as convener Dr Orr will be missed but we all wish you very well and the best for what's coming along and I will now close this meeting and move it into private.