I understand the House will stand for a minute's silence at 2.30 p.m. I suggest that we also observe silence at the same time in solidarity with our colleagues in the House.
Business of Select Committee.
I have just been handed a document which contains an index which includes briefing material on motor vehicles block exemption. Why have I been handed this?
It is not proposed to deal with it today. We will be coming back to the issue at a future date.
It is confusing. I do not mind being handed documents, but if we are proposing to discuss a matter at a future meeting, we should get the document with a letter stating this. It is not just a small point - we do not know what we should read when something like this is put into our hands.
I got the brief only this morning myself. We are having teething problems because the staff situation is not yet sorted out. However, we will try to take account of this.
It is not on the agenda. Could we include the question of resources and expertise as an agenda item?
It will be dealt with under "any other business". I will report back to the committee.
The minutes of the meeting of 31 July have been circulated. Are they agreed to?
I have not seen them.
They were circulated yesterday and are also included in the brief in front of us.
I do not intend to nit-pick, but they should be circulated a few days before the meeting.
I am advised that the difficulty is that everything is in flux until the morning of the meeting. However, we could circulate most of the material prior to meetings. As we get established and our staffing sorted out, we will endeavour to do this. I accept that it is not good enough that the brief is available only on arrival at the meeting. We will work on this. Perhaps the committee would bear with us over a few meetings until we get the staffing sorted out, the horse in front of the carriage and matters running more smoothly. The point, which is a reasonable one, is taken. There may be material arriving up to the morning of a meeting. For example, something has just now come before this meeting. However, it should be possible to provide substantial documentation in advance.
Are the minutes agreed to? Agreed.
A declaration by Heads of State and Government of the European Union, the President of the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission and the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy is being published today to mark the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks. I propose to circulate it to members because it might be useful for us to have. For those members who have just arrived, the House will observe one minute's silence at 2.30 p.m. and the committee has agreed to do the same.