The next item of business is consideration of a Parliamentary Bureau motion. I ask Bruce Crawford to speak to and move motion S3M-137, on the establishment of committees.

I thank fellow members of the Parliamentary Bureau for conducting the process of establishing new committees in such a positive and constructive manner.

I will clarify the Parliamentary Bureau's view on the Procedures Committee and the Standards and Public Appointments Committee. The business managers' agreed position is that we recommend to the Procedures Committee that, at its first meeting, it should consider lodging a motion to amalgamate the Procedures Committee and the Standards and Public Appointments Committee into one new mandatory committee. Of course, business managers recognise that, in accordance with rule 6.4 of the standing orders, only the Procedures Committee can make that decision. In the meantime, we have agreed that the membership of the Procedures Committee and the Standards and Public Appointments Committee will be the same. The business team has advised us that that proposal involves no conflict of interest.

It is the bureau's intention that details of the membership of all committees will be provided to Parliament for approval next week. The business managers have also been given assurances that, if the timetable is adhered to, committees will be able to start work in the week commencing 18 June. The timetable should enable committees to meet twice before the summer recess.

I move,

That the Parliament shall establish committees of the Parliament as follows:

Name of Committee: Audit Remit: Set out in Rule 6.7 Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Labour Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.

Name of Committee: Equal Opportunities Remit: Set out in Rule 6.9 Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Labour Party.

Name of Committee: European and External Relations Remit: Set out in Rule 6.8 Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Labour Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party.

Name of Committee: Finance Remit: Set out in Rule 6.6 Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Labour Party.

Name of Committee: Public Petitions Remit: Set out in Rule 6.10 Number of members: 9 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Labour Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party.

Name of Committee: Procedures Remit: Set out in Rule 6.4 Number of members: 7 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Labour Party.

Name of Committee: Standards and Public Appointments Remit: Set out in Rule 6.5 Number of members: 7 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Labour Party.

Name of Committee: Subordinate Legislation Remit: Set out in Rule 6.11 Number of members: 7 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party.

Name of Committee: Justice Remit: To consider and report on (a) the administration of criminal and civil justice, community safety, and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and (b) the functions of the Lord Advocate, other than as head of the systems of criminal prosecution and investigation of deaths in Scotland.

Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Labour Party.

Duration: For the whole session of the Parliament Name of Committee: Economy, Energy and Tourism Remit: To consider and report on the Scottish economy, enterprise, energy, tourism and all other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth apart from those covered by the remits of the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change and the Local Government and Communities Committees.

Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party.

Duration: For the whole session of the Parliament Name of Committee: Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Remit: To consider and report on matters relating to transport, infrastructure and climate change falling within the remit of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth.

Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish Green Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Labour Party.

Duration: For the whole session of the Parliament Name of Committee: Health and Sport Remit: To consider and report on (a) health policy and the NHS in Scotland and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and (b) matters relating to sport falling within the responsibility of the Minister for Communities and Sport.

Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party.

Duration: For the whole session of the Parliament Name of Committee: Local Government and Communities Remit: To consider and report on (a) the financing and delivery of local government and local services and planning; and (b) housing, regeneration, anti-poverty measures and other matters (apart from sport) falling within the responsibility of the Minister for Communities and Sport.

Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Labour Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party.

Duration: For the whole session of the Parliament Name of Committee: Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Remit: To consider and report on (a) further and higher education, lifelong learning, schools, pre-school care, skills and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning; and (b) matters relating to culture and the arts falling within the responsibility of the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture.

Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Labour Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party.

Duration: For the whole session of the Parliament Name of Committee: Rural Affairs and Environment Remit: To consider and report on agriculture, fisheries and rural development and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment.

Number of members: 8 Convenership: The Convener will be a member of the Scottish National Party and the Deputy Convener will be a member of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.

Duration: For the whole session of the Parliament

I will raise what the Liberal Democrat group and, I think, other members regard as a vital issue in the context of setting up the committees, which, obviously, will not meet until the second last week of the parliamentary term. The Scottish National Party Government has announced no legislative programme to the Parliament, there has been no clarity on the budgetary implications of some of its highly populist decisions, and there have been no parliamentary debates on ministerial statements, other than a debate on which the SNP was assured of Opposition support. Furthermore, no committee has had the opportunity to examine ministers' plans or subject ministers to scrutiny. It is right that we should speedily establish committees, but it is also right that committees should have the opportunity to engage with cabinet secretaries and ministers on their policies and plans. Apart from anything else, if the committees do not have information or such engagement, it is difficult to see how they can work out their forward work programme. Therefore, their work might be wasted or irrelevant.

I seek an assurance from the Government's business manager that, if the committees decide at their first meetings that they require it, cabinet secretaries or ministers will be made available to appear before them in the week preceding recess. It is for the individual committees to request that if they want it, but Parliament is entitled to a categorical assurance from the Government. I am sure that the SNP's business manager will feel that it is his duty to Parliament to give such an assurance on a matter on which I have given him prior notice.

I take Robert Brown's point but, as he said, it is entirely a matter for the committees to decide their business and whether they want ministers to attend. Cabinet secretaries and ministers are aware that they are accountable to Parliament. If they are asked to attend committee meetings, before or after the summer recess, they will make themselves available to do so if at all possible.

The timetable that I have set out will enable committees to meet twice before the summer recess. I understand that the committees' first meetings tend to have a standard agenda for declarations of interest and choice of convener and deputy convener, but these are matters for the committees to decide in terms of their workload.