Finance and Public Administration Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 22, 2021

---

Interests

Welcome to the first meeting of the Finance and Public Administration Committee in session 6. It falls to me to lead the first two items on the agenda, because I am the oldest member of the committee. It was something of a shock to find out that I am the oldest member of the committee, but there we go.

The committee has seven members. I welcome all members, and I look forward to working with them in the interests of the public. I find the committee work in Parliament to be among the most fulfilling and satisfying things that we do, and I very much look forward to being on a finance committee once again and to working with everybody else.

I remind people to switch off their mobile phones, as they can be heard if your microphones are on. We have received no apologies.

Agenda item 1 is declarations of interests. Each of us has to declare any interests that we have that are relevant to the work of the committee. Background information has been provided to members.

I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. ICAS often has input into the committee, so I thought that I should declare that interest.

I have no relevant interests to declare.

Good morning, everybody. I am a former employee of Standard Life and of the Royal Bank of Scotland, but I hold no shares in them.

I am a sole trader of Thomson Holdings, which is a property investment company for buy-to-let residential property. I receive some income from that, which is declared in the register of interests.

I am a director of Senza Rit Ltd, which is a property management company for residential property. I receive a benefit in kind in the form of life cover, but I receive no income from that. That is declared in the register of interests.

I am a former adviser to the Northern Ireland Assembly all-party group on fair banking and finance, for which I received no remuneration, and I am a current ambassador of the Westminster all-party parliamentary group for fair business banking, for which I receive no remuneration.

I have no relevant interests to declare.

I remind everyone that I am still a member of Aberdeen City Council as an elected councillor.

I am a director of, and sole shareholder in, a company that has retail interests. I am a member of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and of the Community trade union, and I am the vice chair of the ADHD Foundation charity.

I do not believe that I have any interests that are relevant to the committee that need to be declared.