Recommendation 5

We recommend that successor committees hold a business planning day early on in the Session to hear from experts, set out some agreed principles on ways of working, and agree early scrutiny priorities. While it will be for successor committees to determine what works for them, based on our own experience, we think it is important for committees to find time from the outset for substantial inquiries based on carefully considered terms of references, with plenty of time for stakeholders and members of the public to provide their views. We also strongly recommend continuing to create spaces for more informal information-gathering, to ensure committees hear from a diverse range of individuals, by providing more accessible and potentially safer opportunities for people to share their experiences than in formal meetings.