Until last week many people may have been unaware of the fact that a variety of Scottish Parliamentary committees take place each week.
These cross-party committees are the gatekeepers of parliamentary business and can call on people from all walks of life to give evidence as they scrutinise legislation or issues that need addressing without fear or favour.
The dreadful Grenfell Tower tragedy is one such example. The horrific events in London hammered home the need to make sure that Scotland’s high rise dwellings are safe.
I sit on the Local Government and Communities Committee.
We've been looking at building standards and extended that inquiry into fire safety following Grenfell.
This week, on what should have been a straightforward meeting, the committee unearthed a fact that left us all shocked.
Some simple probing confirmed that Glasgow City Council has been withholding information that some private residential tower blocks building in the city have Grenfell-style cladding.
The council has identified privately-owned buildings which feature aluminium composite material (ACM).
The news was revealed by assistant head of planning and building standards at the council, Raymond Barlow.
Mr Barlow would not tell us how many properties had been affected but he confirmed that owners had not been contacted and that Scottish Fire and Rescue had also not been told.
The information had only been shared with a Scottish Government's ministerial working group.
Only later did we learn that 57 blocks were affected.
I have called for Glasgow City Council to immediately tell residents what they know.
They are answerable to the citizens of their city and no one else and it is simply institutional arrogance to sit on the information - however uncomfortable it is.