Q & A's
What issues do you deal with?
I am not sure whether my query comes within your remit?
How do I contact you?
Are you available to visit local community groups in your constituency?
I have seen the Scottish Parliament debates on television, can I get a ticket for the public gallery?
When was the new Scottish Parliament established?
What is devolution?
What matters can the Scottish Parliament decide?
What can be decided only by the UK Parliament?
What is the difference between the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government?
The Scottish Government is made up of?
How does the Scottish Parliament work?
What is the role of the Presiding Officer?
What is the SPCB?
How does the Parliament decide its business programme?
How are MSPs elected?
Which political parties are represented in the Scottish Parliament?
What do MSPs do?
How is business organised?
What happens in the Debating Chamber?
How do the committees work?
How does the Parliament make laws?
how can I find out more?
What issues do you deal with?
Any issue within the remit of the Scottish Parliament. For example, pensioners looking for information on how to apply for central heating to be installed in their homes under the Scottish Executive’s Central Heating Programme; local residents concerned about policing in their areas; legislation relating to anti-social neighbours; parents seeking advice on education. Sometimes constituents write to me with their opinions on proposed changes in legislation and a recent example is the Family Law Bill.
I am not sure whether my query comes within your remit?
Please fee free to contact my constituency office where a member of staff will be happy to deal with your enquiry. If you query does not come within my remit my staff will be able to provide the relevant contact details.
How do I contact you?
Whatever way suits you. If it is a matter you would like to discuss with me in person then you can come along to one of my surgeries, or contact me during my telephone surgery. There is no need to make an appointment.
Are you available to visit local community groups in your constituency?
Yes. Visits enable me to keep in touch with local communities and the issues that concern them. If you would like me to visit your group please contact my constituency office to make the necessary arrangements.
I have seen the Scottish Parliament debates on television, can I get a ticket for the public gallery?
Yes, anyone can obtain tickets for the public gallery. For further details please contact my constituency office on 0141 564 1364.
When was the new Parliament established?
A referendum held on 11 September 1997 produced a clear majority in favour of the creation of a Scottish Parliament with tax varying powers. The turnout at the referendum was 60% of the electorate. Of the people who voted, 74% agreed that there should be a Scottish Parliament and 64% agreed that a Scottish Parliament should have tax-varying powers.
The Scotland Act, which was passed by the UK Parliament in 1998, established the first Parliament in Scotland since 1707. Under the terms of this Act, the Scottish Parliament can pass laws affecting Scotland on a range of domestic issues and can raise or lower the basic rate of income tax by up to three pence in the pound.
Following the referendum, a Consultative Steering Group (CSG) was established to develop proposals for the practical operation of the new Parliament. The members of the CSG represented the major political parties, civic groups and other interests in Scotland. The CSG consulted widely, holding public meetings and commissioning expert evidence.
What is Devolution ?
Scottish devolution is the delegation of power from the UK Parliament and UK Government to the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government. This means decisions are made at a level closer to the people they affect.
What matters can the Scottish Parliament decide?
The Scottish Parliament has been given the power to make laws on certain issues such as education, health and housing. These issues are known as devolved matters.
Devolved matters include:
agriculture, forestry and fishing
education and training
environment
Gaelic
health
housing
law and home affairs
local government
natural and built heritage
planning
police and fire services
social work
sport and the arts
statistics and public records
tourism and economic development
transport
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What can be decided only by the UK Parliament?
Some issues concerning Scotland that have a UK or international impact are dealt with by the UK Parliament. These issues are known as reserved matters and include things like foreign affairs, defence and social security.
The UK Parliament can also make laws that will apply to Scotland on any subject, but it does not normally legislate on devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament.
What is the difference between the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government?
The Scottish Government (formerly known as the Scottish Executive) is the government in Scotland for devolved matters. Responsibility for all devolved matters was passed to the Scottish Executive from the Scottish Office and other UK Government departments in 1999.
The Scottish Government is a separate organisation from the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Parliament passes laws on devolved issues and also scrutinises the work of the Scottish Government. The relationship between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament is similar to the relationship between the UK Government and the UK Parliament at Westminster.
In practice, the members of the Scottish Government are chosen from the party or parties holding most seats in the Parliament. In the election on 3 May 2007, the Scottish National Party won more seats than any other party. No party gained an absolute majority, however, and the Scottish National Party currently forms a minority government.
The Scottish Government is made up of:
The First Minister: As Scotland’s counterpart to the Prime Minister in the UK Government, the First Minister appoints a ministerial team and decides their responsibilities.
The Scottish Law Officers: The Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General are the Law Officers. They advise the Scottish Government on legal matters and represent its interests in court. The Law Officers do not need to be Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).
Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers: Cabinet Secretaries and the Ministers who assist them currently have specific responsibilities (eg justice, health or education), and it is their job to develop and implement legislation and policy in their given area.
How does the Scottish Parliament work?
The Scottish Parliament is made up of 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). One of the 129 MSPs is elected by the others to serve as the Presiding Officer. Two MSPs are elected as Deputy Presiding Officers.
What is the role of the Presiding Officer?
The role of the Presiding Officer and the two deputies is to:
chair meetings of the Parliament
convene and chair meetings of the Parliamentary Bureau
decide on questions about the rules for parliamentary proceedings
represent the Parliament in discussions with other parliamentary or governmental bodies.
The Presiding Officer also chairs the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB).
Once elected, the Presiding Officer must act impartially. The two Deputy Presiding Officers must act impartially when they are chairing parliamentary meetings; when they are not chairing meetings they can play a full part in parliamentary business.
What is the SPCB?
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) provides the staff, accommodation and services needed by the Parliament to carry out its work. It is made up of four members elected by the Parliament from among the MSPs and is chaired by the Presiding Officer. The minutes of its meetings can be found on the Scottish Parliament website.
The work of the Parliament is supported by its own staff, headed by the Clerk/Chief Executive of the Parliament. People employed by the Scottish Parliament are independent of the Scottish Government and act impartially on behalf of the Parliament.
How does the Parliament decide its business programme?
A group of MSPs representing political parties and groupings with five members or more in the Parliament form the Parliamentary Bureau. They meet regularly in private to arrange the programme of meetings and the business to be discussed.
The minutes, agendas and papers of these meetings can be found on the Scottish Parliament website.
The Parliamentary Bureau draws up the Parliament's proposed agenda or business programme. This programme includes deadlines for the stages of bills or other legislation. It also includes Ministerial Statements and debates. The proposed agenda is considered and decided in the Parliament. The timetable of future business is published in the Business Bulletin.
How are MSPsElected?
Each person in Scotland is represented by one constituency MSP and seven regional MSPs. All MSPs have equal status in the Parliament.
At a Scottish Parliament election each voter has two votes.
With one vote, people choose between candidates standing in their constituency. The candidate winning the largest number of votes will gain the seat; this is known as the ‘first-past-the-post’ system. There are a total of 73 constituency MSPs.
The other vote is for a political party, or for a candidate standing as an individual, within a larger electoral area called a Scottish Parliament region. There are eight Scottish Parliament regions. Each region has seven seats in the Parliament. In each region, parties are allocated seats dependent upon the number of constituency seats they won and the number of votes they received in the regional ballot. The members chosen to fill these additional 56 seats are known as regional members. This voting system is known as the Additional Member System (AMS) and is a type of proportional representation.
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Which political parties are represented in the Scottish Parliament?
Following the third Scottish Parliament general election on 3 May 2007, no party won an overall majority. The Scottish National Party won most seats (47), followed by the Scottish Labour Party (46), the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (17), the Scottish Liberal Democrats (16) and the Scottish Green Party (2). One independent MSP was also elected. Representation from the smaller parties and independents fell significantly from a total of 17 MSPs elected in 2003 to three in 2007.
MSPs may sit anywhere in the Debating Chamber, but they generally sit with colleagues from the same party. The MSPs sit in a semi-circle and the Presiding Officer sits at a desk facing them. The parties tend to sit in the following order from left to right when viewed from the Presiding Officer’s seat: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, and Scottish Labour Party. The Scottish Green Party and Independent MSPs tend to sit in the back row.
What do MSPs do?
MSPs represent their constituents on matters that can be decided by the Scottish Parliament, such as education, health and the environment. As well as representing the people in a particular area, MSPs can speak on issues in debates and most are members of at least one of the Scottish Parliament committees.
There are a number of actions that MSPs can take. They can:
lodge a motion for debate in the Parliament
speak in a debate
introduce a bill to change the law
propose an amendment to a bill
ask a question of the Scottish Government
refer matters to, or ask questions of, another person or organisation.
MSPs generally spend Mondays and Fridays working in their constituencies. The main parliamentary business days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, when MSPs attend committee meetings and debates in the Chamber. In addition, many MSPs are invited to speak at meetings and hold constituency surgeries in the evenings and at weekends.
How is business organised?
The Parliament works in two main ways:
meetings of the full Parliament
committee meetings.
Committee meetings do not normally take place when there is a meeting of the full Parliament. In practice, committees generally meet on Tuesdays and on Wednesday mornings. Meetings of the full Parliament are normally held on Wednesday afternoons and all day on Thursday. A record of what is said at all public meetings of the Parliament and its committees is published in the Official Report.
Each parliamentary session lasts four years from the date of the first meeting after a general election. Each session is divided into parliamentary years, which run from the date of the first meeting after a general election.
Meetings of the full Parliament can include:
Time for Reflection
Government debates
Opposition party debates
Committee debates
First Minister’s Question Time
General and Themed Question Time
Consideration of legislation
Business motions
Ministerial Statements
Parliamentary Bureau motions
Decision Time
Members’ Business
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What happens in the debating Chamber?
The Debating Chamber is where meetings of the full Parliament are held on Wednesday afternoons and all day on Thursdays when Parliament is in session. The timetable could include:
Time for Reflection: This is when an invited person addresses the Parliament for up to four minutes. Invitations to speak are made with regard to the balance of beliefs and faiths in Scotland. Time for Reflection is normally the first item of business on Wednesday afternoons.
Debate: This is a discussion between MSPs in the Parliament. Debates are normally based on a motion.
Motion: This is a proposition, which is considered and decided upon by the Parliament or a committee. There are different types of motion, including business motions, which allow the Parliament to approve the Parliamentary Bureau's proposals for the business programme.
First Minister’s Question Time: This is when MSPs ask questions of the First Minister. Six questions are selected by the Presiding Officer. There is also the opportunity for MSPs to ask supplementary questions.
Question Time: This is when MSPs ask questions of Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers. There is one period of time set aside for general questions and another set aside for questions on specified themes such as health and well-being, rural affairs and the environment, and justice. The themes vary each week on a rota basis.
Decision Time: This is the time when MSPs vote on the motions that have been discussed that day. Decision Time generally takes place from 5pm on Wednesday and Thursday.
Members’ Business: This is a debate proposed by a backbench MSP. Generally the topic discussed is of local concern to the MSP's area or of particular interest to the MSP. Members’ Business normally takes place after Decision Time.
Howdo the committees work?
Committees play an important role in the Scottish Parliament. They contribute to the development of new laws, consider and report on the work of the Scottish Government and ensure public participation in this process. They can also investigate and consult people about issues of concern, and propose new laws.
A committee normally has between five and 15 MSPs as members. These are selected with regard to the balance of the various political parties and groupings in the Parliament, and each committee is chaired by a convener.
A committee can form sub-committees and can hold joint meetings with other committees. Generally MSPs who are not members of a committee can take part in a committee's proceedings, but they are not able to vote.
Committee meetings are normally held in public. They can take place anywhere in Scotland, but usually take place in the committee rooms at Holyrood. A committee can invite any person to attend a meeting as a witness. Witnesses give evidence or provide documents related to the business of the committee.
People who are not MSPs but who have specialist knowledge of a particular matter may be appointed as committee advisers.
The Parliament operates according to a set of rules and procedures called the Standing Orders. These require certain committees to be set up. These are known as the mandatory committees.
The mandatory committees are:
Audit
Equal Opportunities
European and External Relations
Finance
Public Petitions
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments
Subordinate Legislation
The Parliament can choose to set up any other committees that it thinks are necessary to look at a specific subject or area. These are called the subject committees.
The subject committees established by the Parliament at the start of the third session in 2007 were:
Economy, Energy and Tourism
Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture
Health and Sport
Justice
Local Government and Communities
Rural Affairs and Environment
Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Bills are allocated by subject to the most appropriate committee. Sometimes more than one committee might have an interest but the Parliament allocates a lead committee with overall responsibility for scrutiny of the bill.
The committees have three main areas of work:
1. Legislation: Committees can consider and amend proposals for new laws that are introduced by the Scottish Government, individual MSPs, individuals, companies or groups. The committees can also propose new laws in the form of committee bills.
2. Inquiries: Committees can investigate an area that is within their remit and publish a report setting out their recommendations. These reports can then be discussed at a meeting of the full Parliament.
3. Other areas: Committees can also consider and report on the policy and operation of the Scottish Government, on European legislation, on secondary (or subordinate) legislation and on public petitions.
How does the Parliament make laws?
The Scottish Parliament considers and makes new laws for Scotland on devolved matters. Proposals for new laws are introduced in the Parliament as bills.
A public bill to change the general law of Scotland can be introduced to the Parliament by members of the Scottish Government, by parliamentary committees or by individual MSPs. These bills are known as:
Executive bills (introduced by the Scottish Government)
committee bills
members’ bills.
A private bill can be introduced by an individual person, company or group of people to obtain powers to do things which they would not otherwise be able to do.
When bills are introduced in the Parliament they must be accompanied by a number of documents. In most cases, bills must be accompanied by Explanatory Notes that help explain what each section of the bill will do, and a Financial Memorandum that explains what it is likely to cost. Most public bills also have a Policy Memorandum that explains the general aims of the bill, the kind of consultation there has been and the result of this consultation. There must also be a statement from the Presiding Officer setting out his view on whether the bill relates to devolved matters, as bills passed by the Scottish Parliament relating to reserved matters can be struck down in court.
The stages of a bill
The parliamentary process of a bill depends on the type of bill, but usually consists of three stages:
Stage 1: The appropriate parliamentary committee(s) takes evidence on the bill and produces a report on the bill’s general principles. A meeting of the Parliament then considers the report and debates whether to agree to the bill's general principles. If the Parliament agrees, the bill goes on to Stage 2. If the Parliament does not agree, the bill falls.
Stage 2: The bill is considered in detail, by a committee or, occasionally, by a Committee of the Whole Parliament. Changes, known as amendments to the bill, can be made at this stage.
Stage 3: The bill is again considered at a meeting of the Parliament. Further amendments can be made and the Parliament then debates and decides whether to pass the bill in its final form.
Once a bill has been passed, there is a four-week period during which it may be challenged by the Law Officers if they believe that it is outside the law-making powers of the Scottish Parliament. If it is not challenged, it is then submitted by the Presiding Officer to the Queen for royal assent.
On receiving royal assent, a bill becomes an Act of the Scottish Parliament. Some Acts, or sections of an Act, come into force as soon as royal assent is granted. However, the Scottish Government often sets a date or dates on which the Act, or parts of it, will come into force.
how can Ifind out more?
The Parliament’s web site www.scottish.parliament.uk is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to follow the work of the Parliament. It contains the Business Bulletin, which details the current work timetabled for the Parliament, and the Official Report, which is a record of what is said in the Parliament. You can even follow debates, and most committee meetings, live on the Internet, using our webcast service: www.holyrood.tv
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