Committees of the Scottish Parliament

Scottish Parliament committees are small groups of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) who meet on a regular basis to scrutinise the work of the Scottish Government, conduct inquiries into subjects within their remit and examine legislation. Much of the everyday work of the Scottish Parliament is done by these committees.

Committees play a more prominent role in the functioning of the Scottish Parliament than in many other comparable parliamentary systems.[1] Partly this is intended to curb executive dominance, partly to empower backbench members as they carry out the work of scrutinising government, partly to encourage public and expert involvement, and partly due to the unicameral nature of the Scottish Parliament, meaning there is no revising chamber.[2]

Some key committees, known as Mandatory committees, are required by the Scottish Parliament's standing orders and are established at the beginning of each session and their remits determined by parliamentary rules.[3] Subject committees deal with a particular subject or area. Many of these Subject committees have been in place in one form or another since the formation of the Scottish Parliament, while others are quickly created and disbanded as circumstances require.[3] A third type of committee may also be established to consider particular issues or pieces of legislation, especially private bills that have been submitted to parliament.[4]

Committees usually have between seven and eleven MSPs as members, who are selected to reflect the balance of the political parties in parliament as a whole. Committee meetings are held in the committee rooms of the Scottish Parliament Building when parliament is sitting. Committees may also choose to meet at other locations throughout Scotland.[5]

Conveners Group

The Conveners Group is not a committee in the ordinary sense, but is a forum where committee conveners meet to discuss the operation of committees and to liaise with other parliamentary bodies. The Conveners Group makes recommendations regarding the scheduling of committee business in the debating chamber and has the authority to allow committee meetings to take place in locations other than the Scottish Parliament Building. The Conveners Group is chaired by the Presiding Officer or their deputy.[6]

Current committees

Mandatory

Mandatory committees are set down under the Scottish Parliament's standing orders, which govern their remits and proceedings. Mandatory committees are established at the beginning of each parliamentary session.

Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs

The Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee examines issues relating to culture and tourism in Scotland, and scrutinises the Scottish Government's work in these areas. The committee's remit includes issues relating to Scotland's links with countries and territories in the European Union and elsewhere. Issues relating to the impact on Scotland of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union are also considered. The committee convener is Joan McAlpine and Claire Baker is deputy.

Delegated Powers and Law Reform

The role of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee is to decide whether or not grant powers to Scottish ministers to make secondary legislation. If that power is granted, it is then the job of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee and any relevant Subject committee to examine and report on the secondary legislation as it is issued. The committee convener is Bill Bowman and Gil Paterson is deputy.

Equalities and Human Rights

The Equalities and Human Rights Committee considers and reports on matters relating to equal opportunities and their observance within the Scottish Parliament. It also considers human rights matters and the prevention, elimination or regulation of discrimination between persons on the grounds of protected characteristics. The committee is convened by Ruth Maguire and the deputy convener is Alex Cole-Hamilton.

Finance and Constitution

The Finance and Constitution Committee scrutinises the Scottish Government's taxation, spending and borrowing plans. It undertakes analysis of tax revenue forecasts and receipts, the impact of any newly devolved financial powers and the estimated costs of proposed legislation. The committee's remit also includes constitutional matters within the responsibility of the Scottish Government. The committee convener is Bruce Crawford and the deputy convener is Murdo Fraser.

Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny

The remit of the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee is to consider and report on any accounts laid before parliament, any report made to parliament by the Auditor General for Scotland, any other document concerning financial control, accounting and auditing in relation to public expenditure and to conduct post-legislative scrutiny. The committee convener is Jenny Marra and Graham Simpson is deputy convener.

Public Petitions

The Scottish Parliament’s public petitions process allows members of the public to raise awareness of issues that may not otherwise be debated in parliament. The Public Petitions Committee considers all petitions that meet stipulated guidelines. In addition, the committee aims to improve the way in which the public petitions system functions and also seeks feedback from petitioners about their experiences of petitioning the Scottish Parliament. The committee is convened by Johann Lamont and the deputy convener is Gail Ross.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments

The Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee examines the rules and procedures that determine how the Scottish Parliament operates. It considers the rules on how MSPs should behave, including what interests they should register, and determines whether MSPs have followed these rules. Other duties include updating the code of conduct for MSPs, scrutinising appointments to public bodies, regulation of lobbying and the operation of elections to the Scottish Parliament. Bill Kidd is the committee convener and Patrick Harvie is the deputy convener.

Subject

Subject committees are formed at the beginning of each parliamentary session. These committees typically correspond with one (or more) of the directorates or ministries of the Scottish Government. Additional Subject committees can be created as the need arises, such as the committee established in 2020 to examine the Scottish Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

COVID-19
Economy, Energy and Fair Work
Education and Skills
Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
Health and Sport
Justice
Justice Sub-Committee on Policing
Local Government and Communities
Rural Economy and Connectivity
Social Security
Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints

Other

Issues not within the scope of the Mandatory or Subject committees, especially the examination of private bills, are considered by separate committees created solely for that purpose. Private bills typically relate to large-scale development projects such as infrastructure projects that require the use of land or property. Such committees have in the past been set up to consider legislation and issues relating to the development of the Edinburgh Trams, the Glasgow Airport rail link, the Airdrie–Bathgate rail link and extensions to the Scottish National Gallery.

Solicitors in the Supreme Courts of Scotland (Amendment) Bill

Previous committees

First session

Audit
Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill
Education, Culture and Sport
Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
Equal Opportunities
European
European and External Relations
Finance
Health and Community Care
Justice and Home Affairs
Justice 1
Justice 2
Local Government
National Galleries of Scotland Bill
Procedures
Public Petitions
Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm (Navigation and Fishing) (Scotland) Bill
Rural Affairs
Rural Development
Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Bill
Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector
Social Justice
Standards
Subordinate Legislation
Transport and the Environment

Second session

Adhoc Standards
Airdrie-Bathgate Railway and Linked Improvements Bill
Audit
Baird Trust Reorganisation Bill
Communities
Edinburgh Airport Rail Link Bill
Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Bill
Edinburgh Tram (Line Two) Bill
Education
Enterprise and Culture
Environment and Rural Development
Equal Opportunities
European and External Relations
Finance
Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill
Health
Interests of Members of the Scottish Parliament Bill
Justice 1
Justice 2
Justice 2 Sub
Local Government and Transport
Procedures
Public Petitions
Standards
Standards and Public Appointments
Stirling - Alloa - Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill
Subordinate Legislation
Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill

Third session

Audit
Economy, Energy and Tourism
Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture
End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill
Equal Opportunities
European and External Relations
Finance
Forth Crossing Bill
Health and Sport
Justice
Local Government and Communities
Procedures
Public Audit
Public Petitions
Review of SPCB Supported Bodies
Rural Affairs and Environment
Scotland Bill
Scottish Parliamentary Pension Bill
Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme
Standards and Public Appointments
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments
Subordinate Legislation
Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Ure Elder Fund Transfer and Dissolution Bill
William Simpson's Home (Transfer of Property etc.) (Scotland) Bill

Fourth session

Burrell Collection (Lending and Borrowing) (Scotland) Bill
City of Edinburgh Council (Leith Links and Surplus Fire Fund) Bill
City of Edinburgh Council (Portobello Park) Bill
Delegated Powers and Law Reform
Devolution (Further Powers)
Economy, Energy and Tourism
Education and Culture
Equal Opportunities
European and External Relations
Finance
Health and Sport
Infrastructure and Capital Investment
Interests of Members of the Scottish Parliament (Amendment) Bill
Justice
Justice Sub-Committee on Policing
Local Government and Regeneration
National Galleries of Scotland Bill
National Trust for Scotland (Governance etc.) Bill
Pentland Hills Regional Park Boundary Bill
Public Audit
Public Petitions
Referendum (Scotland) Bill
Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment
Scotland Bill
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments
Subordinate Legislation
Welfare Reform

Fifth session

Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations
Economy, Jobs and Fair Work
Edinburgh Bakers' Widows' Fund Bill
Equal Opportunities
European and External Relations
Finance
Hutchesons' Hospital Transfer and Dissolution (Scotland) Bill
Pow of Inchaffray Drainage Commission (Scotland) Bill
Public Audit
Writers to the Signet Dependants' Annuity Fund Amendment (Scotland) Bill

References

"The role of committees". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
"Scottish Parliament committees – what are they and what do they do?" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
"Democracy in Scotland". BBC. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
"Private Bills". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
Buchan, Jamie (26 November 2019). "NHS Tayside chiefs to be quizzed on finances, leadership and mental health in Perth". The Courier. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
"The Conveners Group". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
Davidson, Jenni (17 April 2020). "New Scottish Parliament committee to scrutinise Scottish Government response to coronavirus". Holyrood. Retrieved 25 January 2021.

External links

Scottish Parliament official site of the Scottish Parliament

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[1] "The role of committees". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.

[2] "Scottish Parliament committees – what are they and what do they do?" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.

[CommitteeTypes-3] "Democracy in Scotland". BBC. Retrieved 25 January 2021.

[4] "Private Bills". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.

[5] Buchan, Jamie (26 November 2019). "NHS Tayside chiefs to be quizzed on finances, leadership and mental health in Perth". The Courier. Retrieved 25 January 2021.

[6] "The Conveners Group". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.

[7] Davidson, Jenni (17 April 2020). "New Scottish Parliament committee to scrutinise Scottish Government response to coronavirus". Holyrood. Retrieved 25 January 2021.