Committees of the Scottish Parliament

Private Bill Committees are set up to deal with the legislation required for major public sector infrastructure projects - such as the underground extensions to the National Gallery of Scotland in 2003.

The Scottish Parliament has a number of committees, with small numbers of Members appointed to deal with particular topics or issues.

Much of the work of the Scottish Parliament is done in committee. The role of committees is stronger in the Scottish Parliament than in other parliamentary systems, partly as a means of strengthening the role of backbenchers in their scrutiny of the Government[1] and partly to compensate for the fact that the parliament is unicameral (there is no revising chamber).

The principal role of committees in the Scottish Parliament is to conduct inquiries, scrutinise legislation and hold the government to account.[2] Committee meetings take place in the Parliament's committee rooms all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning when Parliament is sitting. Committees can also meet at other locations throughout Scotland.[3]

Membership of the committees reflects the balance of parties across Parliament.[2] There are different types of committee, with their functions set out in different ways.

The membership of the committees in August 2011 is shown below. All committees also have substitute members (not shown).

Mandatory Committees

Mandatory Committees are committees which are set down under the Scottish Parliament's standing orders, which govern their remits and proceedings. The current Mandatory Committees of the Scottish Parliament are:[2]

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Name Party
Nigel Don (Convener)Scottish National Party
John Mason (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Margaret McCullochScottish Labour Party
John ScottScottish Conservative Party
Stewart StevensonScottish National Party

Equal Opportunities

Name Party
Margaret McCulloch (Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Sandra White (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Christian AllardScottish National Party
Jayne BaxterScottish Labour Party
John FinnieIndependent
Annabel GoldieScottish Conservative Party
John Mason Scottish National Party

European and External Relations

Name Party
Christina McKelvie (Convener)Scottish National Party
Hanzala Malik (Deputy Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Roderick CampbellScottish National Party
Willie CoffeyScottish National Party
Adam IngramScottish National Party
Jamie McGrigorScottish Conservative Party
Anne McTaggart Scottish Labour Party

Finance

Name Party
Kenneth Gibson (Convener)Scottish National Party
John Mason (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Richard BakerScottish Labour Party
Gavin BrownScottish Conservative Party
Malcolm ChisholmScottish Labour Party
Mark McDonald Scottish National Party
Jean UrquhartIndependent

Public Audit

The remit of the committee, as published by the Parliament, is to consider and report on:

  1. any accounts laid before the Parliament
  2. any report laid before or made to the Parliament by the Auditor General for Scotland
  3. any other document laid before the Parliament concerning financial control, accounting and auditing in relation to public expenditure
Name Party
Paul Martin (Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Mary Scanlon (Deputy Convener)Scottish Conservative Party
Colin BeattieScottish National Party
Nigel DonScottish National Party
Colin KeirScottish National Party
Stuart McMillanScottish National Party
Tavish ScottScottish Liberal Democrats
Drew SmithScottish Labour Party
David TorranceScottish National Party

Public Petitions

The remit of the Committee is to decide what action should be taken on admissible public petitions. The Committee is also responsible for deciding, in cases of dispute, whether a public petition is admissible.

On 16 June 2009 the Committee reported on its 'Inquiry into the public petitions process'[4] issued to reflect 10 years of operation, which included an evaluation of the pioneering e-Petitioner online petitioning system.

Name Party
John Pentland (Convener)Scottish Labour Party
David Torrance (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Jackson CarlawScottish Conservative Party
Kenny MacAskillScottish National Party
Angus MacDonaldScottish National Party
Hanzala MalikScottish Labour Party
John WilsonIndependent

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments

Name Party
Stewart Stevenson (Convener)Scottish National Party
Margaret McDougall (Deputy Convener)Scottish Labour Party
George AdamScottish National Party
Cameron BuchananScottish Conservative Party
Patricia FergusonScottish Labour Party
Gil PatersonScottish National Party
Dave ThompsonScottish National Party

Subject Committees

Subject Committees are established at the beginning of each parliamentary session, and again the balance of members on each committee reflects the balance of parties across Parliament. Typically each committee corresponds with one (or more) of the departments (or ministries) of the Scottish Government. The current Subject Committees are:[2]

Economy, Energy and Tourism

Name Party
Murdo Fraser (Convener)Scottish Conservative Party
Dennis Robertson (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Chic BrodieScottish National Party
Patrick HarvieScottish Green Party
Johann LamontScottish Labour Party
Richard LyleScottish National Party
Gordon MacDonaldScottish National Party
Lewis MacdonaldScottish Labour Party
Joan McAlpineScottish National Party

Education and Culture

Name Party
Stewart Maxwell (Convener)Scottish National Party
Siobhan McMahon (Deputy Convener)Scottish Labour Party
George AdamScottish National Party
Colin BeattieScottish National Party
Chic BrodieScottish National Party
Mark GriffinScottish Labour Party
Gordon MacDonaldScottish National Party
Liam McArthurScottish Liberal Democrats
Mary ScanlonScottish Conservative Party

Health and Sport

Name Party
Duncan McNeil (Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Bob Doris (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Rhoda GrantScottish Labour Party
Colin KeirScottish National Party
Richard LyleScottish National Party
Mike MacKenzieScottish National Party
Nanette MilneScottish Conservative Party
Dennis RobertsonScottish National Party
Richard SimpsonScottish Labour Party

Infrastructure and Capital Investment

Name Party
Jim Eadie (Convener)Scottish National Party
Adam Ingram (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
James DornanScottish National Party
Mary FeeScottish Labour Party
Alex JohnstoneScottish Conservative Party
Mike MacKenzieScottish National Party
David StewartScottish Labour Party

Justice

Name Party
Christine Grahame (Convener)Scottish National Party
Elaine Murray (Deputy Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Christian AllardScottish National Party
Jayne BaxterScottish Labour Party
Roderick CampbellScottish National Party
John FinnieIndependent
Alison McInnesScottish Liberal Democrats
Margaret MitchellScottish Conservative Party
Gil PatersonScottish National Party

Local Government and Regeneration

Name Party
Kevin Stewart (Convener)Scottish National Party
John Wilson (Deputy Convener)Independent
Clare AdamsonScottish National Party
Cameron Buchanan (politician)Scottish Conservative Party
Willie CoffeyScottish National Party
Cara HiltonScottish Labour Party
Alex RowleyScottish Labour Party

Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment

Name Party
Rob Gibson (Convener)Scottish National Party
Graeme Dey (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Claudia BeamishScottish Labour Party
Sarah BoyackScottish Labour Party
Nigel DonScottish National Party
Alex FergussonScottish Conservative Party
Jim HumeScottish Liberal Democrats
Richard LyleScottish National Party
Angus MacDonaldScottish National Party

Conveners’ Group

The Conveners’ Group is a special committee of the Scottish Parliament chaired by the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. Its main responsibilities are involved in the administration of Committee expenses and certain other activities.[5]

Name Party
Tricia Marwick (Convener)Presiding Officer
Nigel DonScottish National Party
Mary FeeScottish Labour Party
Joe FitzpatrickScottish National Party
Murdo FraserScottish Conservative Party
Kenneth GibsonScottish National Party
Rob GibsonScottish National Party
Christine GrahameScottish National Party
Iain GrayScottish Labour Party
Stewart MaxwellScottish National Party
Christina McKelvieScottish National Party
Duncan McNeilScottish Labour Party
David StewartScottish Labour Party
Dave ThompsonScottish National Party
Maureen WattScottish National Party

Private Bill Committees

A further type of committee is normally set up to scrutinise private bills submitted to the Scottish Parliament by an outside party or promoter who is not a member of the Scottish Parliament or Scottish Government. Private bills normally relate to large-scale development projects such as infrastructure projects that require the use of land or property.[6] Private Bill Committees have been set up to consider legislation on issues such as the development of the Edinburgh Tram Network, the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link and extensions to the National Gallery of Scotland.[7]

Burrell Collection (Lending and Borrowing) (Scotland) Bill Committee

City of Edinburgh Council (Leith Links and Surplus Fire Fund) (Scotland) Bill Committee

City of Edinburgh Council (Portobello Park) Bill Committee

Justice Sub-Committee on Policing - Implementation of Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act

Subject Committees

Referendum (Scotland) Bill Committee

Welfare Reform Committee

References

  1. Dardanelli (2005) p185
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Committees - Parliamentary Business: Scottish Parliament". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
  3. "Finance Committee to meet in Perth". Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Retrieved 2006-11-22.
  4. Inquiry into the public petitions process Scottish Parliament Paper 300, 3rd Report, 2009 (Session 3) (PU/S3/09/R3) (Accessed 16.06.2009)
  5. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Committees_of_the_Scottish_Parliament&action=edit
  6. "Private Bills". Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Retrieved 2006-11-22.
  7. "Private Bill Committees". Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Retrieved 2006-11-22.

External links