- 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).
Contents
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]
Public Audit
The remit of the committee, as published by the Parliament, is to consider and report on:
- any accounts laid before the Parliament
- any report laid before or made to the Parliament by the Auditor General for Scotland
- any other document laid before the Parliament concerning financial control, accounting and auditing in relation to public expenditure
Name Party Hugh Henry (Convener) Scottish Labour Party Murdo Fraser (Deputy Convener) Scottish Conservative Party George Adam Scottish National Party Colin Beattie Scottish National Party Willie Coffey Scottish National Party Mark McDonald Scottish National Party Tavish Scott Scottish Liberal Democrats Drew Smith Scottish Labour Party Humza Yousaf Scottish National Party Equal Opportunities
Name Party Claudia Beamish (Convener) Scottish Labour Party Stuart McMillan (Deputy Convener) Scottish National Party Clare Adamson Scottish National Party John Finnie Scottish National Party Siobhan McMahon Scottish Labour Party Margaret Mitchell Scottish Conservative Party Dennis Robertson Scottish National Party European and External Relations
Name Party Christina McKelvie (Convener) Scottish National Party Hanzala Malik (Deputy Convener) Scottish Labour Party Helen Eadie Scottish Labour Party Annabelle Ewing Scottish National Party Bill Kidd Scottish National Party Jamie McGrigor Scottish Conservative Party Aileen McLeod Scottish National Party Finance
Name Party Kenneth Gibson (Convener) Scottish National Party John Mason (Deputy Convener) Scottish National Party Alex Johnstone Scottish Conservative Party Derek Mackay Scottish National Party Margaret McCulloch Scottish Labour Party John Pentland Scottish Labour Party Paul Wheelhouse Scottish 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 David Stewart (Convener) Scottish Labour Party Sandra White (Deputy Convener) Scottish National Party Neil Bibby Scottish Labour Party Richard Lyle Scottish National Party Nanette Milne Scottish Conservative Party Bill Walker Scottish National Party John Wilson Scottish National Party Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments
Name Party Dave Thompson (Convener) Scottish National Party Helen Eadie (Deputy Convener) Scottish Labour Party Margaret Burgess Scottish National Party Bob Doris Scottish National Party Margaret McDougall Scottish Labour Party Nanette Milne Scottish Conservative Party Paul Wheelhouse Scottish National Party Subordinate Legislation
Name Party Nigel Don (Convener) Scottish National Party James Dornan (Deputy Convener) Scottish National Party Chic Brodie Scottish National Party Kezia Dugdale Scottish Labour Party Mike MacKenzie Scottish National Party John Scott Scottish Conservative Party Drew Smith Scottish Labour 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 Gavin Brown (Convener) Scottish Conservative Party John Wilson (Deputy Convener) Scottish National Party Chic Brodie Scottish National Party Rhoda Grant Scottish Labour Party Patrick Harvie Scottish Green Party Angus MacDonald Scottish National Party Mike MacKenzie Scottish National Party Stuart McMillan Scottish National Party Anne McTaggart Scottish Labour Party Education and Culture
Name Party Stewart Maxwell (Convener) Scottish National Party Claire Baker (Deputy Convener) Scottish Labour Party Clare Adamson Scottish National Party Marco Biagi Scottish National Party Jenny Marra Scottish Labour Party Joan McAlpine Scottish National Party Liam McArthur Scottish Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Smith Scottish Conservative Party Jean Urquhart Scottish National Party Health and Sport
Name Party Duncan McNeil (Convener) Scottish Labour Party Bob Doris (Deputy Convener) Scottish National Party Jim Eadie Scottish National Party Mary Fee Scottish Labour Party Richard Lyle Scottish National Party Fiona McLeod Scottish National Party Gil Paterson Scottish National Party Mary Scanlon Scottish Conservative Party Richard Simpson Scottish Labour Party Infrastructure and Capital Investment
Justice
Name Party Christine Grahame (Convener) Scottish National Party James Kelly (Deputy Convener) Scottish Labour Party Roderick Campbell Scottish National Party John Finnie Scottish National Party Colin Keir Scottish National Party John Lamont Scottish Conservative Party Alison McInnes Scottish Liberal Democrats Graeme Pearson Scottish Labour Party Humza Yousaf Scottish National Party Local Government and Regeneration
Name Party Joe Fitzpatrick (Convener) Scottish National Party Kevin Stewart (Deputy Convener) Scottish Labour Party Ruth Davidson Scottish Conservative Party Kezia Dugdale Scottish Labour Party Mark Griffin Scottish Labour Party David Torrance Scottish National Party Bill Walker Scottish National Party Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment
Name Party Rob Gibson (Convener) Scottish National Party Annabelle Ewing (Deputy Convener) Scottish National Party Graeme Dey Scottish National Party Alex Fergusson Scottish Conservative Party Jim Hume Scottish Liberal Democrats Jenny Marra Scottish Labour Party Mark McDonald Scottish National Party Aileen McLeod Scottish National Party Elaine Murray Scottish Labour Party Scotland Bill Committee
The Scotland Bill Committee was set up to scrutinise the passage of the Scotland Bill going through the Westminster Parliament.
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]
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]
References
- ^ Dardanelli (2005) p185
- ^ a b c d "The Scottish Parliament Committees". Scottish Parliament. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/index.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-13.
- ^ "Finance Committee to meet in Perth". Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-comm-01/cfin01-002.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-22.
- ^ Inquiry into the public petitions process Scottish Parliament Paper 300, 3rd Report, 2009 (Session 3) (PU/S3/09/R3) (Accessed 16.06.2009)
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Committees_of_the_Scottish_Parliament&action=edit
- ^ "Private Bills". Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/privateBills.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-22.
- ^ "Private Bill Committees". Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/privateBills.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-22.
External links
- Committees of the Scottish Parliament, at the official parliamentary website
Categories:- Scottish Parliament
- Scotland-related lists
- Parliamentary committees
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
