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
John Scott (Convener)Scottish Conservative Party
Stuart McMillan (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
David TorranceScottish National Party
Monica LennonScottish Labour Party
Rachael HamiltonScottish Conservative Party

Equal Opportunities

Name Party
Christina McKelvie (Convener)Scottish National Party
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Deputy Convener)Scottish Liberal Democrats
Annie WellsScottish Conservative Party
David TorranceScottish National Party
Jeremy BalfourScottish Conservative Party
Mary FeeScottish Labour Party
Willie Coffey Scottish National Party

European and External Relations

Name Party
Joan McAlpine (Convener)Scottish National Party
Lewis Macdonald (Deputy Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Emma HarperScottish National Party
Jackson CarlawScottish Conservative Party
Rachael HamiltonScottish Conservative Party
Richard LochheadScottish National Party
Ross GreerScottish Green Party
Stuart McMillanScottish National Party
Tavish Scott Scottish Liberal Party

Finance

Name Party
Bruce Crawford (Convener)Scottish National Party
Alex Johnstone (Deputy Convener)Scottish Conservative Party
Adam TomkinsScottish Conservative Party
Ash DenhamScottish National Party
Ivan McKeeScottish National Party
James KellyScottish Labour Party
Maree ToddScottish National Party
Murdo FraserScottish Conservative Party
Neil BibbyScottish Labour Party
Patrick HarvieScottish Green Party
Willie CoffeyScottish National Party

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
Jenny Marra (Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Alison Harris (Deputy Convener)Scottish Conservative Party
Alex NeilScottish National Party
Colin BeattieScottish National Party
Gail RossScottish National Party
Liam KerrScottish Conservative Party
Monica LennonScottish Labour 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
Johann Lamont (Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Angus MacDonald (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Brian WhittleScottish Conservative Party
Maurice CorryScottish Conservative Party
Rona MackayScottish National Party

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments

Name Party
Clare Adamson (Convener)Scottish National Party
Patrick Harvie (Deputy Convener)Scottish Green Party
Alexander StewartScottish Conservative Party
Clare HaugheyScottish National Party
Daniel JohnsonScottish Labour Party
John ScottScottish Conservative Party
Tom ArthurScottish 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, Jobs and Fair Work

Name Party
Gordon Lindhurst (Convener)Scottish Conservative Party
John Mason (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Andy WightmanScottish Green Party
Ash DenhamScottish National Party
Dean LockhartScottish Conservative Party
Gil PatersonScottish National Party
Gillian MartinScottish National Party
Gordon MacDonaldScottish National Party
Jackie BaillieScottish Labour Party
Liam KerrScottish Conservative Party
Richard LeonardScottish Labour Party

Education and Skills

Name Party
James Dornan (Convener)Scottish National Party
Johann Lamont (Deputy Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Colin BeattieScottish National Party
Daniel JohnsonScottish Labour Party
Fulton MacGregorScottish National Party
Gillian MartinScottish National Party
Liz SmithScottish Conservative Party
Richard LochheadScottish National Party
Ross GreerScottish Green Party
Ross ThomsonScottish Conservative Party
Tavish ScottScottish Liberal Democrats

Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform

Name Party
Graeme Dey (Convener)Scottish National Party
Maurice Golden (Deputy Convener)Scottish Conservative Party
Alexander BurnettScottish Conservative Party
Angus MacDonaldScottish National Party
Claudia BeamishScottish Labour Party
David StewartScottish Labour Party
Emma HarperScottish National Party
Finlay CarsonScottish Conservative Party
Jenny GilruthScottish National Party
Kate ForbesScottish National Party
Mark RuskellScottish Green Party

Health and Sport

Name Party
Neil Findlay (Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Clare Haughey (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Alex Cole-HamiltonScottish Liberal Democrats
Alison JohnstoneScottish Green Party
Colin SmythScottish Labour Party
Donald CameronScottish Conservative Party
Ivan McKeeScottish National Party
Maree ToddScottish National Party
Miles BriggsScottish Conservative Party
Richard LyleScottish National Party
Tom ArthurScottish National Party

Justice

Name Party
Margaret Mitchell (Convener)Scottish Conservative Party
Rona Mackay (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Ben MacphersonScottish National Party
Douglas RossScottish Conservative Party
Fulton MacGregorScottish National Party
John FinnieScottish Green Party
Liam McArthurScottish Liberal Democrats
Mairi EvansScottish National Party
Mary FeeScottish Labour Party
Oliver MundellScottish Conservative Party
Stewart StevensonScottish National Party

Local Government and Communities

Name Party
Bob Doris (Convener)Scottish National Party
Elaine Smith (Deputy Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Alexander StewartScottish Conservative Party
Andy WightmanScottish Green Party
Graham SimpsonScottish Conservative Party
Kenny GibsonScottish National Party
Ruth MaguireScottish National Party

Rural Economy and Connectivity

Name Party
Edward Mountain (Convener)Scottish Conservative Party
Gail Ross (Deputy Convener)Scottish National Party
Jamie GreeneScottish Conservative Party
John FinnieScottish Green Party
John MasonScottish National Party
Mairi EvansScottish National Party
Mike RumblesScottish Liberal Democrats
Peter ChapmanScottish Conservative Party
Rhoda GrantScottish Labour Party
Richard LyleScottish National Party
Stewart StevensonScottish National Party

Social Security

Name Party
Sandra White (Convener)Scottish National Party
Pauline McNeill (Deputy Convener)Scottish Labour Party
Adam TomkinsScottish Conservative Party
Alison JohnstoneScottish Green Party
Ben MacphersonScottish National Party
George AdamScottish National Party
Gordon LindhurstScottish Conservative Party
Mark GriffinScottish Labour Party
Ruth MaguireScottish National Party

Conveners’ Group

The Conveners’ Group is a special committee of the Scottish Parliament chaired by either the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament or one of the Deputy Presiding Officers. Its main responsibilities are involved in the administration of Committee expenses and certain other activities.

Name Party
Christine Grahame (Chair and Deputy Presiding Officer)Scottish National Party
Clare AdamsonScottish National Party
Bruce CrawfordScottish National Party
Graeme DeyScottish National Party
Bob DorisScottish National Party
James DornanScottish National Party
Neil FindlayScottish Labour Party
Johann LamontScottish Labour Party
Gordon LindhurstScottish Conservative Party
Joan McAlpineScottish National Party
Christina McKelvieScottish National Party
Jenny MarraScottish Labour Party
Margaret MitchellScottish Conservative Party
Edward MountainScottish Conservative Party
John ScottScottish Conservative Party
Sandra WhiteScottish National Party

Previous Committees

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.[5] 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.[6]

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. 1 2 3 4 "Committees - Parliamentary Business: Scottish Parliament". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
  3. "Finance Committee to meet in Perth". Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Archived from the original on 21 March 2005. 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. "Private Bills". Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Archived from the original on 5 December 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-22.
  6. "Private Bill Committees". Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Archived from the original on 5 December 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-22.

External links

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