Foreword by George Reid, the Presiding Officer6 May 2004 When I was elected Presiding Officer in May 2003, I said that the job of Parliament is to delineate, debate and decide the issues of devolved life in Scotland. This report records how, in the year since then, we have done so. In summary form, it provides a snapshot of how the members of the Scottish Parliament have addressed a vast range of matters in both the Chamber and committees. In doing so, we have been guided by our founding principles of Accessibility, Accountability, Equal Opportunities and the Sharing of Power. Throughout all our business we have endeavoured to work in partnership with the people of Scotland. We have taken oral and written evidence throughout the land, the better to inform our decisions. That is right and proper, since our Parliament belongs to our people. I very much hope that this report will help them to decide how well we have engaged with the issues of building a better country. That process of engagement has, over the past five years, been damaged by the continuing delays and rising costs of our new Holyrood campus. It is with real anticipation that we look forward, therefore, to moving into our new home in September 2004 and to its official opening by the Queen the following month. At Holyrood we have a remarkable new parliament building – a fusion of art, engineering and architecture – rooted in the landscape ofScotland. At Holyrood we face the challenge of working in a world class building on a World Heritage site. We shall meet the challenge best through the clarity of our ideas, the scrutiny of our debate and the quality of the decisions we take.
George Reid |
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Election Results
2003
The ChamberThe Chamber is where the Parliament meets to debate political issues and to decide on proposals for new laws. The Chamber is also where MSPs can question the First Minister and other Scottish ministers on a weekly basis. The range of business considered in the Chamber is varied and wide. Debates during the past year covered topics including health, the environment, justice, culture, and transport, as well as many other areas of Scottish life. In addition to normal business, there were other procedures which were necessary because of the election on 1 May 2003. Post-election Procedures Following a general election, the Parliament must ensure that the new parliamentary year is set up in line with certain rules and regulations. Every elected Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) must take an oath of loyalty to Her Majesty The Queen. Accordingly, at the first meeting of the Parliament after the general election all 129 MSPs took the oath. Of these, 26 were newly elected to the Parliament, including:
A new Presiding Officer and two Deputy Presiding Officers were elected at the first meeting of the second session of Parliament. George Reid was the only candidate for the post of Presiding Officer and was duly elected. The Parliament elected Trish Godman and Murray Tosh as Deputy Presiding Officers. All other post-election events took place in the Hub, Edinburgh's Festival Centre. This was because the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland was meeting in the Assembly Hall, which has been the temporary location of the Parliament's Debating Chamber. The new session also saw the election of the First Minister. The candidates were:
As more votes were cast for Jack McConnell than for all the other candidates combined, Mr McConnell was agreed as the Parliament's nomination. His appointment was then approved by Her Majesty The Queen. The Parliament also saw the election of new Scottish ministers and junior Scottish ministers. In addition, MSPs elected four members of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB). Time for Reflection Normally the first item of business to be taken in the Chamber each week, Time for Reflection gives people of different beliefs and faiths the chance to share their thoughts and reflections with the Parliament. A wide range of religious groups and faiths have participated in Time for Reflection during the past year, with representatives from the Church of Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church, the Free Church of Scotland, the Baptist Church, the Episcopalian Church and Scotland's Muslim, Jewish and Sikh communities addressing the Chamber. There have also been contributions from people not representing any particular faith or religion. Time for Reflection contributors included:
Ministerial Statements Ministerial statements are used to tell the Parliament about urgent or topical subjects. Once a minister reads out his or her statement to the Chamber, members can question the minister on what has been said. Examples of ministerial statements include:
Bills introduced [22]: Robin Rigg (Offshore Wind Farm) (Navigation and Fishing ) (Scotland) Bill (Private) Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill (Private) Education (School Meals) (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Bill (Executive) National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Prostitution Tolerance Zones (Scotland) Bill (Member's) Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill (Private) Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Fire Sprinklers in Residential Premises (Scotland) Bill (Member's) Local Governance (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Breastfeeding etc. (Scotland) Bill (Member's) Budget (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Bill (Private) Edinburgh Tram (Line Two) Bill (Private) Tenements (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Prohibition of Smoking in Regulated Areas (Scotland) Bill (Member's) Emergency Workers (Scotland) Bill (Executive) School Education (Ministerial Powers and Independent Schools) (Scotland) Bill (Executive) Legislation A draft law or bill is the main type of legislation dealt with by the Parliament. Bills are normally the result of a lot of public consultation and debate by the Parliament when it meets both in committee and in the Chamber. A total of 22 bills have been introduced in the past year. However, because it can take a long time to study the proposals and get feedback from interested parties, only a few of those have as yet been passed and are now Acts of Parliament. Bills passed and granted Royal Assent (meaning they become acts) during the past year were the Education (School Meals) (Scotland) Bill, the Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm (Navigation and Fishing) (Scotland) Bill, the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill, the Budget (Scotland) Bill and the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Bill. Since May 2003, 13 bills have been introduced by the Scottish Executive, covering areas including National Health Service reform, antisocial behaviour, and the election of councillors to local authorities. There have been four members' bills covering prostitution tolerance zones, fire sprinklers in residential homes, breastfeeding, and banning smoking in some public places. A total of five private bills have also been introduced. Parliamentary Questions Question Times are among the most popular events in the Chamber. The way they are carried out has changed in the past year. In September 2003, First Minister's Question Time was moved to a new time of noon on Thursdays, and its length was extended from 20 to 30 minutes. In March 2004, Question Time, where ministers other than the First Minister answer questions, was given a new start time of 2pm on Thursdays. It was also extended by 20 minutes to an hour. As well as general questions, MSPs have the chance now to quiz the Executive on particular policy areas such as health and justice during two thematic question periods each week. Parliamentary Questions 7 May 2003 - 6 May 2004
More than 8,000 written questions were lodged for answer in the same period. Debates A wide range of issues were debated in the Chamber this year. The topics for most debates come from motions and amendments by the Executive or opposition parties, and independent MSPs. Subjects debated include:
Committees are also given time to discuss issues in the Chamber. Committee debates held during the past year include:
Motions Any MSP can lodge a motion with the Chamber Desk about a matter which interests or concerns them. Some motions are lodged to bring attention to a particular topic. Others are lodged to congratulate members' constituents or to seek support for a cause. All motions are printed daily in the Business Bulletin in the name of the MSP who lodged it. Other MSPs may add their names in support. Not all motions are intended for debate but some can be selected for Members' Business by the Parliamentary Bureau. Motions lodged this year were very wide-ranging. Examples include asthma in Scotland, epilepsy awareness, Young Musician of the Year Award, safety belts on school buses, recognition of kinship care and the horse racing industry in Scotland, of which the last two went on to be chosen for Members' Business. Members' Business Members' Business, which comes after Decision Time at the end of each meeting, gives MSPs the chance to talk about issues that might not get prominence otherwise. During Members' Business, the member whose motion has been chosen opens the debate and a minister will respond. Often the subject chosen is about a particular constituency or region. Examples of such debates include:
The Conveners' GroupThe Conveners' Group is made up of the conveners of all the committees in the Parliament. It held its first meeting of the new session on 17 June 2003. The group is convened by Trish Godman, one of the Deputy Presiding Officers. Like most of the committees, the group held an informal meeting to agree how it would work and what matters it would prioritise. An important item of business was a presentation by the convener of the Equal Opportunities Committee on making sure committees remain aware of equal opportunities. As a result, equality issues are now built into the work of the committees. The group was advised on scrutinising the Executive's spending plans by the Finance Committee's budget adviser. An early item of business was to agree a reply to the Procedures Committee report on the Parliament's founding principles. The convener of the Enterprise and Culture Committee spoke on behalf of the group in the Chamber debate on this report in February 2004. The group approved a new document called Guidance for Conveners . Published on the Conveners' Group page on the Parliament website, this gives advice on rules and practice in committees.
A Participation Handbook was approved, which offers practical help for committees who want to get in touch with the wider public. It has been a busy year for the group. It looks forward to developing further its role as a forum in which conveners can discuss matters of interest across the committee system. |
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