About the Scottish Parliament

The Standing Orders are the rules of procedure for the Parliament.

They have been made in accordance with the Scotland Act 1998.

Standing Orders of the Scottish Parliament 6th Edition 9th Revision 22 December 2023

Rule 9B.1 UK Parliament Bills making provision requiring the Parliament’s consent

1. In this Chapter, a “relevant Bill” is a Bill under consideration in the UK Parliament which makes provision (“relevant provision”) applying to Scotland for any purpose within the legislative competence of the Parliament, or which alters that legislative competence or the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers.

Rule 9B.2 Legislative consent motions

1. A motion seeking the Parliament’s consent to relevant provision in a relevant Bill shall be known as a legislative consent motion. A legislative consent motion shall identify the relevant Bill by reference to its short title and the House of the UK Parliament in which and the date on which it was introduced.

2. A legislative consent motion shall not normally be lodged until after the publication of the lead committee’s report.

3. Every legislative consent motion lodged shall be taken in the Parliament. The Parliament shall not normally take such a motion earlier than the fifth sitting day after the day on which the lead committee’s report under Rule 9B.3.5 below is published.

Rule 9B.3 Legislative consent memorandums

1. A member of the Scottish Government shall lodge with the Clerk a memorandum (“a legislative consent memorandum”) in relation to—

(a) any Government Bill that is a relevant Bill on introduction, normally no later than 2 weeks after introduction;

(b) any Private Member’s Bill that was a relevant Bill on introduction and remains a relevant Bill after the first amending stage in the House in which it was introduced, normally no later than 2 weeks after it completes that stage;

(c) any Bill that, by virtue of amendments—

(i) agreed to; or

(ii) tabled by a Minister of the Crown or published with the name of a Minister of the Crown in support,

in either House, makes (or would make) relevant provision for the first time or beyond the limits of any consent previously given by the Parliament, normally no later than 2 weeks after the amendments are tabled or agreed to.

2. Any member (other than a member of the Scottish Government) who intends to lodge a legislative consent motion in relation to a relevant Bill shall first lodge with the Clerk a legislative consent memorandum, but shall not normally do so until after a member of the Scottish Government has lodged a legislative consent memorandum in respect of that Bill.

3. A legislative consent memorandum shall—

(a) summarise what the Bill does and its policy objectives;

(b) specify the extent to which the Bill makes provision—

(i) for any purpose within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament; or

(ii) to alter that legislative competence or the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers;

(c) in the case of a memorandum lodged by a member (including a member of the Scottish Government) who intends to lodge a legislative consent motion, set out a draft of the motion and explain why the member considers it appropriate for that provision to be made and for it to be made by means of the Bill; and

(d) in the case of a memorandum lodged by a member of the Scottish Government who does not intend to lodge a legislative consent motion, explain why not.

4. Notice of any legislative consent memorandum lodged shall be given in the Business Bulletin. The Clerk shall arrange for the memorandum to be published.

5. The Parliamentary Bureau shall refer any legislative consent memorandum to the committee within whose remit the subject matter of the relevant provision falls. That committee (referred to as “the lead committee”) shall consider and report on the legislative consent memorandum. Where the subject matter of the relevant provision falls within the remit of more than one committee the Parliament may, on a motion of the Parliamentary Bureau, designate one of those committees as the lead committee. The other committee or committees (“the secondary committee or committees”) may also consider the legislative consent memorandum and report its or their view to the lead committee.

6. In any case where the Bill that is the subject of the memorandum contains provisions conferring on the Scottish Ministers powers to make subordinate legislation, the committee mentioned in Rule 6.11 shall consider and may report to the lead committee on those provisions.