Procedures Committee,

Meeting date: Tuesday, May 9, 2006

Official Report 184KB pdf

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Crown Appointments

There is another matter that I wish to raise. On behalf of the committee, I complained that the Crown appointments issue was twice scheduled for debate in the Parliament and that it was put back on both occasions. The clerk, a few other people and I had a meeting with the Minister for Parliamentary Business. At that meeting, we explained that the issue had been promoted by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, which felt that we needed a decision by 18 May at the latest, so that the next round of appointments could take place in a sensible manner. The minister was not aware of the time issue. She was concerned that, since we started looking at the matter, it had become somewhat more complicated because of arguments about the Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights Bill and the Finance Committee's scrutiny of commissioners. She was keen for us to go ahead with the debate and necessary rule changes, but she indicated that the Executive would reserve its position on the policy aspects of our proposals and discuss the issue of appointments in the light of other events. I saw that as a reasonable compromise.

The position is that the Parliamentary Bureau will meet today. At that meeting, the minister will suggest that there should be a debate on 18 May, so that we meet our timetable. However, some of the longer-term issues that we discussed will be held back until the Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights Bill has been passed and the Finance Committee has finished its inquiry.

Are you implying that other commissioners are about to go through this process? I am not aware that that is the case.

In the first place, deputy ombudsmen are being appointed. If, under the system that we suggest, the conclusion is reached that someone should not be reappointed, that must happen early enough for there to be a full appointment process for a new postholder. The decision must be made reasonably soon.

Do we know when the terms of office are up?

In September.

So there will be time to go through a full appointment process.

Yes.

That is fine.

That is why I am keen for us to have the debate.

I understand, but in the meantime we have gone through a reappointment.

There are a lot of strong feelings around about the Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights Bill, which may be amended in various ways. The Executive wants to get that out of the way. Is the proposal that I have outlined acceptable? I hope that the clerk and I represented the committee reasonably at the meeting.

I thank members for their attendance.

Meeting closed at 11:35.