Procedures Committee, 18 Jan 2000

Meeting date: Tuesday, January 18, 2000

Official Report 190KB pdf

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Current Work

We now come to item 4. The paper gives an update on the committee's substantive work load for the next few months. It includes a brief report on how we might tackle parliamentary questions. None of the substantive issues is addressed, but it sets out the approach, what we are going to look at and whom we will consult. Please note that the work has begun and that there will be plenty of opportunity to go into all the specific issues that arise from parliamentary questions, including anything that is not picked up here.

Please note that on page 3, paragraph 9, subordinate legislation is addressed. Although we have work to do on that, the view of the Subordinate Legislation Committee is that it should take the lead; our staff will be involved and we will have to make the changes to standing orders that arise from that work. It might take up relatively little of our time, at least in the short term.

On Mr Des McConaghy's correspondence, which was circulated and is appended, the view of the Finance Committee and the Audit Committee is that it is primarily a matter for them, although the procedural and standing order issues that arise are a matter for us. We should ensure that whatever method they devise to involve subject committees in budgetary considerations applies consistently and logically and that standing orders are addressed if necessary. Again, that work will involve our staff and it will be monitored, but it will not come to us immediately.

Paragraph 14 is on the question raised at the Finance Committee, on whether a decision by a committee to support an amendment is binding on all committee members. The clerks will report on that in the near future.

The main issues that we identified are addressed. Are there any questions for the clerks on that update?

I had understood that we would consider the allocation of time to members' bills and related issues this year.

You are right. That is subsumed in item 4 of the list.

I should have drawn members' attention to annexe 4, which sets out—

The matter should be clearly in the list, as it should be looked at urgently.

We will do that. Annexe 4 lists all the issues that are ticking over, including the conveners liaison group, which will no doubt want a report reasonably soon.

Members will remember that before the Christmas recess, we discussed the group headed by the Educational Institute of Scotland and others, which wants to discuss progress on the principles of the consultative steering group. That is item 6 in the list at annexe 4. We have arranged for representatives of that group to give evidence and to discuss the issues at our next meeting. A number of other issues will follow from that initial discussion.