Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, January 15, 2015

Official Report 833KB pdf

Standards Commission for Scotland

The next item of business is consideration of motion S4M-12062, in the name of Liz Smith, on the reappointment of a member of the Standards Commission for Scotland. I invite Liz Smith to move the motion on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I seek your permission to speak to the motion in my name as a member of the SPCB, which invites members of the Parliament to agree to the reappointment of Mrs Julie Ward as a member of the Standards Commission for Scotland.

As members know, the Standards Commission’s role is to encourage the highest ethical standards in public life, and it does so by promoting and enforcing the codes of conduct for councillors and members of devolved public bodies. In addition to promoting the codes, the commission receives reports from the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland following investigations by the commissioner into alleged breaches of the codes. If the commission upholds the commissioner’s findings, it determines—in accordance with the legislation—the sanction that is to be applied.

I turn to the reappointment process. Under the Scottish Parliamentary Commissions and Commissioners etc Act 2010, members of the commission are reappointed by the SPCB with the agreement of the Parliament. The SPCB sat as a reappointment panel on 10 December 2014. I chaired the panel; the other members were Liam McArthur and David Stewart.

I thank Louise Rose for confirming by way of a validation certificate that the nomination has been made on merit following a fair and robust reappointment process that conformed to good practice.

Details of the information that the SPCB considered and the criteria on which Mrs Ward was assessed have been set out in the report that the SPCB lodged in the Scottish Parliament information centre.

We believe that Julie Ward will continue to promote high ethical standards in public life and ensure that they are upheld by councillors and members of devolved public bodies. We wish her continued success in her role as a member of the Standards Commission for Scotland.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees to the reappointment of Mrs Julie Ward as a Member of the Standards Commission for Scotland under Schedule 7 of the Scottish Parliamentary Commission and Commissioners etc. Act 2010.

The question on the motion will be put at decision time.