Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, March 23, 2017

Official Report 901KB pdf

Standing Order Rule Changes (Acting Conveners)

The next item of business is consideration of motion S5M-04661, in the name of Clare Adamson, on behalf of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee, on standing order rule changes.

The Parliamentary Bureau recently wrote to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee about the situation where a committee convener is absent for an extended period of parental leave. The bureau asked us to consider whether standing orders could be revised so that an acting convener could be appointed in those circumstances.

We have considered the request carefully and we agree that it would be helpful to change the rules. The committee has proposed a new procedure in standing orders. Under the procedure, if a convener is absent for a period of parental leave, a member from the same party would be appointed to the committee on a temporary basis to cover the period of parental leave. The committee in question would then choose an acting convener from among the committee members who are from the same party as the convener. The acting convener’s tenure would come to an end when the convener returned.

The procedure will allow members who become parents to retain their position as convener while taking a period of parental leave. It also respects the Parliament’s decision in relation to the party affiliation of the convener.

This is a relatively small change to the rules. However, it sends out an important message that members will not be disadvantaged as a result of taking parental leave.

I am pleased to move,

That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 2nd Report 2017 (Session 5), Acting Conveners – Standing Order rule changes (SP Paper 106), and agrees that the changes to Standing Orders set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 24 March 2017.