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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 24 May 2025
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Displaying 1602 contributions

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Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

Excellent. Thank you.

I will ask some very closed questions—that shows my questioning training. I will look at the role of conveners. There is an exciting question coming, which will be the third one, but the first one is this: how do your parties choose your convener nominations?

Ash, I come to you first, because, in a sense, you are in a unique position, so you have the opportunity to say how parties should choose their conveners, and then I will come to the other members.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

Okay. Ross?

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

Okay. Karen?

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

So, in essence, the architecture is defining who can sit on a committee for your party rather than—

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

Rhoda, what is the most important committee for Scottish Labour?

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

But in relation to having been elected, would that give—

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

Thank you. I will throw you to the mercy of Annie Wells now.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

I understand that your party absolutely supports lived experience voices being heard at committees.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

One of the challenges concerns the use of d’Hondt—to use the shorthand—and the available pool that is left. Is there anything that the Government can—or, indeed, should—do, in reflecting on some of its decisions, to facilitate an easier achievement of that balance? I genuinely think that we all agree that such a balance would produce a far better vehicle at committee level, for scrutiny and things like that, and at chamber level, to do other things. Is there a responsibility on the Government to face really hard questions in order to allow others to achieve what the Scottish people want and what the gender-sensitive audit has suggested?

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Effectiveness Inquiry

Meeting date: 15 May 2025

Martin Whitfield

There is nothing to apologise for. I am very conscious that you are here as representatives of your parties and that is the angle on which we are seeking input.