AGS - Auditor General for Scotland

asp - Act of Scottish Parliament

BB - Budget Bill

BIPA - British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly

BIT - Business Information Technology Office

CALRE - Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies

CLRAE - Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

Con - Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party

CoR - European Committee of the Regions

COSLA - Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

CPA - Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

CTEEA - Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee

CTEERC - Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee

CVD - COVID-19 Committee

DPLR - Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

EEFW - Economy, Energy and Fair Works Committee

ES - Education and Skills Committee

ECCLR - Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee

EHRiC - Equalities and Human Rights Committee

EU - European Union

F - Female

FE - Further Education

FCC - Finance and Constitution Committee

FM - Facilities Management

FMQs - First Minister’s Questions

FOI - Freedom of Information

G - Government Bill

Green - Scottish Green Party

HL - House of Lords, i.e. a House of Lords Bill

h:mins - hours and minutes

Hrs - Hours

HS - Health and Sport Committee

ICT - Information Communications Technology

Ind - Independent Member, i.e. a Member of the Scottish Parliament not functioning within a political party

IRO - International Relations Office

J - Justice Committee

JSP - Justice Sub-Committee on Policing

Lab - Scottish Labour Party

LCM - Legislative Consent Memorandum

LD - Scottish Liberal Democrats

LGBTI+ - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex +

LGC - Local Government and Communities Committee

M - Male

M - Member’s Bill

Mins - Minutes

MEP - Member of the European Parliament

MP - Member of the UK Parliament

MS - Multiple Sclerosis

MSP - Member of the Scottish Parliament

MSYP - Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament

n/a - not applicable, or not available

No. - Number

NPA - No Party Affiliation

P - Private Bill

PAPLS - Public Audit Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee

PBACM - Public Bodies Act Consent Memorandum

PE - Petition

PPC - Public Petitions Committee

PY - Parliamentary year (12 May 2019– 11 May 2020)

REC - Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee

Ref. - Reference

S - Substitute Committee Member

S5 - Fifth Session of Parliament

S5M - Session 5 Motion

SGHHC - Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints

SSC - Social Security Committee

SSCS - Solicitors in the Supreme Courts of Scotland (Amendment) Bill Committee

SI - Statutory Instrument

SNP - Scottish National Party

SP - Scottish Parliament

SPCB - Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

SPICe - Scottish Parliament Information Centre

SPPA - Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

SPSO - Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

SSI - Scottish Statutory Instrument

UK - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

UKIRO - UK and International Relations Office

US - United States of America

WASPI - Women Against State Pension Inequality

% - Percentage

There are two methods of electing Members to the Scottish Parliament. There are 73 constituency Members, based on the UK Parliament constituencies in existence prior to 2004, elected by the first past the post system. A further 56 regional Members, 7 for each of the 8 regions used in the European Parliament elections, prior to 1999, were elected using the Additional Member System. This is a form of proportional representation using party lists, which ensures that each party’s representation in the Parliament reflects its overall share of the vote.

Following the recommendations contained in the Boundary Commission for Scotland’s Report on the First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries, the Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions changed. The new constituencies and regions were used for the first time at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.

There was 1 by-election in the fourth parliamentary year of Session 5 following the resignation of Tavish Scott MSP on 15 July 2019.

The Presiding Officer is elected by other Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and is in charge of ensuring that the business of the Parliament is conducted effectively, on time, fairly, and within the rules and in an orderly manner. The Presiding Officer has no party allegiance whilst in the chair. There are also two Deputy Presiding Officers who must also act impartially when they are chairing parliamentary meetings; when they are not chairing parliamentary meetings they can play a full part in parliamentary business.

The Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers continue to serve in post during dissolution and until the election of the next Presiding Officer in a new session.

On 17 March 2020 the Parliament agreed to move motions S5M-21383 to S5M-21386 on the suspension and variation of Standing Orders to allow the election of an additional Deputy Presiding Officer. This was in response to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Motion S5M- 21284: That the Parliament agrees that, for the purposes of electing an additional Deputy Presiding Officer for the duration of the public response to the Novel coronavirus COVID-19, Rules 11.9.4, 11.9.5, 11.9.13 and 11.9.16 of the Standing Orders be suspended.

Presiding Officer

• Ken Macintosh (NPA), elected 12 May 2016

Deputy Presiding Officers

• Linda Fabiani (SNP), elected 12 May 2016

• Christine Grahame (SNP), elected 12 May 2016

• Lewis Macdonald (Lab), elected 1 April 2020

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is chaired by the Presiding Officer and is made up of four members elected by Parliament from its MSPs. It is responsible for ensuring that the Scottish Parliament is provided with the property, staff and services it requires. The SPCB considers and makes decisions on a wide range of issues concerning the running of the Parliament including the financing of the Parliament and allocation of the budget, the staffing of the Parliament, accommodation and the use and the security of parliamentary facilities.

The Presiding Officer and other members of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body continue to serve in post during dissolution and until the election of replacement members in a new session. This is the case unless an MSP resigns from the SPCB, ceases to be an MSP (other than by dissolution of the Parliament), or the MSP is removed from the SPCB by a resolution of the Parliament.

Membership of the SPCB

• Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh (NPA): from 12 May 2016

• Jackson Carlaw (Con): 15 November 2016 to 4 September 2019

• Ruth Davidson (Con): from 10 September 2019

• Kezia Dugdale (Lab): 9 January 2018 to 14 June 2019

• Rhoda Grant (Lab): 25 June 2019 to 30 October 2019

• Liam McArthur (LD): from 19 May 2016

• David Stewart (Lab): from 5 November 2019

• Sandra White (SNP): from 14 November 2017

• Andy Wightman (Green): from 19 May 2016

The Parliamentary Bureau consists of the Presiding Officer and representatives of each political party or group in the Parliament which has five or more Members. The representatives are nominated by the leader of each party. The main functions of the Parliamentary Bureau are:

• To propose the business programme.

• To propose alterations to the Daily Business List in the Business Bulletin if there should be changes in the advance programme.

• To propose the establishment, remit, membership and duration of any committee or sub-committee.

• To determine any question regarding the competence of a committee to deal with a matter and, if two or more committees are competent to deal with a matter, to determine which of those committees is to be the lead committee responsible for that matter.

Standing Orders allow Parliamentary Bureau members to arrange for another Member to take their place at Bureau meetings by notifying the Presiding Officer in writing in advance.

A Deputy Presiding Officer may attend any meeting of the Parliamentary Bureau and may participate in the proceedings but may not vote unless he or she is chairing the meeting in place of the Presiding Officer, when he or she shall have a casting vote.

Members of the Parliamentary Bureau do not continue to serve during dissolution.

Membership of the Parliamentary Bureau

• Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh (NPA): from 12 May 2016

• Neil Findlay (Lab): October 2018 to 31 May 2019

• Maurice Golden (Con): 27 April 2017 to 20 February 2020

• Rhoda Grant (Lab): 3 June 2019 to 2 September 2019

• Patrick Harvie (Green): from 15 June 2016

• Willie Rennie (LD): from 15 November 2017

• Elaine Smith (Lab): from 2 September 2019

• Liz Smith (Con): from 20 February 2020

107 Cross-Party groups continued from the third parliamentary year of Session 5.

1 Cross-Party Group was established for the first time in the fourth parliamentary year of Session 5.

2 Cross-Party Groups ended during the fourth parliamentary year of Session 5.

The following is a list of all the Cross-Party Groups during the fourth parliamentary year of Session 5, 108 in total.

There were no meetings in July or August 2019.

Parliamentary year total: 413:28

From 12 May 2019 to 1 April 2020, all plenary meetings took place in the Scottish Parliament debating chamber. On 1 April all business was suspended in response to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Parliament resumed, virtually, with Leaders’ Virtual Question Times on 9 April 2020 before returning to the Chamber on 21 April in a hybrid capacity.

During the parliamentary year 12 May 2019 to 11 May 2020, the total time spent on parliamentary business was 413 hours 28 mins

Committee Bills

No time was spent on Committee Bills.

Private Bills

No time was spent on Private Bills.

Hybrid Bills

No time was spent on Hybrid Bills.

Debates without Motions

No time was spent on debates without motions.

Time for Reflection is the first item of business at a meeting of the Parliament on Tuesday where a person, on the invitation of the Parliament, addresses it (and the Scottish people) for up to 4 minutes. The pattern of speakers reflects the balance of beliefs in Scotland.

Time for Reflection may have more than one speaker, therefore, the total number of speakers may exceed the total number of Time for Reflections.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in Scotland in March 2020 led to changes in when and where parliamentary questions were asked.

The last First Minister’s Question Time in the Chamber, before they were suspended, was on Thursday 19 March 2020. There were then two Leaders’ Virtual Question Times on 9 and 16 April 2020, before First Minister’s Question Time resumed in the Chamber on 21 April 2020.

General Question Time and Portfolio Question Time in the Chamber were suspended on 19 March 2020. These were replaced by Members’ Virtual Questions on 17 April 2020.

The total number of general questions selected during the parliamentary year was 295.

This does not include general questions which were either not lodged or withdrawn.

General Question Time was suspended on 19 March 2020. These were replaced by Members’ Virtual Question Time on 17 April 2020.

General Question Time and Portfolio Question Time in the Chamber were suspended on 19 March 2020. These were replaced by Members’ Virtual Questions which were asked during April and May 2020.

The total number of Members’ virtual questions selected during the parliamentary year was 102.

The total number of First Minister’s questions selected during the parliamentary year was 205.

The last First Minister’s Question Time in the Chamber, before FMQs were suspended due to the outbreak of Covid-19, was on Thursday 19 March 2020. First Minister’s Question Time resumed in the Chamber on 21 April 2020 after two Leaders’ Virtual Question Times.

Normally, in advance, the Presiding Officer selects up to 8 questions for answer at First Minister's Question Time. These questions are numbered in the Official Report and counted in the statistics table above. In addition to these questions, the Presiding Officer can also call other Members to ask a question at First Minister’s Question Time. These supplementary questions are asked on different subjects, usually constituency related, by other MSPs and these are not numbered in the Official Report and not counted in the statistics table above.

In the two Leaders’ Virtual Question Time sessions, questions to the First Minister were only asked by party leaders and no questions were numbered in the Official Report.

Portfolio oral questions were answered in a running rota of themes. The rotation repeats.

15 May 2019 - 27 February 2020

• Week 1: Rural Economy; Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity

• Week 2: Justice and the Law Officers

• Week 3: Government Business and Constitutional Relations; Culture, Tourism and External Affairs; Education and Skills

• Week 4: Health and Sport; Communities and Local Government

• Week 5: Social Security and Older People

• Week 6: Finance, Economy and Fair Work; Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform

• Week 7: Rural Economy

• Week 8: Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity; Justice and the Law Officers

• Week 9: Government Business and Constitutional Relations

• Week 10: Culture, Tourism and External Affairs

• Week 11: Education and Skills

• Week 12: Health and Sport

• Week 13: Communities and Local Government; Social Security and Older People; Finance, Economy and Fair Work

• Week 14: Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform; Rural Economy

• Week 15: Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity

• Week 16: Justice and the Law Officers; Government Business and Constitutional Relations

• Week 17: Culture, Tourism and External Affairs

• Week 18: Education and Skills; Health and Sport

• Week 19: Communities and Local Government

• Week 20: Social Security and Older People; Finance, Economy and Fair Work

• Week 21: Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform

2 March 2020 - 19 March 2020

The rota of themed questions changed after 2 March to reflect the changes to Ministerial portfolios following the cabinet reshuffle in February 2020.

• Week 1: Communities and Local Government; Social Security and Older People

• Week 2: Finance

• Week 3: Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform; Rural Economy and Tourism

• Week 4: Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity

• Week 5: Justice and the Law Officers; Constitution, Europe and External Affairs

• Week 6: Economy, Fair Work and Culture

The last Portfolio Question Time in the Chamber, before portfolio questions were suspended due to the outbreak of Covid-19, was on 19 March 2020. These were replaced by Members’ Virtual Questions on 17 April 2020 which followed these themes:

17 April 2020 - 7 May 2020

• Week 1: Members’ Virtual Question Time

  • All questions were on Covid-19. They were answered by four cabinet ministers

• Week 2: Education and Skills

• Week 3: Environment and Rural Affairs

• Week 4: Local Government and Communities

• Week 5: Constitution, Europe and External Affairs; Economy, Fair Work and Culture

• Week 6: Rural Economy and Tourism; Health and Sport

The total number of portfolio questions answered during the parliamentary year was 686. This does not include portfolio questions which were either not lodged or withdrawn.

The Parliament continued a pilot allowing the Presiding Officer to group Portfolio questions on the same subject matter, so that these questions could be called consecutively.

The total number of topical questions selected during the parliamentary year was 79.

The total number of urgent questions selected during the parliamentary year was 1.

Questions of an urgent or local nature can also be asked as supplementary questions during First Minister’s Questions.

The total number of SPCB questions selected during the parliamentary year was 24.

Total number of SPCB oral questions which were withdrawn during the parliamentary year was 2.

The total number of written questions lodged during the parliamentary year was 5326. This does not include 9 written questions that were withdrawn.

The total number of SPCB written questions lodged during the parliamentary year was 7.

The total number of motions lodged during the parliamentary year was 4364. This does not include 14 motions that were withdrawn.

Committee motions are lodged on behalf of the Committee by the Convener.

Parliamentary Bureau motions are lodged on behalf of the Bureau by the Minister for Parliamentary Business.

SPCB motions are lodged on behalf of the Corporate Body by a member of the SPCB.

Motions by the Lord Advocate

There were no motions lodged by the Lord Advocate during the parliamentary year.

Motions by the Solicitor General

There were no motions lodged by the Solicitor General during the parliamentary year.

The following motions to suspend Standing Orders were agreed during the parliamentary year:

• Motion S5M-20999 on suspension and variation of Standing Orders was agreed on 26 February 2020.

• Motions S5M-21283 to S5M-21286 on suspension and variation of Standing Orders were agreed on 17 March 2020.

• Motion S5M-21366 on the suspension of Standing Orders was agreed on 1 April 2020.

• Motions S5M-21507 and S5M-21508 on the suspension and variation of Standing Orders were agreed on 21 April 2020.

The total number of Members' Business debates during the parliamentary year was 91.

Following Parliament's approval of motion S5M-21283, Members' Business debates were suspended for the duration of the public response to the Novel coronavirus COVID-19. The last Members’ Business debate of this parliamentary year took place on 17 March 2020.

*Derek Mackay became an independent MSP on 6 February 2020. Prior to this he is counted in the SNP figures.

During the parliamentary year there were:

• 15 Legislative Consent Memorandums published

• 0 Supplementary Memorandums published

• 11 Legislative Consent Motions lodged

• 11 Legislative Consent Motions passed

There were no Public Body Act Consent Memorandums or Motions lodged during this parliamentary year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic Scottish Government Ministers would give a weekly COVID-19 update in Chamber. The total number of ministerial statements includes 5 COVID-19 updates.

Committee announcements were first used in October 2018. They were introduced as a result of the Commission on Parliamentary Reform’s recommendation that committees be allowed to make significant or urgent announcements and set out the findings from recently published committee reports during Chamber meetings. They were initially introduced for a trial period of 3 months from October – December 2018. This trial period was then extended and committee announcements were made permanent by a change to the Standing Orders of the Scottish Parliament on 11 June 2019, coming into effect on 3 September 2019.

There were no Presiding Officer’s Rulings on points of order during this parliamentary year.

This table shows figures for all electronic votes taken in the Chamber, including all votes on amendments.

Standing Orders (the Parliament’s rules of procedure) were changed to allow committees and the chamber to meet remotely, with the first formal hybrid meetings of Parliament taking place in May 2020. Hybrid meetings involve some MSPs or witnessess ‘dialling in’ while some were present in the committee room.

The following table lists the MSPs and those committees of which they were members during the parliamentary year. Dates of service are given under each individual committee in section 4.3.

A committee usually has between five and fifteen MSPs as members. Committee members are selected having regard to the balance of political parties in the Parliament. Membership of committees is proposed by the Parliamentary Bureau. The whole Parliament approves suggestions as to which MSPs are to be members of what committee.

Each political party which has two or more MSPs may nominate one of its members to be the party’s substitute on each committee. The main role of the committee substitute is to stand in for a committee member of the same party if that member is unavailable for a committee meeting or is unable to act as a committee member at any other time because of illness, family circumstances, adverse travel conditions beyond the member’s control, a requirement to attend to other parliamentary business or urgent constituency business. Substitute members (S) are therefore not full time members of committees.

The requirement for committee substitutes to be appointed by the Parliament on a motion of the Parliamentary Bureau was suspended on 17 March 2020 for the duration of the public response to the Novel coronavirus COVID-19. This allowed MSPs to attend committee meetings as ad-hoc substitute members.

This table lists the committees that each MSP was a member, or substitute member of, during the parliamentary year. It does not list ad-hoc substitute members.

The members of a committee must choose a convener from a particular political party decided by Parliament. The Parliament makes this decision following a recommendation by the Parliamentary Bureau. In addition, each committee normally has a Deputy Convener who will chair meetings in the Convener's absence. Deputy Conveners are chosen in the same way as conveners. The Standing Orders also include provision for the appointment of an Acting Convener in circumstances where a committee Convener is absent for an extended period of parental leave, allowing the committee to appoint an Acting Convener on a temporary basis.

These tables are running totals for the parliamentary year.

Committees are listed in alphabetical order according to the full committee name

Committees are listed in alphabetical order according to the full committee name