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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 15 August 2025
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Displaying 1811 contributions

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Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Substitutes

Meeting date: 31 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

That is helpful.

The letter to the committee states:

“No issues appear to have arisen as a consequence of the temporary relaxation of the rules”.

However, we do not actually know what the situation is.

There seems to be an inclination towards an agreement that we should request the Parliamentary Bureau to give its view, and perhaps we could request the clerks to look into how frequently substitutes have been used during the period. That would put us in a better position to make suggestions.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Substitutes

Meeting date: 31 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

Item 2 is consideration of the rules that relate to committee substitutes, which were varied in the period from the beginning of the pandemic until the dissolution of Parliament at the end of session 5. The purpose of that was to provide more flexibility if committee members were unable to attend committee meetings and to ensure that committee work was not adversely affected by the pandemic.

The chair of the Conveners Group has written to the committee following a discussion on committee substitutes. In his letter, he has suggested that the committee might wish to consider having two named substitutes rather than one. The current situation regarding substitutes is covered in rule 12.2.A of the standing orders, which is on “Participation by substitutes”. It says:

“Where a committee member—

(a) is unavailable for a committee meeting (or any committee activity taking place other than at a meeting) 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”,

a substitute member may participate in their place.

I invite comments from members.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Committee Substitutes

Meeting date: 31 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

Thank you. That is helpful. Would Sue Webber like to comment?

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee [Draft]

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Meeting date: 31 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

Good morning. I welcome everyone to the ninth meeting in 2022 of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee. I remind members who are participating virtually to type R in the chat function on BlueJeans if they would like to come in on any issue.

Under agenda item 1, the committee is invited to take items 3, 4 and 5 in private. Item 3 is for the committee to consider its next steps in relation to its inquiry into future parliamentary procedures and practices; item 4 is for the committee to consider draft code of conduct rule changes; and item 5 is for members to consider draft correspondence. Do members agree to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Cross-Party Group

Meeting date: 17 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

That was not in any way set up—much. [Laughter.]

Thank you for attending, Paul. The committee will consider whether to approve the application for recognition under agenda item 3, and the clerks will inform you in due course of the committee’s decision.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Cross-Party Group

Meeting date: 17 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

I like your comment on busting myths. The record notes your potential interest in the CPG.

Are members agreed to accord recognition to the proposed cross-party group on care leavers?

Members indicated agreement.

09:08 Meeting continued in private until 09:54.  

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Cross-Party Group

Meeting date: 17 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

Agenda item 3 is, indeed, a decision on whether we wish to afford recognition to the proposed cross-party group on care leavers. Do committee member have any comments, questions or views on that?

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Meeting date: 17 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

Good morning. I welcome everyone to the eighth meeting of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee in 2022. I remind members who are joining us virtually to place an R in the chat function of BlueJeans if they would like to come in on any issues.

Agenda item 1 is a decision on whether the committee will take agenda item 4 in private. Item 4 is the consideration of some correspondence. Do members agree to take item 4 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Cross-Party Group

Meeting date: 17 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

Thank you, Paul. I note that one of the organisations that signed up to the CPG is STAF—the Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum. It was lovely to see its display in the Parliament’s garden lobby and to see its members meeting ˿ to discuss it.

Do committee members have any specific questions on the proposed group?

Did it surprise you, Paul, that this was the first time that a care leavers group was being proposed?

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Cross-Party Group

Meeting date: 17 March 2022

Martin Whitfield

You make an interesting comment, Bob, because this committee has heard, in relation to a number of different matters, about the challenge of committees being able to hear evidence, particularly from witnesses with lived experience. Whether or not this proposed CPG goes forward, maybe there will be an opportunity to look at the resource that exists in some of our CPGs when we are looking to take evidence across committees.