The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 1830 contributions
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
That is five years after the previous one, so it is a 10-year process. Will you describe the timescales?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
How long does—
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
Why is the Westminster one starting in 2028?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
Oh—it is eight years. That explains it.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
The Westminster review cycle is every eight years. It is 15 years for Scotland, and that is for local government areas and in relation to Scottish Parliament elections. Is that right?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
Yes, that makes perfect sense. That is the clarity that I wanted.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
I have similar questions on the code of practice. Again, we seem to be doing something different to the UK as a whole and to England and Wales. What is the apparent advantage of changing that?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
Okay. Does anyone else on the panel have a view on that question?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
Under the UK legislation, the secretary of state—I do not know which one—is responsible for adding names to the register. Based on what you are saying, are politicians in public office the best people to make those judgments?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
I would like to hear a response about the consultation on the bill, in the light of the fact that 60 per cent of those who responded were opposed to the Scottish Parliament having increased oversight of the Electoral Commission, due to concerns about the commission’s independence. Can you explain, in a few sentences, how you will continue to demonstrate your robustness as an independent body, given that members of the public who responded to the bill consultation were concerned that too much Parliament would equate to political interference?