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
Me.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
Can you see any reason—I struggle to see one—as to why there should be divergence?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
I am very much in favour of doing things differently in different parts of the United Kingdom, provided that there is a substantial reason that allows us to understand why that is necessary. That reason is what I was trying to get at.
How will the code of conduct be put together? Setting aside the differences in the process, what will that consist of and how would it be enforced, given the discussion that you had with the convener in relation to how difficult the whole area of enforcement is?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
Can you give us some of those examples? You said that there were clear examples.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
But in Scotland, it will be the actual campaign groups.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
Right.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
How can that be enforced, though?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
You have covered the matter pretty well, convener.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
It will not even take a minute.
Given the degree of complexity in electoral law, have we missed a trick with the bill? Could we have done something far more fundamental to simplify the code for elections?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Stephen Kerr
Some decent questions, now! [Laughter.]