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Seòmar agus comataidhean

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 11 January 2025
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Displaying 905 contributions

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Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

Everything is focused in the central belt, which is where I live. For rural communities and hard-to-engage areas, especially the areas of deprivation that many of us have in our constituencies, the bus would be a great way for the public to engage with Parliament. How many people in rural communities ever see what the Parliament does or engage with it? In my constituency, I have some of the areas of highest deprivation in Scotland, and it is very difficult to communicate with people in those areas. Something like a bus going into their areas or to their community hubs would promote what the Parliament does and how people can engage with it. It is a really good idea.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

I think that, if a bus is to go out, it has to promote how people can engage with the Parliament and how the Parliament can help them to engage. Once we add politicians, another dimension would come in, which would send the whole process skew-whiff. We all know what would happen. We would take our own self-interest to heart—

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

We all know it. [Laughter.] Let us be open and honest, no matter what. If a bus is to go out there, I really think that we need to keep politicians well clear of it.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

I would not believe that.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

With regard to point 5, on community engagement, and Maria’s comments, is that not what MSPs are meant to do with surgeries at the weekends to make sure that the public can get to them easily in order to engage?

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

I was interested in that, because I wondered whether it was about people complaining that their MSP does not hold any surgeries or is not engaging in the community and asking whether he can be held to account for that.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

That was, if you will remember, quite well attended, because I think that I was the chair that day. That sort of engagement works; it was not just a matter of going out there and simply doing what the committee was designed to do. At the end of each of the days, we had a general question-and-answer session with the public about how the Parliament worked, and it was good to see it promoted in that way.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

Recommendation 10 is that a panel should be set up

“to discuss the MSPs’ code of conduct”.

That is interesting, because we have had difficulties in the past with the code of conduct and the behaviour of some MSPs.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

Yes, I was.

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Public Participation Inquiry

Meeting date: 14 December 2022

David Torrance

I was just going to talk about recommendation 11 in the report. Nobody will be surprised to learn that I would promote the Parliament and the committees going out into communities. In addition to the examples that you have highlighted, convener, I would also mention our visit to Loch Fyne and the Rest and Be Thankful.