Holyrood committee bill strengthens MSP financial interests rules
A bill to increase the transparency of MSPs’ financial interests has been introduced at Holyrood, as the first committee bill of the current session.
The Interests of Members of the Scottish Parliament (Amendment) Bill follows the recommendations of an inquiry by the Scottish Parliament’s Standards, Procedures & Public Appointments Committee on streamlining the reporting process for MSPs’ financial interests as well as widening the rules on paid advocacy.
Measures contained within the Bill include lowering the threshold for registering gifts to 0.5% of a member’s salary; making changes to facilitate the ending of "dual reporting", which saw financial interests reported to the Scottish Parliament and the Electoral Commission; amending the definition of paid advocacy so that agreeing to receive inducements as well as actually receiving them would be an offence; and introducing a motion of censure as a new sanction for members in breach.
Stewart Stevenson MSP, who introduced the bill on behalf of the committee, said: “The need for a robust and rigorous regime for members registering financial interests is clear. The public need to know about a member’s financial interests so they can judge whether the member might be influenced.
“Our bill builds on the already comprehensive system in place to make sure arrangements at the Scottish Parliament mean the public can have the confidence in those they elect.”