MSPs invite views on Holyrood practices during COVID-19

A Holyrood committee has begun an inquiry into the resilience of the Scottish Parliament’s practices and procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak.

MSPs on the Standards, Procedures & Public Appointments Committee are calling for views as they examine working practices over the past seven months.

Since April 2020, the chamber and committees of the Parliament have met in a mix of virtual, hybrid and socially distanced formats to ensure that parliamentary business continues.

The inquiry will seek to evaluate these recent changes with a view to recommending permanent changes to standing orders so that the Parliament can continue to function as effectively as possible in a challenging situation in the future, including in its scrutiny of the Government.

It will also consider wider changes to the Parliament’s practices and procedures to promote the resilience of parliamentary business in future.

The committee would welcome views on any of these issues, as well as on how the changes implemented have impacted on the accessibility of the Parliament and the potential for the people of Scotland to engage with parliamentarians and the parliamentary decision-making process.

Committee convener Bill Kidd MSP commented: "The past seven months have seen extraordinary changes to the working practices of the Scottish Parliament – changes that had to be made urgently through absolute necessity.

"This inquiry will seek to evaluate the effectiveness of Holyrood’s recent working practices and review our capacity to scrutinise the Government and to hold it to account during this time of crisis.

"Our intention will be to make procedural recommendations that promote the future resilience of the Parliament."

Click here to view the call for evidence. Submissions are due by 9 November 2020.