Scottish politicians are set for a longer working week under radical proposals outlined at Holyrood.
MSPs, who have come in for consistent criticism over the lack of time they spend at parliament, face evening sittings and increased periods in the chamber from Easter.
The changes are based on proposals for remodelling the parliamentary working week suggested by Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick after she came to office in May.
Parliament currently sits on Wednesday afternoons and all day Thursday, with committees meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
The light schedule means MSPs can attend Holyrood for as little as one-and-a-half days each week a situation that has been attacked by critics.
But under proposals published today by the standards committee, the parliament would sit on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, with committee meetings held each morning.
It is hoped that the move, which would require MSPs to attend Holyrood for at least three days every week, will create a more efficient parliament without sacrificing the politicians’ ability to do constituency work.
The report also outlines proposals for increased opportunities to question government ministers and ways to give backbenchers more power to shape debates.
There are also plans to make the parliamentary week more responsive to events by introducing late sittings and allowing committees to meet while the parliament is in session.
In special circumstances the committee meetings could also take place on Mondays or Fridays if necessary.
The recommendations will now be considered by the full parliament early next year and, if accepted, could be implemented after the Easter recess.
Standards committee convener Dave Thompson said the proposals represented a much-needed ”MOT” of how the parliament works.’More responsive”’Our parliament is now 12 years old,” he said. ”There is a clear need for us to be more responsive to topical issues and to scrutinise the Government more effectively as issues arise.
”At present, if something significant happens in Scotland on a Thursday night, the first chance the whole parliament has to deal with it is on a Wednesday afternoon. We believe this needs to change.
”There is also a need for change to improve Holyrood’s flexibility, specifically our ability to respond to peaks in workload to hold the Government to account more effectively.”
And deputy convener of the committee, Cowdenbeath MSP Helen Eadie, said the changes were ”long overdue”.
”As our parliament grows older, it is absolutely right that we look at ways to improve how the work of Government is scrutinised,” she said.
”At the moment it is too easy for ministers to wriggle out of answering tough questions, particularly when ministers always get the last say.
”I hope this package of reforms will help strengthen the way MSPs can hold ministers to account and end the days whereby ministers simply parrot back pre-scripted answers from civil servants.’Long overdue”’Moves to make our parliament more flexible and responsive, so MSPs can demand answers on issues as they break, are also long overdue.”
Tricia Marwick, the driving force behind the reforms, also welcomed the committee’s proposals.
”Its recommendations form a key part of the reform agenda I set out in May, when I was elected as Presiding Officer,” said the Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP.
”My aim in all of this remains to develop the parliament as an institution and to meet the needs of the people of Scotland by making their parliament topical, responsive and relevant in all its deliberations.
”I will now discuss with party leaders, business managers and conveners how we can best take the committee’s proposals forward.”
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user andre_j_w.