Hansard

I, too, will make some brief remarks—with an emphasis on the word “brief”—on the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s ninth report, which proposes changes to the code of conduct and the schedule to the 2006 act. The changes are set out in today’s Business Bulletin and have been outlined clearly by the convener, with emphases added by Nanette Milne and Jim Hume.

It is obviously vital that we have a code of conduct and a regime for declaring interests that command the respect of the public at large. That requires the scheme to be transparent and, as the convener indicated, to capture significant financial interests. It is the basis for maintaining the highest of standards among members, and therefore the trust of the people, and it is the basis of the accountability of members in these matters.

It is also important in aiding transparency and accountability that the scheme that is produced should be in the simplest form possible. That aids public understanding of what is required of us as individual members and of the scheme as a whole. It is also important for members that the scheme is set out in as straightforward a way as possible, so that we do not make errors as a result of any complexity. In that context, it is important to keep reviewing how the scheme is working in practice in light of previous changes. As other members said, the report reflects the outcome of the review process. We should not be frightened of changing what we have established in the past if, on the basis of experience, we deem it not to be working in the interests of the characteristics that are required of the scheme.

As the convener, Nanette Milne and Jim Hume have said, the report sets out a range of small but nonetheless significant changes to the regime. Like Nanette Milne and Jim Hume, I am pleased that we are removing the rather silly anomaly whereby members who filled out a questionnaire or survey—sometimes taking a considerable time to do so—in order to give a donation to a charity had to declare the resulting donation as if it were remuneration, even though they never saw the money and it was directed to a charity. I am pleased that that anomaly is going and that the situation has been clarified. The matter has been a considerable irritation to members down the years.

Jim Hume properly mentioned another anomaly: volunteering. If someone gave their time freely to support a cause that they thought important and to make a contribution to the community and they did so by volunteering through the political process, the member had to declare that as if it were a gift. If someone gives their time as part of their employment and it is sponsored in some way, I agree that that should be declared. However, if they give their time in the strong tradition of volunteering that we want to encourage in the Parliament, it is wrong that that has to be declared, so I am glad that that anomaly is being tidied up.

We are also ending the double registration of election expenses, which is unnecessary as such expenses are covered by a separate piece of legislation. Why should we be required to register election expenses twice, which surely only helps to confuse the public? Members have to report to the Electoral Commission under a separate law on the matter. The public will rightly be referred from the Parliament website to the website of the Electoral Commission and, in that way, will get a complete picture of members’ interests.

The report also refers to the Scotland Bill and the further changes to the regime that it will introduce. That bill is being scrutinised and deliberated on elsewhere, but the pattern of change has been approved by the Parliament.

This is a balanced and sensible package of refinements to the scheme. As the convener rightly said, the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, who is the guardian of the public interest in these matters, is happy with the changes. I am happy to support them and I hope that the Parliament will do so at 5 o’clock.

16:44