Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 23 January 2013
23 Jan 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
“Review of Section 7 of the Code of Conduct”
The Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee has reviewed section 7 of the code of conduct for members of the Scottish Parliament, which covers general conduct and conduct in the chamber or in committee meetings. The review was to ensure that section 7 remains relevant, appropriate, clear and enforceable.
The code will be shortened and clarified and will now contain a general requirement for members to comply with Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body policies rather than mention policies by name, so that it does not become out of date simply because the name of an SPCB policy has been changed. To aid members, the code will refer to a new library of SPCB policies, which will set out which documents are policies that must be adhered to and which are merely guidance.
The opportunity has also been taken to tidy a number of other provisions in the code. Taken together, the changes will make the code easier to read and understand, more relevant to members and more up to date.
I move,
That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 8th Report, 2012 (Session 4), Review of Section 7 of the Code of Conduct (SP Paper 223), and agrees that the changes to the Code of Conduct set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 24 January 2013.
The code will be shortened and clarified and will now contain a general requirement for members to comply with Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body policies rather than mention policies by name, so that it does not become out of date simply because the name of an SPCB policy has been changed. To aid members, the code will refer to a new library of SPCB policies, which will set out which documents are policies that must be adhered to and which are merely guidance.
The opportunity has also been taken to tidy a number of other provisions in the code. Taken together, the changes will make the code easier to read and understand, more relevant to members and more up to date.
I move,
That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 8th Report, 2012 (Session 4), Review of Section 7 of the Code of Conduct (SP Paper 223), and agrees that the changes to the Code of Conduct set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 24 January 2013.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is consideration of motion S4M-05403, in the name of Dave Thompson, on the “Review of Section 7 of the Code of Conduct”. I call Dav...
Dave Thompson (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)
SNP
The Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee has reviewed section 7 of the code of conduct for members of the Scottish Parliament, which cover...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
The question on the motion will be put at decision time.