Meeting of the Parliament 29 January 2020
I would like to focus my comments on my experience as a former member of the corporate body. However, first, let me apologise to the carers who are in the Parliament today with whom I was due to have a meeting at quarter to 2, which I had to cancel.
As Willie Rennie said in the chamber yesterday evening, those of us who are committed Europeans and who voted remain in 2016 would far rather that the EU flag was still one of the three principal flags that are flown outside the Parliament building, the others being the Scottish and UK flags. However, we lost that argument and, for all the reasons that have been rehearsed in the chamber so many times in recent months, as democrats, we accept that the UK voted to leave the EU. Indeed, it is now a fact that we will shortly leave the EU—that is important in relation to the decision that has already been made by the corporate body.
I remind members that, as is set out in the Parliament’s standing orders, the corporate body has a very specific role, which is entirely different from those of other bodies in the Parliament. It is there to make decisions on a wide range of issues that relate to the management of this place—whether they concern budgets, staffing, accommodation or the use and security of parliamentary resources and facilities—and it carries with it significant responsibilities that are reflected in the duties of its elected members.
Corporate body members do not sit to make political decisions. Instead, they are elected by the whole Parliament—usually, but not necessarily, drawn from each of the political groups that are represented in it—to make impartial decisions that are for the collective benefit of all of us in the Parliament. On that basis, the corporate body has impartial relationships with other parliamentary bodies, such as the Parliamentary Bureau and the Conveners Group, which have responsibility for the day-to-day political business of the Parliament.
Corporate body members frequently deal with complex and sensitive issues, including situations in which national security issues come into play, and they can often be party to private and confidential information that is not always available to other members of Parliament. As a result, members will appreciate that it is vital that there is full trust and confidence that, in its work, the corporate body will act impartially on behalf of all members rather than on behalf of the political parties that are represented in the Parliament.
Of particular importance here are the terms of section 21 of the Scotland Act 1998, subsection (3) of which states:
“The corporation shall provide the Parliament, or ensure that the Parliament is provided, with the property, staff and services required for the Parliament’s purposes.”
Subsection(4) states:
“The Parliament may give special or general directions to the corporation for the purpose of or in connection with the exercise of the corporation’s functions.”