Meeting of the Parliament 18 September 2025
I think that the committee’s report is a must-read for all MSPs. Although we lodged an amendment to the motion, Scottish Labour welcomes and notes the report, and recognises the range of recommendations that have been made on new and existing commissioners; on governance and accountability; on budget and audit issues; and on shared services.
The problem that we have with the motion is that, on the one hand, it says that
“the SPCB supported body landscape should not be expanded to include new advocacy-type SPCB supported bodies”,
but on the other hand, it goes on to state that new bodies should meet the justification and effectiveness test that is set out in paragraph 150 of the report. The key issue is the justification and effectiveness criteria, which should be used when the relevant parliamentary committee is considering proposals to establish a new commissioner.
I have followed the committee’s work both because it addresses the important issue of the growing landscape of commissioners and because, during this parliamentary session, I have been working on my own member’s bill, which is focused on accountability; on coherence in public bodies in relation to wellbeing and sustainable development; and on ensuring that the Scottish Government, our councils and the wider public sector are held to account for their impact, both now and in the future. In his speech earlier today, John Swinney referenced George Reid’s call for a sense of purpose, because “Today is tomorrow.”
Last year, I secured a debate to recognise the United Nations declaration on future generations. I argued that one of the most important things that we can do is to think about how we build a society in which people’s wellbeing and sustainable development are built into the actions of, and the policy and spending decisions made by, all our Government and public sector bodies in Scotland. To deliver on those principles, we need clear guidance, accountability and a focus on ensuring that they are not just warm words but actually delivered. Hence, I propose that there should be a commissioner with investigatory powers.
The report that we are debating references proposals for new commissioners and describes them as “advocacy” commissioners. I do not agree with that in relation to my proposed commissioner, and I was clear about that in my evidence to the committee. As Martin Whitfield acknowledged, yesterday, the Parliament established a new victims and witnesses commissioner—that, too, is listed as an advocacy commissioner. There have been questions about whether the powers of that new commissioner are actually sufficient.
I am glad that the SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee acknowledges the positive contribution that has been made by existing commissioners and that they
“fulfil a vital function in safeguarding public trust, institutional integrity and democratic accountability”.
Although the report notes some overlap between them, the evidence was that
“each of the existing SPCB supported bodies provides a unique and necessary contribution.”