Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]
The last few motions before us today are the final motions from the committee designed to put the standing orders book in its best possible state for the next session.
The first motion, regarding the sixth report, relates to cross-party groups. We have had some challenges this session with the compliance of cross-party groups. Following a consultation, we propose extending the period of re-registration for cross-party groups, which will allow members to have a better understanding of what their workload is like before they commit to CPGs.
We also propose the introduction of a limit to the number of CPGs of which an MSP can be a member or office bearer.
Finally, we are also introducing some new deadlines for the provision of information about CPG activities, in the hope that they can more easily be complied with. The purpose behind that is to enable the CPG system to be sustainable, so that both members and external stakeholders can benefit from the valuable work that CPGs do.
I move,
That the Parliament notes the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s 6th Report, 2026 (Session 6), Code of Conduct changes – Cross-Party Groups (SP Paper 1017), and agrees that the changes to the Code of Conduct set out in Annexe A of the report be made with effect from 11 May 2026.