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Parliament taking shape as steering group face up to key decisions
29/06/1998
People will have a much clearer idea of how the Scottish Parliament will operate after today's meeting of the cross-party Consultative Steering Group on the Scottish Parliament (CSG) when major issues such as the role of the Presiding Officer, the making of Standing Orders and the legislative process will all be on the agenda.
Devolution Minister Henry McLeish, chairman of the CSG, said that the operating procedures of the Scottish Parliament were now really beginning to take shape after many months of hard work laying the foundations.
Mr McLeish said:
"When the CSG first met I said that we faced an exciting and unique opportunity because we had a blank piece of paper on which to draw up the operational structure for our Parliament. We are now filling in that blank piece of paper and the operation of the Scottish Parliament is now beginning to really take shape.
"A lot of work has gone into all of our meetings since January and we are now beginning to see the results of that groundwork.
"Take one example of the key issues on today's agenda - the role of the Presiding Officer. We all know just how important the role of the Speaker is at Westminster. Apart from the key decisions Madame Speaker has to take regarding the running of the House of Commons she is for many people in the United Kingdom and abroad the public face of Parliament.
"So when it comes to the role of the Presiding Officer for the Scottish Parliament there is a great responsibility on the CSG to set out clearly what is expected of those who fill this important post.
"The significance of this role should not be underestimated. The first thing that the Scottish Parliament will do will be to elect a Presiding Officer. Only then will they start to decide who should be the First Minister.
"The CSG will today discuss whether the Presiding Officer should be politically impartial, the role they should play in organising business and if they should represent the Scottish Parliament in interactions with other Parliaments.
"These are all matters that have to be addressed as we continue the serious business of setting up a Parliament. The piece of paper is no longer blank. We will have a Parliament in May and how that that Parliament will work is rapidly taking shape."
The CSG will meet at 1500 hours at The Scottish Office, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh. The full agenda for today's meeting includes:
Information and Communication Technology in the interim Parliament;
The Presiding Officer
The legislative process
The making of Standing Orders
The role and structure of Committees
Programming the Business of the Parliament
The Consultative Steering Group has thirteen members and its remit is to consider the operational needs and rules of the Scottish Parliament and to prepare a report for the Secretary of State by the end of this year.
News Release: 1344/98
26 June 1998