"NOT A MINI-WESTMINSTER !"
Scots know what we do not want.
"NOT A MACRO-MONKLANDS !"
What might we have instead?

Sponsored by the John Wheatley Centre, Bernard Crick and David Millar set out to draw up some 'draft standing orders for the Scottish Parliament' ("Making Scotland's Parliament a Model for Democracy"). Before unthinking Whitehall civil servants, Westminster politicians or ex-local councillors give us what we don't want, behaving in ways we don't approve, we should make proposals for a modern inter-active democracy. The following are intended to stimulate debate, not to close it down. CSP invites your to comments and ideas. The Scottish Parliament, by common consent, should be:

• Multi-party
• Proportionally Representative
• Gender-balanced
• Interactive: It should consult widely, proceed openly and develop co-operative rather than confrontational decision-making.

The new Parliament will need new ideas and adequate resources in three respects:

1. Effective modern procedures relevant to Scottish conditions and opinion
2. An efficient organisation and administration
3. A modern information service to serve both the Parliament and the Public

Crick and Millar make fairly detailed proposals for the first, and some general suggestions for the second and third. Further ideas, debate, discussion and work are needed on all!

Some key proposals

• The Secretary of State for Scotland should wither away (the office, not any particular man)
  
• The Scottish Civil service should report to the Parliament, not to a "Scottish Office"
  
• There should be a Bill of Rights to protect individual citizens
  
• The powers and responsibilities of Local Government should be entrenched, and the principle of subsidiarity should apply
  
• The Parliamentary term should be a fixed four years, with pre-set general election dates
  
• Parliament will meet between 10am and 5pm on weekdays, and not normally during school holidays
  
• A "President" and 2 Deputy Presidents should be elected by the whole Parliament, to preside/chair sittings and head the (P-R) Steering Committee which should control the agendas
  
• The Chief/Prime Minister should also be elected by the whole Parliament
  

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

• MSPs should should work at this 'full-time'; they could not also be MEPs, Westminster MPs or local councillors, nor would they be considered free to take on other jobs
• MSPs would have to declare 'interests' in a public register
• MSPs would receive a salary pegged to an appropriate Civil Service grade, and strictly defined allowances
• Consideration should be given to the questions of appropriate qualifications, qualities, training and support services required for efficient and effective MSPs

Committees

• The Committees will be proportionally representative and will elect their own Conveners
• The Parliamentary Committees shall have primary responsibility for:
  
  1. wide and appropriate consultation
  2. initiating legislation
  3. scrutinising and amending legislation
  4. scrutinising policies and activities of the Government and administration
  5. scrutinising revenue and expenditure
  
  
• The Committees shall have power to call for persons, papers and records
• The Committees may meet in places other than Edinburgh
• The Committees may commission research
• The Committees' hearings shall be open to the public and the media*
• The Committees' proceedings and papers shall be available and accessible*

Parties

• Members may form themselves into Parliamentary Parties according to their political affinities
• A minimum of 6 Members shall be required to form a Parliamentary Party
• No Party pressure or practice shall be deemed legitimate if it interferes with the MSP's right to act and vote according to his/her conscience

Petitions, surveys and referenda

• It is also suggested that petitions with certain numbers of signatures from the electors should be able to necessitate a written answer, a Parliamentary debate, or a full Referendum

Public Information Service

• Full minutes and proceedings of the Parliament and its Committees, including consultation papers, draft Bills, draft regulations and interpretations, reports and statistics etc. should be publicly and freely available and accessible in Public libraries, community and health centres etc., on-line and timeously, and providing the facility for citizens and groups to comment and contribute

What else might be needed for an effective inter-active democracy?

Think now!

Discuss in all suitable groups, and contribute your ideas, via the CSP.

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