Committees essay due on Monday
• Ensure this is completed – plan in class
today and finish plan at home
• Next week…timed essay in class on how
MSPs influence decision-making in the
SP
The committee system enhances
democracy. Discuss.
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Small groups of MSPs who meet to scrutinise legislation and conduct
inquiries – hold Government to account which means they are
democratic. Examples…legislation accepted or rejected.
Committees are made up of MSPs from all parties - proportionate –
sharing power which is democratic. However, because SNP have a
majority in SP (which is unusual) perhaps they are less democratic than
under minority or coalition governments.
Different types of committees – subject and mandatory. Power sharing
– different parties convene different committees – which is
democratic. MSPs to disregard party allegiances – cooperate for good
of nation – democratic. Public petitions committee – public involved in
decision-making which is democratic. Also witnesses from public which
is democratic and meetings all over Scotland – open and democratic
(participation and access).
Committees can propose bills which is democratic because it shows that
power is shared – not all legislation from Government. Examples of
committee bills…However, SNP control most committees because they
have majority – less democratic because SNP dominate. E.g. Justice
committee – convened by SNP member, Christine Grahame MSP. 9
members in total – 4 SNP, 2 Labour, 1 Conservative, 1 Liberal Democrat
and one Independent (who used to be in SNP and would favour them on
many issues) – democratic?
Once you have written essay,
check for the following…
1. SPELLING and GRAMMAR
2. Need HARD FACTS – names, dates, figures, examples of
bills. Use notes and research yourself.
3. Need to explain why everything you say is relevant to the
question – ANSWER THE QUESTION THROUGHOUT.
Do not ramble on if what you are saying is irrelevant.
4. MINI-CONCLUSIONS – sum up each paragraph and
EXPLAIN why what you have just said answers the
question (i.e. why does what I have just said mean that
committees are democratic or undemocratic?)
5. LINKING WORDS/PHRASES at the start of every
paragraph – However, on the one hand, on the other hand
etc…
6. CONCLUSION – must show balance. Mention all
arguments in essay and conclude whether you think
committees enhance democracy or not
Paragraph 1 Example
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One way in which the committee system certainly enhances democracy is
because committees hold the government to account. The founding principles of
the Scottish Parliament make it clear that the Government is accountable to the
Parliament and committees hold the Government to account by scrutinising every
piece of legislation which the Government proposes. Furthermore, committees
can reject member’s bills. For example, under the SNP’s minority government of
2007-2011, a number of bills were rejected by committees. One example was
Margo MacDonald MSP’s member’s bill entitled the End of Life Assistance Bill.
This was knocked back in 2010 after MSPs in the End of Life Assistance Bill
Committee, which was set up to consider the bill, decided that it had serious
flaws. In 2008 the Government’s Graduate Endowment Abolition (Scotland) Bill
was rejected by the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee who
argued that the bill was unnecessary . This followed discussion amongst the
committee’s members who eventually concluded that the bill was not in the
public’s interest. This shows that the committee system hold the Government
and individual MSPs to account which enhances democracy.
To sum up, the committee system makes Scotland more democratic because
it holds the Scottish Government to account, meaning that the Government
cannot simply do whatever it pleases without being scrutinised.
Start of paragraph 2…
• However, another way in which it could be
argued that the committee system enhances
democracy is because committees are
comprised of members from all political
parties, meaning that there is a sharing of
power…
Examples in essay…
• Use websites listed on blog to help you
• Include examples of types of
committees, names of committees,
conveners by name/party, examples of
committee business, evidence sessions,
bills, inquiries, successes and failures of
committee system
Examples…
• Current Committees – see
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliam
entarybusiness/1700.aspx
• Examples…Economy, Energy and Tourism
Committee, Education and Culture
Committee, Equal Opportunities
Committee, Referendum (Scotland) Bill
Committee, Finance Committee, Justice
Committee etc…
Examples…
• Committee Bills http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parli
amentarybusiness/Bills/610.aspx (list of
all bills)
• In 2009, the Finance committee
proposed the Scottish Parliamentary
pensions bill which set out rules to
govern the pension scheme for MSPs.
Examples…
• Committee Inquiries - in 2012, the
Education and Culture Committee
conducted an inquiry into children being
taken into care. This inquiry was an
attempt to find out how well the
current system of care for vulnerable
children is coping with demand.
Examples…
• Committee Conveners and Membership http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee
s_of_the_Scottish_Parliament - this
page gives the membership of every
committee in the SP
• E.g.
Examples…
• Evidence Sessions – This year (2013) the
Welfare Reform Committee heard from people
affected by the so-called “Bedroom Tax”.
• In 2011, the Justice Committee heard from
expert witnesses when considering the
Offensive Behaviour at Football and
Threatening Communications Bill. It heard from
Pat Nevin, a former footballer and football
analyst and Graham Spiers, a football
journalist.
Examples…
• Committee Business – the Finance
Committee is currently looking at a
number of Bills, including the Landfill
Tax (Scotland) Bill, and is involved in
the implementation of the Scotland Act
(2012) which has given the SP more
powers in relation to tax and borrowing