1. Mandatory Committees
    Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations  Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee  Equalities and Human Rights  Finance and Constitution   Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny   Public Petitions  Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments 

2. Subject Committees
    Economy, Jobs and Fair Work  Education and Skills  Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform  Health and Sport  Justice  Justice Sub-committee on Policing  Local Government and Communities  Rural Economy and Connectivity  Social Security 

3. Conveners’ Group

4. Previous Committees
    Private Bill Committees  Subject Committees  

5. References

6. External links

The Scottish Parliament has a number of committees, with small numbers of Members appointed to scrutinise the work of the Scottish Government.

Much of the work of the Scottish Parliament is done in committee. The role of committees is stronger in the Scottish Parliament than in other parliamentary systems, partly as a means of strengthening the role of backbenchers in their scrutiny of the Government^[1] and partly to compensate for the fact that the parliament is unicameral (there is no revising chamber).

The principal role of committees in the Scottish Parliament is to conduct inquiries, scrutinise legislation and hold the government to account.^[2] Committee meetings take place in the Parliament's committee rooms all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning when Parliament is sitting. Committees can also meet at other locations throughout Scotland.^[3]

Membership of the committees reflects the balance of parties across Parliament.^[2] There are different types of committee, with their functions set out in different ways.

The membership of the committees in August 2011 is shown below. All committees also have substitute members (not shown).

Mandatory Committees

Mandatory Committees are committees which are set down under the Scottish Parliament's standing orders, which govern their remits and proceedings. The current Mandatory Committees of the Scottish Parliament are:^[2]

Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Equalities and Human Rights

Finance and Constitution

Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny

The remit of the committee, as published by the Parliament, is to consider and report on:

1. any accounts laid before the Parliament
2. any report laid before or made to the Parliament by the Auditor General for Scotland
3. any other document laid before the Parliament concerning financial control, accounting and auditing in relation to public expenditure
4. post-legislative scrutiny

Public Petitions

The remit of the Committee is to decide what action should be taken on admissible public petitions. The Committee is also responsible for deciding, in cases of dispute, whether a public petition is admissible.

On 16 June 2009 the Committee reported on its 'Inquiry into the public petitions process'^[4] issued to reflect 10 years of operation, which included an evaluation of the pioneering e-Petitioner online petitioning system.

Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments

Subject Committees

Subject Committees are established at the beginning of each parliamentary session, and again the balance of members on each committee reflects the balance of parties across Parliament. Typically each committee corresponds with one (or more) of the departments (or ministries) of the Scottish Government. The current Subject Committees are:^[2]

Economy, Jobs and Fair Work

Education and Skills

Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform

Health and Sport

Justice

Justice Sub-committee on Policing

Local Government and Communities

Rural Economy and Connectivity

Topics this committee covers are: 'Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries/Aquaculture, Food & Drink, Crofting, Transport, Digital Connectivity and Islands Issues

Social Security

Conveners’ Group

The Conveners’ Group is a special committee of the Scottish Parliament chaired by either the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament or one of the Deputy Presiding Officers. Its main responsibilities are involved in the administration of Committee expenses and certain other activities.

Previous Committees

Private Bill Committees

A further type of committee is normally set up to scrutinise private bills submitted to the Scottish Parliament by an outside party or promoter who is not a member of the Scottish Parliament or Scottish Government. Private bills normally relate to large-scale development projects such as infrastructure projects that require the use of land or property.^[5] Private Bill Committees have been set up to consider legislation on issues such as the development of the Edinburgh Tram Network, the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link and extensions to the National Gallery of Scotland.^[6]

• Joan McAlpine (Convener)
• Jackson Carlaw (Deputy Convener)
• Gordon MacDonald
• Mark Griffin

• Anne McTaggart (Convener)
• Bruce Crawford
• John Lamont
• Sandra White

• Siobhan McMahon (Convener)
• James Dornan (Deputy Convener)
• Alison McInnes
• Fiona McLeod

• Christine Grahame (Convener)
• Alison McInnes (Deputy Convener)
• Graeme Pearson
• John Finnie
• Kevin Stewart
• Margaret Mitchell

Subject Committees

• Bruce Crawford (Convener)
• Annabel Goldie
• Annabelle Ewing
• Linda Fabiani
• Patrick Harvie
• Rob Gibson
• Lewis Macdonald
• Stewart Maxwell
• Tavish Scott
• Drew Smith
• Stuart McMillan

• Michael McMahon (Convener)
• Jamie Hepburn (Deputy Convener)
• Alex Johnstone
• Ken Macintosh
• Annabelle Ewing
• Kevin Stewart
• Linda Fabiani

References

External links

• Committees of the Scottish Parliament, at the official parliamentary website

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• Soul Station
• SoulStice
• Soulstice (album)
• Soulstorm
• Soul Street
• Soul Stripper
• Soul Supreme
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• Soul Survivor (disambiguation)
• Soul Survivor II
• Soul Survivor (Pete Rock album)
• Soul Survivors
• Soul Survivors (band)
• Soul Survivor (Young Jeezy song)
• Soulsword
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• Soultanakhmed Ibraguimov