The Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament web site

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/ - English
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/gaidhlig - Gaelic
The Parliament was elected on 6 May 1999, reconvened after a 292 year gap on 12 May 1999, and assumed its full powers after the official opening by the Queen on 1 July 1999.

The Scotland Act 1988

http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980046.htm

Statutory Instruments

http://www.scotland-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/

Results

The full breakdown by constituency of the votes in the Scottish
Parliament election (including the regional list vote) is off

http://www.crest.ox.ac.uk/results.htm

Background

See also
http://www.scottish-devolution.org.uk/

The powers of the Scottish Parliament are based on those established by the Labour led Constitutional Convention.

The final report of the constitutional convention is at http://www.almac.co.uk/business_park/scc/scc-rep.htm

The Scottish parliament extends democratic control over the responsibilities formerly exercised administratively by the Scottish Office.

The responsibilities of the UK Parliament will remain unchanged over UK policy, for example economic, defence and foreign policy.

The UK Government has published a short free guide concerning powers of the parliament. It is available in Scots, Gaelic, English and other languages. Write to: The Constitution Group, the Scottish Office, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ.

Site of Parliament

It was leaked to the media on 5th January 1998 that the Parliament will be in Holyrood, near Holyrood Palace. Most political parties and most members of the general public wanted the parliament to be at Calton Hill, but this was ruled out on cost grounds. However, Holyrood palace offers plenty room for expansion if/when the Queen is no longer the head of state.... Any suggestions as to what the Parliament should be called? Thomas Muir house has been suggested, after the Scottish political activist (see [11.16]). The actual site was originally that of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun's house - he was one of the main opponents to political union in the previous Scottish parliament. Until the new Parliament building at Holyrood was constructed, the Scottish Parliament met in the General Assembly buildings on The Mound. These buildings are only a few minutes walk from Parliament Square where the Scottish Parliament met prior to being suspended in May 1707.

The postal address of the Parliament is

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

You can contact your MSP by e-mail.
The format is firstname.surname.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Parliament Building

There is an exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland showing the latest design of the new Scottish parliament by the Catalonian architect Enric Miralles. Since everyone cannot go and visit the display, you can view photos of the models and illustrations together with some other info at: http://scottishculture.miningco.com/

Constituencies

129 seats - 71 of the present 72 constituencies plus Orkney & Shetland with one each giving 73 elected by FPTP. The remaining 56 elected by party list in the eight Euro-constituencies - seven seats each.

List regions

Central Scotland

Airdrie & Shotts; Coatbridge & Chryston; Cumbernauld & Kilsyth; East Kilbride; Kilmarnock & Loudon; Hamilton North & Bellshill; Hamilton South; Motherwell & Wishaw; Falkirk East; Falkirk West (10 seats).

Glasgow

Glasgow Anniesland; Glasgow Baillieston; Glasgow Cathcart; Glasgow Govan; Glasgow Kelvin; Glasgow Maryhill; Glasgow Pollok; Glasgow Rutherglen; Glasgow Shettleston; Glasgow Springburn (10 seats).

Highlands & Islands

Argyll and Bute; Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber; Moray; Orkney; Ross, Skye and Inverness West; Shetland; Western Isles (8 seats).

Lothians

Edinburgh Central; Edinburgh East and Musselburgh; Edinburgh North and Leith; Edinburgh Pentlands; Edinburgh South; Edinburgh West; Linlithgow; Livingston; Midlothian (9 seats).

Mid Scotland and Fife

Central Fife; Dunfermline East; Dunferline West; Kirkcaldy;
North East Fife; Ochil; Perth; Stirling; North Tayside (9 seats).

North East Scotland

Aberdeen Central; Aberdeen North; Aberdeen South; Angus; Banff & Buchan; Dundee East; Dundee West; Gordon; West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine (9 seats).

South of Scotland

Ayr; Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley; Clydesdale; Dumfries; East Lothian; Galloway & Upper Nithsdale; Cunninghame South; Roxburgh & Berwickshire; Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale (9 seats)

West of Scotland

Clydebank & Milngavie; Cunninghame North; Dumbarton; Eastwood;
Greenock & Inverclyde; Paisley North; Paisley South; Strathkelvin & Bearsden; West Renfrewshire (9 seats).

The original proposed powers of the parliament, detailed in the white paper are limited by the following, control of which is proposed to remain at Westminster.

Exceptions to the home rule

1 Succession to Crown
2 Treason
3 UK titles of honour
4 Defence, civil defence, armed forces
5 Making of peace & war
6 Relations with foreign states, membership of EU
7 Immigration
8 Payments from UK Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund
9 Tax payable to the UK Exchequer, except as otherwise prescribed 10 Currency and coinage
11 Interest rates and credit
12 Competition policy
13 Business regulation
14 Financial services regulation
15 Loan guarantees to public body, except as otherwise prescribed 16 Import & export licensing
17 Gas, electricity and telecommunications regulation
18 Regulation of charges and prices other than those charged by Scottish secretary
19 Social security
20 Employment regulation
21 Discrimination issues
22 Control of drugs and medicines
23 Environmental protection
24 Civil aviation regulation
25 Maritime shipping, inland water navigation
26 Road traffic regulation
27 Railways regulation
28 Elections to UK and EU parliaments
29 UK statistics, census
30 Data protection
31 Continued existence of High Court of Justiciary, Court of Session, the sheriff courts, the district courts
32 Appeals to House of Lords and High Court of Justiciary.
33 Courts-martial and the Courts-Martial Appeal Court; Election Courts; Restrictive Practices Court; Employment Appeal Tribunal 34 Posts and telegraphs, including telephones, radio satellite cable and terrestrial television
35 Prevention of terrorism
36 Quarantine of animals
37 Human rights
38 Genetic research, human fertilisation and embryology
39 Intellectual property
40 Weights and measures, including time

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