The Scottish Parliament

Parliamentary Business

Visit, Learn, Interact

MSPs

News, Media & Events

About the Parliament

Home > Glossary > ..back

Glossary

paid advocacy	The action whereby an elected member advocates or promotes a cause in return for payment or other benefit. This is prohibited in the Parliament, under the Scotland Act and is explained in the Code of Conduct for MSPs. It is a key component of the regulation of ethical standards in the Parliament. See section 4 of the Code of Conduct for MSPs.
Parliament	An assembly of representatives (generally elected) which has various functions in relation to legislation, the scrutiny of the Executive and representation of people and their interests.
Parliament Headquarters (PHQ)	One of the buildings around the Royal Mile used as temporary accommodation for the Scottish Parliament, which provided offices for MSPs, parliamentary staff and Ministers.
Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit	The office, operated and staffed by BBC Resources Ltd, that televises the proceedings of the Scottish Parliament and its committees.
Parliamentary Bureau	The body within the Parliament responsible under the Standing Orders (chapter 5) for proposing the business of the Parliament, recommending the establishment of committees, and other related functions. It is not a parliamentary committee. It consists of the Presiding Officer (chair), a representative of each party that has more than 5 members, and a representative of any group of 5 or more smaller-party members or independents. There is a system of weighted voting according to party strength. The Deputy Presiding Officers also attend.
parliamentary complex	For the purposes of the members’ allowances scheme, the place where the Parliament or any of its committees or sub-committees meets.
parliamentary corporation	The term used in the Scotland Act 1998 and in the Standing Orders for the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB). See Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB).
parliamentary duties	Any task or function that a member could reasonably be expected to carry out in his or her capacity as a member of the Parliament. Rule 8 of the members’ allowances scheme provides a number of examples of such duties.
parliamentary privilege	See privilege.
parliamentary question (PQ)	One means by which MSPs can seek information or explanation from Ministers (and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body). Questions can be for oral or written answer, and are governed by chapter 13 of the Standing Orders and the detailed guidance published by the clerks.
parliamentary recess	See recess.
parliamentary week	See normal parliamentary week.
parliamentary year	A period, normally of 12 months, beginning on the date of the first meeting of the Parliament following a general election, and on each subsequent anniversary of that date within that session.
partner library	There is at least 1 designated public library in each constituency which acts as a focal point for information about the Parliament and its documentation, including, in many cases, internet access to the Parliament’s website.
Partnership for a Better Scotland	The policy agreement establishing and underpinning the coalition government of Labour and the Liberal Democrats following the May 2003 general election.
party representatives	Members of the Parliamentary Bureau representing parties with 5 or more members in the Parliament. More commonly referred to as party business managers. See also group representatives.
passage of a bill	The process through which a bill passes from introduction to royal assent.
passing (of a bill)	A bill is passed when the Parliament approves it at the end of consideration at Stage 3 (or, in the case of a private bill, Final Stage consideration).
personal statement	A statement made by any MSP at a meeting of the Parliament, at the discretion of the Presiding Officer, and included in the business programme by the Parliamentary Bureau. Such a statement may be made, for example, where a member wishes to make a public apology to the Parliament or explain their resignation from an office. It cannot be debated by the Parliament (rule 13.1).
Personnel Office	The office that is responsible for providing personnel services for the Parliament through 3 teams: the staffing and recruitment team, the training and development team, and the pay and pension team. Payroll services are also provided for MSPs’ staff.
petition	See public petition.
plenary	A meeting of the Parliament.
point of order	An intervention, of no more than 3 minutes, by a member during parliamentary proceedings, which questions whether proper procedures have been followed or are being followed. The point of order will be responded to by the Presiding Officer, usually straight away. A point of order takes precedence over the business under consideration (rule 8.17).
policy memorandum	A document which, under rule 9.3.3(c), must accompany an Executive or member's bill and which sets out the policy objectives of the bill; whether alternative ways of meeting the bill’s objectives were considered; what consultation was undertaken and its outcome; and an assessment of the bill’s effects on equal opportunities, human rights, island communities, local government, sustainable development and other matters considered relevant by Ministers.
pre-commencement enactment	A pre-commencement enactment is, primarily but not exclusively, any enactment passed by the UK Parliament before, or in the same session as, the Scotland Act 1998. The concept is important in determining the transfer of executive functions from UK Ministers to the Scottish Ministers. A full definition is given in section 53(3) of the Scotland Act 1998.
pre-emption	An amendment to a bill or to a motion pre-empts another amendment if agreement to the first means that the second can no longer be taken.
Preliminary Stage	In the procedure for a private bill, the Preliminary Stage is when the bill’s general principles are considered. Preliminary consideration of any objections also takes place at this stage, and the decision is made on whether the bill should proceed. (rule 9A.8)
prerogative	The residual, but often very important, powers of the sovereign, most of which are, in practice, exercised by Ministers on behalf of Her Majesty. Within the area of devolved competence, such powers are exercisable by Scottish Ministers (section 53, Scotland Act).
Presiding Officer (PO)	The member who is elected to preside over meetings of the Parliament, to chair the Parliamentary Bureau and the SPCB and to represent the Parliament externally. The Presiding Officer is elected by the Parliament at its first meeting following a general election or if there is a vacancy in the office. The Presiding Officer is supported by two deputies (see Deputy Presiding Officers).
Presiding Officers Office	The office providing advice and support to the Presiding Officer and his or her deputies.
Presiding Officers statement on legislative competence	A written statement by the Presiding Officer indicating whether or not, in his or her view, the provisions of a bill would be within the legislative competence of the Parliament. Such a statement is an accompanying document on the introduction of a bill (section 31, Scotland Act 1998; Standing Orders rules 9.3 and 9A.2.2).
primary legislation	Statutes enacted by a body with legislative powers. Acts of the UK Parliament, Acts of the Scottish Parliament and, rarely, prerogative orders in council, are examples of types of primary legislation made by UK bodies.
principal accountable officer	See accountable officer.
principal appointed day	See D-Day.
principles	See key principles.
private bill	A bill introduced by a person or body (the promoter) for the purpose of obtaining particular powers or benefits in excess of or in conflict with the general law, including any bill relating to the personal affairs or circumstances of the promoter. The legislative procedure for private bills is set out in chapter 9A of the Standing Orders.
private bill committee	Any committee of the Parliament that is established to consider a private bill (rule 9A.5 of the Standing Orders). A private bill committee may consist of up to 5 members. An MSP may not be a member of a private bill committee if he or she resides in, or represents a constituency or region that falls within, the area affected by the bill. Neither may an MSP be a member of a private bill committee if he or she has an interest registered in the Register of Interests of Members of the Scottish Parliament or a financial interest that, in the opinion of the Parliamentary Bureau, would be likely to prejudice the proceedings of the committee. Members may only be absent from a meeting of a private bill committee in exceptional circumstances.
Private Bills Unit	The Unit established in 2003 to receive and process all private bills. It provides information and advice to promoters and objectors, as well as clerking services to the committees established to scrutinise private bills.
privilege	A term derived from Westminster parliamentary practice and used loosely for the areas of legal protection or immunity vested by legislation in the Parliament, its members, or officials. The Scottish Parliament does not have parliamentary privilege in the Westminster sense, because that is primarily an inherent power of the UK Parliament, recognised by the courts. The Presiding Officer issued guidance on the matter in August 1999 in the Business Bulletin (Business Bulletin 38/1999).
Privy Council	A body which, in the past, exercised much of the executive power of the sovereign, and which nowadays has a number of residual functions. These include the making of orders in council, aspects of the regulation of certain professions and universities and the granting of royal charters. For devolution purposes, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has an important role as a court in adjudicating on devolution issues.
Procedures Committee	A mandatory committee of the Parliament, of 7 members, the remit of which is to consider and report on practice and procedures of the Scottish Parliament in relation to its business. The committee must be established within 21 sitting days of a Scottish Parliament election. Merged with the Standards and Public Appointments Committee on 27 September 2007.
proceedings of the Parliament	An important procedural and legal concept, not exhaustively defined in the legislation or the Standing Orders, although some guidance as to the sorts of proceedings which would be included is contained in the Presiding Officer’s guidance on ‘parliamentary privilege’ (Business Bulletin 38/1999) Examples include voting, lodging notices of motions and questions, and participating in debates in the Parliament or its committees.
proclamation	A declaration by the Crown that has legal effect. For example, proclamations are used to dissolve the Parliament for the purposes of holding a general election on a day other than on the first Thursday in May every 4 years.
Procurement Office	The office within the Directorate of Resources and Governance that is responsible for purchasing all goods and services for the Parliament (excluding construction).
promoter	The person or body (not an MSP) who introduces a Private Bill.
promoter's agreement	An agreement or agreements relating to the copyright and licensing of a bill to the parliamentary corporation and some of the related documents. It constitutes one of the accompanying documents of a private bill.
promoter's memorandum	One of the accompanying documents of a private bill. The promoter’s memorandum sets out the bill’s objectives, any consideration of alternative ways of meeting those objectives and any consultation that was carried out.
promoter's statement	One of the accompanying documents of a private bill. The promoter’s statement sets out: details of any required notifications, advertisements and consents as determined by the Presiding Officer. It also gives the locations where the accompanying documents and other relevant documents can be inspected and purchased; and an undertaking to pay the required fees for introduction.
proposal for committee bill	A committee that wishes to introduce a committee bill must first publish a report containing a proposal for such a bill. If the Parliament agrees to the proposal, the convener of the committee may give instructions for the bill to be drafted and introduce it, if the Scottish Executive does not indicate within 5 days that it will introduce a similar bill that would give effect to the proposal (rule 9.15).
proposal for member's bill	A member who wishes to introduce a member’s bill must first lodge a notice of a proposal for such a bill. The member is then required either to consult on the proposal or to secure the agreement of the committee considering the proposal that consultation is not necessary. This is followed by the member lodging a final proposal for the bill, which need not be in identical terms. If, within one month, 18 other members from at least half of the parties represented in the Bureau have supported it, the member may introduce a bill to give effect to the final proposal in accordance with conditions laid out in the Standing Orders, section 9.14.
Public Affairs Group	The group within the Directorate of Access and Information that deals with matters relating to external communications and engagement with the public. It includes Broadcasting, Corporate Publications, Media Relations, Public Information and Visitor and Outreach Services.
public bill	A bill which proposes to change the law as it applies generally (unlike a private bill which aims to obtain powers or benefits for the bill’s promoter). Executive bills, members’ bills and committee bills are all public bills.
public expenditure	For the purposes of the Standing Orders (including the remit of the Finance Committee), public expenditure means the expenditure of the Scottish Administration and other expenditure payable out of the Scottish consolidated fund or met out of taxes, charges and other public revenue.
Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000	The Act of the Scottish Parliament which deals with the public financial, budgeting, accounting and auditing procedures and practices of the Scottish Ministers and bodies supported from the Scottish consolidated fund, and with their scrutiny by the Parliament.
Public Information Service	The team within Participation Services that provides an enquiry service for the public.
public petition	One means by which the public can make representations to the Parliament. The form of public petitions and their consideration by the Parliament are governed by rules 15.4-8 of the Standing Orders. Guidance on the submission of public petitions is published on the Parliament’s website.
Public Petitions Committee	A mandatory committee of the Parliament, of 9 members, the remit of which 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. The committee must be established within 42 sitting days of a Scottish Parliament election.