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Home > Glossary > ..back |
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Glossary
| vacancy |
A situation when a seat in the Parliament is vacant, through death, disqualification or resignation of a sitting MSP. A vacancy in a constituency seat is filled by the winner of a by-election. A vacancy in a regional seat is filled by the person who is highest on the list for the same party as the person who immediately previously held the vacant seat. If the seat was previously held by an MSP who was an individual candidate for a region, or where it cannot be filled by a person from the party’s list, the seat remains unfilled until the next general election. |
| vires |
A legal term for the competent authority of a person or body. A decision or action which is within the lawful powers of a person or body is said to be intra vires. One which is outwith a person or body’s lawful powers is said to be ultra vires. |
| Visitor and Outreach Services |
The teams within the Directorate of Access and Information that provide a range of services for the public. Visitor Services arrange tickets for meetings of the Parliament, its committees and tours, and are responsible for managing the exhibition and shop. The Education Service works with young people, teachers and other educational groups to encourage learning and teaching about the Parliament. The Events team manages the range of events that take place at the Parliament. Outreach Services include: Education Outreach, which arranges sessions in schools across Scotland; Community Outreach, which arranges information sessions about the work of the Parliament and ways to participate in its work for community groups, the voluntary sector and other local audiences; and Gaelic Outreach, which provides information and education sessions to Gaelic learners and native speakers, in the Parliament and across Scotland. |
| voting |
The means by which decisions are made in the Parliament (including committees) on questions before it. When a question is disagreed to by any member, the question is decided by a division, in which each member (other than the Presiding Officer) may vote. Voting is normally done electronically in the Chamber and by show of hands in committees. In the event of a tie, the Presiding Officer or the committee convener must exercise a casting vote. In the Parliamentary Bureau, voting is weighted so that each member (other than the Presiding Officer) has votes equivalent to the number of MSPs he or she represents. |
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