Presiding Officer Sir David Steel has established an informal cross-party working group to consider issues of common concern to regional and constituency MSPs and MPs at Westminster.

The Group has been asked to attempt to draw up a draft concordat, which could be put forward for further consideration to the political parties, the Scottish Executive, the UK Government and the Scottish and UK Parliaments as appropriate later this year.

The Group will be chaired by Deputy Presiding Officer George Reid MSP representing the SNP, and includes Mike Watson MSP (Labour), Annabel Goldie MSP (Conservative) and Archy Kirkwood MP (Liberal Democrat).

The Group will together bring the benefit of representing each type of elected Member (i.e. a constituency MSP, a regional MSP and an MP with a Scottish constituency).

Sir David has invited the working group to consider a wide variety of issues, including:

• arrangements between regional and constituency MSPs for responding to constituents’ correspondence, the holding of Members’ surgery meetings and the locations of their offices
• whether Scottish Executive Ministers should respond directly to matters raised in correspondence by Scottish MPs on devolved issues
• whether UK Ministers should respond directly to matters raised by MSPs on reserved issues affecting Scotland

BACKGROUND NOTE

This informal cross-party working group is being established following a number of enquiries from Members on these issues.

The Group will report to the Presiding Officer who will then decide how best the Group’s recommendations should be taken forward.

It is expected that the group will hold meetings before the Scottish Parliament returns from summer recess on 1 September.

Andrew Slorance: 0131 348 5389
email: sp.media@scottish.parliament.uk