FMQs Frequency Doubled in Parliamentary Reform
First Minister's Questions (FMQs) will be held twice weekly, the new presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament has announced as part of a significant change to parliamentary procedures.
Kenneth Gibson, who relinquished his SNP membership to assume the role, replacing Alison Johnstone, addressed MSPs on Thursday emphasizing that maintaining the current system was untenable. He committed to transforming the parliament's operations.
Details of the New FMQs Schedule
Under the new arrangement, FMQs will increase from one to two sessions per week. On Tuesdays, a 30-minute slot will be dedicated to backbenchers questioning Deputy First Minister John Swinney, while Thursdays will feature a 30-minute session for party leaders to question the First Minister.
Regarding the increase in question sessions, John Swinney responded to reporters,
"As somebody once said in this building, bring it on."
Allocation of Questions Among Parties
The party entitled to ask the first three questions as the main opposition will alternate weekly between Labour and Reform UK Scotland, both of which secured 17 seats in the recent election.
The Scottish Greens, holding 15 seats, will also be allocated three questions. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, who returned 10 and 12 MSPs respectively, will each receive two questions.
Mr. Gibson indicated that to introduce variety and invigorate proceedings, he might reverse the usual order of FMQs to allow smaller parties to ask questions first.
Changes to Questioning Procedures
As part of the overhaul, questions posed to the First Minister will no longer be published in advance. This change responds to opposition MSPs' previous concerns that advance notice reduced accountability and led to rehearsed answers.
Additionally, any time taken by MSPs when taking interventions during speeches will now be automatically added to their allotted time. The presiding officer cautioned that this adjustment might cause parliamentary sessions to run over their scheduled time, although overruns have been frequent in the past.
General and portfolio questions will increase from 32 to 38, a move Mr. Gibson said would enhance ministerial scrutiny while allowing ministers to "shine."
Presiding Officer's Vision for Parliament
Mr. Gibson stated,
"I was elected on a mandate to shake up how we do things, make government more accountable to parliament, improve scrutiny and deliver more effectively for the people we represent."
He further elaborated,
"Parliament needs renewal and re-engagement with independent, innovative, and open-minded leadership – that is of critical importance and exactly what I will provide.
The collegiate working anticipated in the 90s prior to devolution has not fully transpired.
The status quo is not an option and I am keen to push at the boundaries of what is possible within my remit.
We need to declutter and simplify how we work, make parliament more official, topical and effective for the people we all represent.
It is crucial to examine what we do, why we do it, and consider if we need to do it better, if at all."
Implementation Date
The new procedures will be implemented starting 8 June.
