This website is using cookies. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.
Please choose whether to accept cookies.
14 December 2022
On Wednesday (14th December), MSPs on the Citizens Participation and Public Petitions Committee (CPPPC) will hear recommendations on how the Scottish Parliament can better engage with the people of Scotland.
Earlier this year, the CPPPC launched an inquiry into public participation, looking at how people’s voices are heard in the work of the Parliament. A Citizens’ Panel, comprised of 19 people broadly reflecting the demographic make-up of Scotland, met in Holyrood throughout October and November to deliberate how the Scottish Parliament can best work with people and communities to ensure their needs are reflected in its work.
Throughout the sittings, the Citizen’s Panel heard from MSPs, Scottish Parliament officials, third-sector organisations and leading academics about democracy and public participation to help facilitate discussion and inform their findings.
The Citizens’ Panel made 17 recommendations on improving how Holyrood’s work involves, reflects, and meets the needs of the full range of communities it represents, focusing on improving engagement for those currently under-represented.
Recommendations from the panel include improving community engagement, how the Parliament uses deliberative democracy, public involvement in Parliamentary business and the way Parliament communicates and educates the public on its work, specifically;
Five of the panellist’s, Gillian Ruane, Paul MacDonald, John Sultman, Maria Schwarz and Ronnie Paterson will present their findings to the CPPPC this week.
Following the evidence session, the Committee’s interim report will be published, and the Citizens’ Panel recommendations will go out to public consultation on 16th December for 8 weeks on the Scottish Parliament’s Your Priorities platform.
Commenting ahead of the Committee meeting, Convener Jackson Carlaw MSP said:
“The work of the Citizens’ Panel on public participation has been invaluable to our inquiry, bringing fresh perspectives and bold ideas to the table around how Parliament can better engage with individuals, groups and communities from every part of Scotland.
“Ensuring the Scottish Parliament is accessible to a diverse range of people, particularly when developing new laws or policies that affect them, is essential and the recommendations made by the Citizens’ Panel have certainly given the Committee food for thought.
“The Committee will look forward to hearing from panel members this week and learning more about their experiences of the deliberative democracy process and how MSPs and the Parliament can best deliver on their recommendations.”
SPICe have published a blog on the background to the inquiry, findings to date, and the next steps.
Inquiry evidence gathered to date can be found on the Committee's page:
Background on what a Citizens' Panel involves:
A Citizens’ Panel is an innovative democratic tool used all over the world.
It brings together a randomly selected group of people who broadly represent the entire community.
The people who attend learn about issues, discuss them with one another, and then make recommendations about what should happen and how things should change.
The Citizens’ Panel met for two full weekends at the Scottish Parliament, Friday evening to Sunday.
The Citizens’ Panel also met online for three shorter evening sessions.
4,800 household addresses from across all eight Parliamentary regions of Scotland were randomly selected from the Royal Mail address database to receive letters of invitation to participate in the Citizens’ Panel.
Once registration closed, 19 people were randomly selected from those who registered their interest, to take part in the event. This random selection was weighted to make sure that there are people from all across the community attending.
Anyone aged 16 and over by the close of registrations, who is normally resident in Scotland and who lives full or part time at an address that had received this invitation could apply to take part, with a few exceptions.
Recommendations from the panel will now be considered by the Committee, alongside evidence from focus groups and written submissions.
The Committee will then produce proposals on how the Scottish Parliament can improve collaboration with under-represented groups in the form of an interim report in the new year.
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body securely processes journalists’ data for the purpose of enabling reporting on the work of the Scottish Parliament, in line with current data protection requirements. You have the right to unsubscribe at any time. For further information, please see our Privacy Notice.
Telephone enquiry line: 0800 092 7500 or 0131 348 5395 (Gàidhlig)
Text 07786 209 888
We also welcome calls using the Text Relay service or in British Sign Language through contactSCOTLAND-BSL.