Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Official Report 636KB pdf

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Scottish Parliamentary Commissions and Commissioners etc Bill: Stage 3

The next item of business is stage 3 proceedings on the Scottish Parliamentary Commissions and Commissioners etc Bill. In dealing with amendments, members should have the bill as amended at stage 2, which is SP bill 39A, the marshalled list, which is SP bill 39A-ML, and the groupings, which I, as Presiding Officer, have agreed.

Schedule 7—Transfer of staff, property and liabilities and transitional and saving provisions

We go straight to group 1. Amendment 1, in the name of Trish Godman, is the only amendment in the group.

The purpose of amendment 1 is to make transitional arrangements for assessors who are currently appointed by the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland at the time when the bill comes into force. Under the terms of the bill, the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland will be abolished and its functions transferred to the new public appointments commissioner for Scotland, which will be one of the posts making up membership of the commission for ethical standards in public life in Scotland. The commission is given a power to appoint assessors under section 18. It is the intention that assessors who are currently appointed by the commissioner at the time when the bill comes into force should, in effect, be transferred to the new commission on the same terms and conditions. Amendment 1 gives effect to that intention and ensures that any work that they are undertaking will not be affected by changes of governance.

I move amendment 1

Amendment 1 agreed to.

We come to group 2. Amendment 2, in the name of Trish Godman, is the only amendment in the group.

Paragraph 8 of schedule 7 makes transitional provisions for the appointment of the public appointments commissioner for Scotland. The paragraph enables the current Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland to become the new commissioner. In such a case, subparagraph 8(7) specifies an end date for the appointment of that individual. That date should reflect the end date of the appointment of the current office-holder. The effect of amendment 2 is to correct a drafting error and to insert 31 May 2012 as the end date for the appointment of the new commissioner should the existing public appointments commissioner continue into that office.

I move amendment 2.

Amendment 2 agreed to.

That concludes consideration of stage 3 amendments.