Plan To Simplify Law-Making

Measures to make the Scottish Parliament's legislative process easier to understand have been published by a Holyrood Committee. The Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee carried out a review of the Parliament's law-making procedures. It has called for changes which will make the process of passing Bills more open and easier for the public to understand. The committee's inquiry found that while people felt the three stage process for Bills works well in principle'', the amendments process in the last two stages can be complex, technical and hard to follow. It has proposed changes include making the documents accompanying draft Bills clearer and extending the time-scales between some stages of the legislative process. Improving guidance on amendments to help people during the latter stages was also recommended. Committee convener Stewart Stevenson said:This inquiry was about making sure that what we do as a Parliament is open and accessible for those we represent. We heard that the legislative process can be difficult and confusing to follow. Our inquiry was about what more could be done so people from all walks of life could become engaged in shaping the laws of Scotland.Whilst we appreciate that the legislative process can be complex, this cannot be a barrier to the public becoming involved. The language used must be jargon free where possible and the process itself must be made clearer. Just as important is to ensure that the process is not rushed which is why we have suggested increasing the time between certain stages of the legislative process.''