The Scottish Parliament website offers an extensive insight into the mechanisms that govern Scotland. Here you can access information such as; current motions, official reports, details of MSPs, parliamentary business, and so much more.
Click here for the Scottish Parliament Website.
The Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate
on the following devolved issues:
• Health
• Education and training
• Local government
• Tourism and economic development
• The law and home affairs
• The environment
• Agriculture, fisheries and forestry
• Sport and the arts
• Natural and built heritage
• Planning
• Police and fire services
• Social work
• Statistics and public records
• Transport
• Housing
• Gaelic
The Scottish Parliament also has the power to raise or lower the basic rate of income tax by up to 3p in the pound.
The Scottish Parliament is a devolved parliament so MSPs can only deal with devolved matters.
It is the right of every constituent to expect an MSP to take on a case or query. However, it is up to the MSP to decide how best to deal with it.
MSPs can raise issues by:
Asking a Parliamentary Question
Initiating a debate
Moving an amendment to a Bill
Introducing a Member’s Bill
Writing to the Minister
Meeting the Minister
Watch Holyrood TV.
The Scottish Parliament provides a service whereby you can watch committee meetings and the chamber live on Holyrood TV through broadband. If you miss anything then it can be viewed 24 hours later in the archived section where it will be accessible for one month. This is an excellent service because there is no media bias editing – what you see is what you get. Click here to view Holyrood TV.
Other useful websites:
The Scottish Executive
www.scotland.gov.uk