Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament Building Debating Chamber
Established	1999 by the Scotland Act 1998 The parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1202 KB) Summary Own photo, taken 29 April 2006 (see filename of course) from halfway up Salisbury Crags, just below the Radical Road. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 899 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Scottish Parliament debating chamber creator: User:Jamieli File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood designed by the Catalan architect Enric Miralles and opened in October 2004. ... The new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood designed by the Catalan architect Enric Miralles and opened in October 2004. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Scotland Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster. ...
Presiding Officer	Alex Fergusson MSP (Con) Since May 14, 2007 The Presiding Officer (Oifigear-Riaghlaidh in Scots Gaelic) is the Speaker, the person elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament to chair their meetings. ... Alex Fergusson (born 8 April 1949, Leswart, The Stewartry) is a Scottish Conservative and Unionist politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale since 2003. ... The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
Deputy Presiding Officers	Trish Godman MSP (Lab) Alasdair Morgan MSP (SNP)
Minister for Parliament	Bruce Crawford MSP (SNP)
Political parties	6 SNP (47) Labour (46) Conservatives (16) LibDem (16) Green (2) Ind (1)
Members	129
Committees	16 Audit Equal Opportunities Europe and External Relations Finance Procedures Public Petitions Standards and Public Appointments Subordinate Legislation Economy, Energy and Tourism Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Health and Sport Justice Local Government and Communities Rural Affairs and Environment Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Scheme Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Last election	May 3, 2007
Next election	May 5, 2011
Meeting place	Holyrood, Edinburgh, Scotland
Website	www.scottish.parliament.uk

The Scottish Parliament (Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament^[1][2][3][4]) is the national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood"^[5] (cf. "Westminster"), is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members who are known as Members of the Scottish Parliament, or MSPs. Members are elected for four-year terms under the mixed member proportional representation system. As a result, 73 MSPs represent individual geographical constituencies elected by the plurality ("first past the post") system, with a further 56 returned from eight additional member regions, each electing seven MSPs.^[6] A general election to the Parliament was held on 3 May 2007. The Presiding Officer (Oifigear-Riaghlaidh in Scots Gaelic) is the Speaker, the person elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament to chair their meetings. ... Trish Godman (born 31 October 1939, Govan) is a Scottish Labour politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for West Renfrewshire constituency since 1999. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Alasdair Morgan (born April 21, 1945) is a Scottish politician. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... The Minister for Parliamentary Business is a member the Scottish Executive whose job it is to steer government business through the Scottish Parliament. ... Bruce Crawford, born February 16, 1955, is a Scottish politician. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... // Parties represented in the Scottish Parliament (in order of number of representatives): Scottish National Party (SNP) - centre-left, social democratic, pro-independence- 47 MSPs Labour - centre-left, unionist - 46 MSPs Conservative - centre-right, conservative, unionist - 17 MSPs Liberal Democrat - centre-left, federalist - 16 MSPs Scottish Green Party - left-wing, environmentalist... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Scottish Green Party (Pàrtaidh Uaine na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the Green party of Scotland, and a full member of the European Federation of Green Parties. ... Margo MacDonald was born in 1945 in Hamilton, Scotland and educated at Hamilton Academy, she trained as a teacher of physical education. ... Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. ... This is a list of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) or, in Gaelic, Buill Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (BPnA) elected to the third Scottish Parliament at the 2007 election. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... The composition of the Scottish Parliament following the 2007 election. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The 2011 Scottish Parliament election will be the fourth general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2011 (MMXI) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood designed by the Catalan architect Enric Miralles and opened in October 2004. ... Holyrood is an area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. ... For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ... For unicameral alphabets, see the article letter case. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... A legislatureis a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to ratify laws. ... This article is about the country. ... Holyrood is an area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. ... For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... For other uses, see Democracy (disambiguation). ... Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) (Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (BPA) in Gaelic) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. ... Mixed member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system used to elect representatives to numerous legislatures around the world. ... The Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) has 73 constituencies, each electing one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and eight additional member regions, each electing seven additional member MSPs. ... An example of a plurality ballot. ... The Additional Member System (AMS) is a voting system in which some representatives are elected from geographic constituencies and others are elected under proportional representation from party lists. ... Scottish Parliament general election, 2007 concerns the third general election to the Scottish Parliament, which will be held on May 3, 2007. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

The original Parliament of Scotland (or "Estates of Scotland") was the national legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland, and existed from the early 13th century until the Kingdom of Scotland merged with the Kingdom of England under the Acts of Union 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.^[7] As a consequence, the Parliament of Scotland merged with the Parliament of England to form the Parliament of Great Britain, which sat at Westminster in London.^[7] The parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland. ... The word States-General, or Estates-General, refers in English to : the Etats-Généraux of France before the French Revolution the Staten-Generaal of the United Provinces and present-day Netherlands. ... Motto Latin: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) (Scots: Wha daur meddle wi me) Capital Edinburgh¹ Language(s) Gaelic, Scots Government Monarchy King/Queen  - 843-860 Kenneth I  - 1587–1625 James VI  - 1702-1714 Anne Legislature Parliament of Scotland History  - United 843  - Union of the... Motto Dieu et mon droit(French) God and my right Territory of the Kingdom of England Capital Winchester; London from 11th century Language(s) Old English (de facto, until 1066) Anglo-Norman language (de jure, 1066 - 15th century) English (de facto, gradually replaced French from late 13th century) Government Monarchy... The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 (taking effect on 1 May 1707) by, respectively, the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... For an explanation of terms such as Scotland, Wales, England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom, see British Isles (terminology). ... The English parliament in front of the King, c. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Following a referendum in 1997 in which the Scottish people gave their consent, the current Parliament was established by the Scotland Act 1998, which sets out its powers as a devolved legislature. The Act delineates the legislative competence of the Parliament — the areas in which it can make laws — by explicitly specifying powers that are "reserved" to the Parliament of the United Kingdom: all matters that are not explicitly reserved are automatically the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament.^[8] The UK Parliament retains the ability to amend the terms of reference of the Scottish Parliament, and can extend or reduce the areas in which it can make laws.^[9] The first meeting of the new Parliament took place on 12 May 1999.^[10] The Scottish referendum of 1997 was a pre-legislative referendum held in Scotland only, over whether there was support for the creation of a parliament for Scotland and whether there was support for a parliament with tax varying powers. ... The Scotland Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. ... In Scotland reserved matters, also referred to as reserved powers, are those subjects over which power to legislate is retained by Westminster, as explicitly stated in the Scotland Act 1998. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

History

The Scottish Parliament's logo in English and Gaelic

Scotland

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Scotland Logo of the Scottish Parliament This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... Logo of the Scottish Parliament This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... This article is about the country. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Scotland. ... The Politics of Scotland forms a distinctive part of the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Scotland one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom. ...

Scots law Scottish Government First Minister: Alex Salmond Deputy First Minister: Nicola Sturgeon Cabinet Crown Office Lord Advocate: Elish Angiolini Solicitor General: Frank Mulholland Executive agencies Public bodies Scottish Parliament Acts Presiding Officer: Alex Fergusson Scottish Parliament Building Members (MSPs) : 1999, 2003, 2007 Constituencies and electoral regions Elections: 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 Legislative Consent Motion Scotland in the UK Government Secretary of State: Des Browne Scotland Office Reserved matters Advocate General: Neil Davidson Scotland in the UK Parliament Constituencies Grand Committee Elections: 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009/10 Lists of Scottish MPs European Parliament European Parliament constituency Elections: 2004, 2009 Local government Subdivisions of Scotland Convention of Scottish Local Authorities Political parties Scottish independence Unionism in Scotland

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Further information: Devolution

Before the Act of Union 1707, Scotland had an independent parliament with a legislature known as the Three Estates. Initial Scottish proposals in the negotiation over the Union suggested a devolved Parliament be retained in Scotland, but this was not accepted by the English negotiators.^[11] Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. ... The Scottish Government is an unofficial term often used to describe the Scottish Executive. ... The First Minister of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ; Scots: ) is, in practice, the political leader of Scotland, as head of Scotlands national devolved government, the Scottish Executive, which was established in 1999 along with the Scottish Parliament. ... Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond, known as Alex Salmond (born 31 December 1954 ) (age 52)), has been nominated by the Scottish Parliament as First Minister of Scotland. ... The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is, as the name suggests, the Deputy to the First Minister of Scotland. ... Nicola Sturgeon (born on 19 July 1970 in Irvine, North Ayrshire) is the Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). ... The 3rd Scottish Parliament convened after the 2007 election. ... The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is a government department in Scotland that is responsible for the public prosecution of alleged criminals. ... Her Majestys Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (Morair Tagraidh in Scottish Gaelic) is the chief legal adviser to the Scottish Executive and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament. ... Lord Advocate the Rt Hon. ... Her Majestys Solicitor General for Scotland (Àrd-neach-lagha a Chrùin an Alba) is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Executive on Scots Law. ... Frank Mulholland, QC, is a Scottish lawyer. ... Executive agencies are established by Ministers as part of Scottish Government departments, or as departments in their own right, to carry out a discrete area of work. ... Scottish public bodies are a group of organisations that are funded by the Scottish Executive. ... This is a list of Acts of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Presiding Officer (Oifigear-Riaghlaidh in Scots Gaelic) is the Speaker, the person elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament to chair their meetings. ... Alex Fergusson (born 8 April 1949, Leswart, The Stewartry) is a Scottish Conservative and Unionist politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale since 2003. ... The new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood designed by the Catalan architect Enric Miralles and opened in October 2004. ... Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) (Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (BPA) in Gaelic) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. ... This is a list of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) or, in Gaelic, Buill Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (BPnA) elected to the first Scottish Parliament at the 1999 election. ... This is a list of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) or, in Gaelic, Buill Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (BPnA) elected to the second Scottish Parliament at the 2003 election. ... This is a list of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) or, in Gaelic, Buill Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (BPnA) elected to the third Scottish Parliament at the 2007 election. ... The Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) has 73 constituencies, each electing one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and eight additional member regions, each electing seven additional member MSPs. ... Scotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils. ... The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on May 6th, 1999. ... The polling date for the second Scottish Parliament election was held on May 1, 2003. ... The composition of the Scottish Parliament following the 2007 election. ... The 2011 Scottish Parliament election will be the fourth general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999. ... A Legislative Consent Motion (formerly known as a Sewel motion) is a parliamentary motion passed by the Scottish Parliament, in which it agrees that the Parliament of the United Kingdom may pass legislation on a devolved issue extending to Scotland, over which the Scottish Parliament has regular legislative authority. ... A logo of Her Majestys Government. ... The Secretary of State for Scotland (Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the chief minister in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilites for Scotland, at the head of the Scotland Office (formerly The Scottish Office). ... Desmond Henry Browne (born 22 March 1952), commonly known as Des Browne, is a Scottish Labour Party politician. ... The Scotland Office (Oifis na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a department of the United Kingdom government, responsible for reserved Scottish affairs. ... In the United Kingdom reserved matters, also referred to as reserved powers, are those subjects over which power to legislate is retained by Westminster, as stated by the Scotland Act 1998, Northern Ireland Act 1998 or Government of Wales Act 1998. ... Her Majestys Advocate General for Scotland (Àrd-neach-tagraidh na Bànrighe airson Alba in Gaelic) is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, whose duty is to advise the Crown and UK Government on Scots law. ... Neil Forbes Davidson, Baron Davidson of Glen Clova QC BA, MSc, LLB, LLM (born 13 September 1950) is a Scottish lawyer. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... As a result of the Fifth Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, Scotland is covered by 59 constituencies of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament - 19 Burgh constituencies and 40 County constituencies. ... The Scottish Grand Committee is a committee of the House of Commons. ... Scotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... It has been suggested that Marginal constituencies in the United Kingdom be merged into this article or section. ... Under the provisions of the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the next United Kingdom general election must be held on or before 3 June 2010, barring exceptional circumstances. ... This is a list of Members of Parliament (MPs) elected to the House of Commons by Scottish constituencies for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom (2005 to present). ... Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP) Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP) Gérard Onesta (Greens – EFA) Edward McMillan-Scott (ED) Mario Mauro (EPP) Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (PES) Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE) Mechtild... Scotland constitutes a single constituency of the European Parliament. ... Scotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils. ... The European Parliament election, 2004 was the UK part of the European Parliament election, 2004. ... Elections to the European Parliament will be held in June 2006 in the then–27 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ... The local government of Scotland is organised into 32 unitary authorities covering the mainland and islands of Scotland. ... For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as Council Areas of Scotland which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as Councils which have the option under the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Scotland) Act 1997 (as chosen by Na h-Eileanan an Iar) of being known... The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) is the representative association of Scottish local government and is the employers’ association on behalf of all Scottish councils. ... // Parties represented in the Scottish Parliament (in order of number of representatives): Scottish National Party (SNP) - centre-left, social democratic, pro-independence- 47 MSPs Labour - centre-left, unionist - 46 MSPs Conservative - centre-right, conservative, unionist - 17 MSPs Liberal Democrat - centre-left, federalist - 16 MSPs Scottish Green Party - left-wing, environmentalist... Scottish independence is a political ambition of a number of political parties, pressure groups and individuals within and outside of Scotland. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Acts of Union were twin Acts of Parliament passed in 1707 (taking effect on 26 March) by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... The parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland. ... In several different regions of medieval Europe, and continuing in some countries[] down to the present day, the estates of the realm were broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners; this last group was, in some regions, further divided into burghers (also known as bourgeoisie) and peasants. ... Motto Dieu et mon droit(French) God and my right Territory of the Kingdom of England Capital Winchester; London from 11th century Language(s) Old English (de facto, until 1066) Anglo-Norman language (de jure, 1066 - 15th century) English (de facto, gradually replaced French from late 13th century) Government Monarchy...

For the next three hundred years, Scotland was directly governed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, at Westminster, and the lack of a Scottish Parliament remained an important element in Scottish national identity.^[12] Suggestions for a 'devolved' Parliament were made before 1914, but were shelved due to the outbreak of the First World War.^[12] A sharp rise in nationalism in Scotland during the late 1960s fueled demands for some form of home rule or complete independence, and prompted the incumbent Labour Government of Harold Wilson to set up the Kilbrandon Commission on the UK Constitution in 1969.^[12] One of the principal objectives of the commission was to examine ways of enabling more self-government for Scotland, within the unitary state of the United Kingdom.^[12] Kilbrandon published his report in 1973 recommending the establishment of a directly elected Scottish Assembly to legislate for the majority of domestic Scottish affairs.^[13] Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolising French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ... The Royal Commission on the Constitution, also referred to as the Kilbrandon Commission (initially the Crowther Commission) or Kilbrandon Report, was a long-running royal commission set up by Harold Wilsons Labour government to examine the structures of the constitution of the United Kingdom and the British Islands and... The Constitution of the United Kingdom is uncodified, consisting of both written and unwritten sources. ... A devolved Scottish Assembly that would have some form of legislative powers in jurisdiction over Scotland was a long-held political priority for many individuals and organisations. ...

During this time, the discovery of oil in the North Sea and the following "It's Scotland's oil" campaign of the Scottish National Party (SNP) resulted in rising support for Scottish independence, as well as the SNP. The party argued that the revenues from the oil were not benefiting Scotland as much as they should be.^[12] The combined effect of these events led to Prime Minister Wilson committing his government to some form of devolved legislature in 1974.^[12] However, it was not until 1978 that final legislative proposals for a Scottish Assembly were passed by the United Kingdom Parliament. Under the terms of the Scotland Act 1978, an elected assembly would be set up in Edinburgh provided that the majority of the Scottish electorate voted for it in a referendum to be held on 1 March 1979. The 1979 Scotland referendum to establish a devolved Scottish Assembly failed. Although the vote was 52% in favour of a Scottish Assembly, this figure did not equal the 40% of the total electorate threshold deemed necessary to pass the measure, as 32.9% of the eligible voting population had abstained from voting.^[14] // North Sea Oil Platforms North Sea oil refers to oil and natural gas (hydrocarbons) produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... Its Scotlands oil was a widely publicised political slogan used by the Scottish National Party (SNP) during the 1970s in making their economic case for Scottish independence. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... The Scotland Act 1978 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster) seeking to establish a Scottish Assembly as a devolved legislature for Scotland. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The Scottish referendum of 1979 was a post-legislative referendum held in Scotland only, over whether there was support for Scotland Act 1978, which if passed would have created an assembly for Scotland. ...

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, demands for a Scottish Parliament grew, in part because the government of the United Kingdom was controlled by the Conservative Party, while Scotland itself elected very few Tory MPs.^[12] In the aftermath of the 1979 referendum defeat, the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly was initiated as a pressure group, leading to the 1989 Scottish Constitutional Convention with various organisations, political parties and representatives of industry taking part. Publishing its blueprint for devolution in 1995, the convention provided much of the basis for the structure of the Parliament.^[15] The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Tory (disambiguation). ... The Campaign for a Scottish Assembly (CSA) was formed in the aftermath of the 1979 referendum that failed to establish a devolved Scottish Assembly. ... An advocacy group, interest group or lobbying group is a group, however loosely or tightly organized, doing advocacy: those determined to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without trying to be elected. ... The Scottish Constitutional Convention (SCC) was established after prominent Scottish individuals signed the Claim of Right in 1989. ... // Parties represented in the Scottish Parliament (in order of number of representatives): Scottish National Party (SNP) - centre-left, social democratic, pro-independence- 47 MSPs Labour - centre-left, unionist - 46 MSPs Conservative - centre-right, conservative, unionist - 17 MSPs Liberal Democrat - centre-left, federalist - 16 MSPs Scottish Green Party - left-wing, environmentalist...

Devolution became part of the platform of the Labour Party which, in May 1997, took power under Tony Blair.^[12] In September 1997, a referendum of the Scottish electorate secured a majority in favour of the establishment of a new devolved Scottish Parliament with tax-varying powers in Edinburgh.^[16] An election was held on 6 May 1999, and on 1 July of that year power was transferred from Westminster to the new Parliament.^[17] For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Building

Main article: Scottish Parliament Building

The public entrance of the distinctive Scottish Parliament building, opened in October 2004

Since September 2004 the official home of the Scottish Parliament has been a new Scottish Parliament Building, in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh. Designed by Catalan architect Enric Miralles, some of the principal features of the complex include leaf-shaped buildings, a grass-roofed branch merging into adjacent parkland and gabion walls formed from the stones of previous buildings. Throughout the building there are many repeated motifs, such as shapes based on Raeburn's Skating Minister.^[18] Stepped gables, and the upturned boat skylights of the Garden Lobby, complete the unique^[19] architecture. Queen Elizabeth II opened the new building on 9 October 2004. The new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood designed by the Catalan architect Enric Miralles and opened in October 2004. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2848x2144, 1210 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Scottish Parliament Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2848x2144, 1210 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Scottish Parliament Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... September 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also: September 2004 in sports Events Deaths in September • 27 Tsai Wan-lin • 24 Françoise Sagan • 20 Brian Clough • 18 Russ Meyer • 15 Johnny Ramone • 12 Fred Ebb • 11 Peter VII of Alexandria • 8... The new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood designed by the Catalan architect Enric Miralles and opened in October 2004. ... The Catalans are an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is Catalonia, or the Principality of Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya, or Principat de Catalunya), which is a historical region in southern Europe, embracing a territory situated in the north-east of Spain and an adjoining portion of southern France. ... Miralles Santa Caterina Market Enric Miralles (1955 - July 3, 2000) was a Catalan architect. ... Historically, Gabions were round cages with open tops and bottoms, made from wicker and filled with earth for use as fortifications. ... Sir Henry Raeburn (March 4, 1756 - July 8, 1823) was a Scottish portrait-painter. ... The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch, better known by its truncated title The Skating Minister, is an oil painting by Sir Henry Raeburn in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. ... The House of the Seven Gables, Salem, Massachusetts, showing four gables in this view. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Whilst the building was being constructed, the Parliament's temporary home was the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.^[20] Official photographs and TV interviews were held in the courtyard adjoining the Parliament, which is part of the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh. This building was vacated twice to allow for the meeting of the Church's General Assembly. In May 2000, the Parliament was temporarily relocated to the former Strathclyde Regional Council debating chamber in Glasgow, and to the University of Aberdeen in May 2002.^[21] The Assembly Hall is located between the Lawnmarket and the Mound in Edinburgh. ... The Church of Scotland (CofS; Scottish Gaelic: ), known informally by its pre-Union Scots name, The Kirk, is the national church of Scotland. ... Much of the Royal Mile is cobbled, as seen in this view looking east down the High Street past the old Tron Kirk. ... New College, Edinburgh was founded in 1846 as a college of the Free Church of Scotland, later of the United Free Church of Scotland, and currently the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh and a Divinity college of the Church of Scotland. ... The University of Edinburgh (Scottish Gaelic: ), founded in 1582,[4] is a renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... The 2004 Assembly with Dr Alison Elliot as Moderator The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Churchs governing body. ... Strathclyde (Srath Chluaidh in Gaelic) was one of the regional council areas of Scotland from 1974 to 1996. ... The University of Aberdeen was founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland. ...

In March 2006, one of the Holyrood building's roof beams slipped out of its support and was left dangling above the Conservative back benches during a debate.^[22] The debating chamber was subsequently closed, and MSPs moved to The Hub for one week, while inspections were carried out.^[23] During repairs, all chamber business was conducted in the Parliament's committee room two. The Scottish Conservative Party (officially the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party), often referred to as the Scottish Tories (see Tory), is the part of the British Conservative Party that operates in Scotland. ... Silhouette of the spire of the building The Hub, at the top of Edinburghs Royal Mile, is the home of the Edinburgh International Festival, and a central source of information on all the Edinburgh Festivals. ...

Officials

After each election to the Scottish Parliament, at the beginning of each parliamentary session, Parliament elects one MSP to serve as Presiding Officer, the equivalent of the speaker (currently Alex Fergusson MSP), and two MSPs to serve as deputies (currently Trish Godman MSP and Alasdair Morgan MSP). The Presiding Officer and deputies are elected by a secret ballot of the 129 MSPs, which is the only secret ballot conducted in the Scottish Parliament.^[24] Principally, the role of the Presiding Officer is to chair chamber proceedings and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.^[25] When chairing meetings of the Parliament, the Presiding Officer and his deputies must be politically impartial.^[25] During debates, the Presiding Officer (or his deputy) is assisted by the parliamentary clerks, who give advice on how to interpret the standing orders that govern the proceedings of meetings. A vote clerk sits in front of the Presiding Officer and operates the electronic voting equipment and chamber clocks.^[26] The Presiding Officer (Oifigear-Riaghlaidh in Scots Gaelic) is the Speaker, the person elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament to chair their meetings. ... It has been suggested that Speakers of the House be merged into this article or section. ... Alex Fergusson (born 8 April 1949, Leswart, The Stewartry) is a Scottish Conservative and Unionist politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale since 2003. ... Trish Godman (born 31 October 1939, Govan) is a Scottish Labour politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for West Renfrewshire constituency since 1999. ... Alasdair Morgan (born April 21, 1945) is a Scottish politician. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voters choices are confidential. ... The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is a body of the Scottish Parliament, at Holyrood which ensures that the parliament has the property, staff and resources it requires in order to operate. ... A standing order is a general order of indefinite duration. ...

As a member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Presiding Officer is responsible for ensuring that the Parliament functions effectively and has the staff, property and resources it requires to operate.^[27] Convening the parliamentary bureau, which allocates time in the chamber, is another of the roles of the Presiding Officer. The bureau consists of representatives of each of the parties and agrees the timetable of business in the chamber. The Presiding Officer also represents the Scottish Parliament at home and abroad in an official capacity.^[25] The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is a body of the Scottish Parliament, at Holyrood which ensures that the parliament has the property, staff and resources it requires in order to operate. ...

The Presiding Officer controls debates by calling on members to speak. If a member believes that a rule (or standing order) has been breached, he or she may raise a "point of order", on which the Presiding Officer makes a ruling that is not subject to any debate or appeal. The Presiding Officer may also discipline members who fail to observe the rules of the Parliament.^[25] A Point of Order is a matter raised during a debate concerning the rules of debating themselves. ...

The member of the Scottish Government whose duty it is to steer Executive business through Parliament is the Minister for Parliamentary Business (currently Bruce Crawford MSP). The minister is appointed by the First Minister and is a Junior Minister in the Scottish Government, who does not attend cabinet. The Scottish Government is an unofficial term often used to describe the Scottish Executive. ... The Minister for Parliamentary Business is a member the Scottish Executive whose job it is to steer government business through the Scottish Parliament. ... Bruce Crawford, born February 16, 1955, is a Scottish politician. ... The First Minister of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ; Scots: ) is, in practice, the political leader of Scotland, as head of Scotlands national devolved government, the Scottish Executive, which was established in 1999 along with the Scottish Parliament. ... List of Scottish Executives is a list of all the Scottish Executive ministerial teams. ...

Parliamentary chamber

Seating in the Debating Chamber is arranged in a semicircle, with Ministers sitting in the front section of the semicircle, directly opposite the Presiding Officer and parliamentary clerks.

Unlike Westminster, the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament has seating arranged in a hemicycle, which reflects the desire to encourage consensus amongst elected members.^[26] There are 131 seats in the debating chamber. Of the total 131 seats, 129 are occupied by the Parliament's elected MSPs and 2 are seats for the Scottish Law Officers - the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General for Scotland, who are not elected members of the Parliament but are members of the Scottish Government. Members are able to sit anywhere in the debating chamber, but typically sit in their party groupings.^[26] The First Minister, Scottish cabinet ministers and Law officers sit in the front row, in the middle section of the chamber. The largest party in the Parliament sits in the middle of the semicircle, with opposing parties on either side.^[26] The Presiding Officer, parliamentary clerks and officials sit opposite members at the front of the debating chamber. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1587x1161, 381 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Scotland Scottish independence Scottish Parliament Building Portal:Architecture Portal:Architecture/Did you know User:Pschemp/Gallery... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1587x1161, 381 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Scotland Scottish independence Scottish Parliament Building Portal:Architecture Portal:Architecture/Did you know User:Pschemp/Gallery... A semicircle of radius r. ... Her Majestys Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (Morair Tagraidh in Scottish Gaelic) is the chief legal adviser to the Scottish Executive and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament. ... Her Majestys Solicitor General for Scotland (Àrd-neach-lagha a Chrùin an Alba) is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Executive on Scots Law. ... Dewar Government Donald Dewar, Scotlands first First Minister, obtained the Scottish Parliaments approval to the first slate of members of the Scottish Executive and Junior Scottish Ministers on 19 May 1999. ...

In front of the Presiding Officers' desk is the parliamentary mace, which is made from silver and inlaid with gold panned from Scottish rivers and inscribed with the words: Wisdom, Compassion, Justice and Integrity. The words - There shall be a Scottish Parliament, which are the first words of the Scotland Act, are inscribed around the head of the mace.^[26] The mace has a formal ceremonial role in the meetings of Parliament, reinforcing the authority of the Parliament in its ability to make laws.^[28] Presented to the Scottish Parliament by the Queen upon its official opening in July 1999, the mace is displayed in a glass case suspended from the lid. At the beginning of each sitting in the chamber, the lid of the case is rotated so that the mace is above the glass, to symbolise that a full meeting of the Parliament is taking place.^[26] This article needs cleanup. ... This article is about the chemical element. ... Inlay: Decorative technique of inserting pieces of coloured materials to form patterns or pictures. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ...

Proceedings

The MSPs' desks contain all the electronic voting equipment which records the outcome of parliamentary votes. 'Decision Time' takes place on sitting days at 5pm.

Parliament sits from Monday through to Thursday from early January through to late June and from early September through to mid December, with 2-week recesses in April and October.^[29] Full plenary meetings in the debating chamber usually take place on Wednesday afternoons from 2pm to 6pm and on Thursday from 9.15am to 6pm.^[29] Chamber debates and committee meetings are open to the public. Entry is free, but booking in advance is recommended due to limited space. Meetings are broadcast on the Parliament's own channel Holyrood.tv^[30] and on the BBC's parliamentary channel BBC Parliament. Proceedings are also recorded, in text form, in print and online in the Official Report, which is the substantially verbatim^[31] transcript of parliamentary debates. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 656 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Scottish Parliament Building Talk:Scottish Parliament... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 656 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Scottish Parliament Building Talk:Scottish Parliament... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... BBC Parliament is a British television channel from the BBC. It broadcasts live and recorded coverage of the British House of Commons and House of Lords, Select Committees, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly, and occasionally from the General Synod of the Church of England. ...

"Time for Reflection" is normally the first item of business on Wednesdays.^[32] A speaker addresses the meeting for up to four minutes to share their perspectives on issues of faith. This contrasts with the formal style of "Prayers", which is the first item of business in meetings of the House of Commons. Speakers are drawn from different faith groups across Scotland. Invitations to address Parliament in this manner are determined by the Presiding Officer on the advice of the parliamentary bureau. Different faith groups can make direct representations to the Presiding Officer in nominating speakers. The pattern of speakers represents the balance of religious beliefs in Scotland according to the Scottish census.^[32] For other uses, see Faith (disambiguation). ... Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups... Scotland, in common with the rest of the European Union, is traditionally a Christian state with around 70% claiming to be Christian. ... The United Kingdom has taken a census of its population every ten years since 1801, with the exception of 1941 (during the Second World War). ...

The Presiding Officer (or Deputy Presiding Officer) decides who speaks in chamber debates and the amount of time for which they are allowed to speak.^[25] Normally the Presiding Officer tries to achieve a balance between different viewpoints and political parties when selecting members to speak.^[26] Typically Ministers or party leaders open debates, with opening speakers given between 5 and 20 minutes, and succeeding speakers allocated less time.^[26] The Presiding Officer can reduce speaking times if a high volume of members wish to participate in the debate. Debate is much more informal than in some parliamentary systems.^[33] Members may call each other directly by name, rather than by constituency or cabinet position, unlike the House of Commons remarks are not directed to the Presiding Officer,and hand clapping is allowed in the chamber.^[34] Speeches to the chamber are normally delivered in English, but members may use Scots, Gaelic, or any other language with the agreement of the Presiding Officer.^[35] The Scottish Parliament has conducted debates in the Gaelic language.^[36] The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ... Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ...

Each sitting day, normally at 5pm, MSPs decide on all the motions and amendments that have been moved that day; this is known as "Decision Time", and is heralded by the sounding of the division bell, which is heard throughout the Parliamentary campus and alerts MSPs who are not in the chamber to return and vote.^[26] At Decision Time, the Presiding Officer puts questions on the motions and amendments by reading out the name of the motion or amendment as well as the proposer and asking "Are we all agreed?", to which the chamber first votes orally. If there is audible dissent, the Presiding Officer announces "There will be a division" and members proceed to an electronic vote by means of electronic consoles on their desks. Each MSP has a unique access card with microchip which, when inserted into the console, identifies them and allows them to vote.^[26] As a result, the outcome of each division is known in seconds. A motion is a formal step to introduce a matter for consideration by a group. ... Integrated circuit of Atmel Diopsis 740 System on Chip showing memory blocks, logic and input/output pads around the periphery Microchips with a transparent window, showing the integrated circuit inside. ...

The outcome of most votes is largely known beforehand, since political parties normally instruct members on how to vote. A party entrusts some MSPs, known as whips, with the task of ensuring that all party members vote as desired.^[37] MSPs do not tend to vote against such instructions, since those who do so are unlikely to reach higher political ranks in their parties.^[38] Errant members can be deselected as official party candidates during future elections, and, in serious cases, may be expelled from their parties outright.^[38] Thus, as with many Parliaments, the independence of Members of