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background  \nPart 2: Establishment of committees  \nEstablishing new committees at the beginning of a session Types of committee  \nMotions to establish committees Membership of committees Changes in membership Conveners and deputy conveners Temporary conveners  \nActing conveners Committee substitutes First meetings of committees  \nPart 3: How committees work  \nThe convener  \nWorking relationships with other committee members Clerking team  \nOther Parliamentary staff Sub-committees Reporters  \nVisiting committee members Advisers  \nPart 4: What committees do  \nPowers and functions Competence  \nJoint consideration by committees Equalities  \nSustainable development Committee work programme Inquiry work  \nScrutiny of Government Bills  \nScrutiny of Members’ Bills and Committee Bills Post-legislative scrutiny  \nScrutiny of subordinate legislation  \nScrutiny of legislative consent memorandums Scrutiny of Public Bodies Act consent memorandums Scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s Budget  \nScrutiny of petitions Initiating Committee Bills Other committee work  \nCommittee work specific to certain mandatory committees  \nPart 5: Committee meetings  \nTiming of meetings Meeting location  \nIn-person and hybrid meetings Committee agendas  \nTaking business in private Participation in committee meetings Staff at committee meetings The role of the convener in meetings Declarations of interests  \nQuorum  \nConduct during committee meetings Sub judice  \nPrivilege Languages Decisions and voting  \nSuspension and closure of meeting Procedural issues  \nAccess to information about committee proceedings  \nPart 6: Committee inquiries  \nPlanning an inquiry Launching the inquiry Call for views  \nSubmitting written evidence Oral evidence  \nOther information gathering Drawing conclusions and reporting Follow-up to reports  \nReports by secondary committees  \nAnnex A: List of key terms  \nAnnex B: The Conveners Group  \nAnnex C: Role of Convener during Stage 2 proceedings  \nDecisions on admissibility  \nCasting vote on amendments  \nChairing proceedings and participating in debates  \nAnnex D: External Meetings Policy  \nAnnex E: Guidance on timescales for committee consultations  \nIntroduction  \nSetting consultation timescales  \nForeword  \nThis is one of a number of volumes of Guidance published by the Scottish Parliament, each one covering a distinct area of Parliamentary proceedings.  \nThe Parliament was established by the Scotland Act 1998 , which includes some provision about committees. Further rules about the establishment and operation of committees are set out in the Parliament’s standing orders (particularly Chapters 6 and 12) .  \nThe aim of this Guidance is to explain how, within the parameters set by the Act and the standing orders, committees operate in practice. It describes the various types of committees that have been established and the wide range of work they undertake.  \nThis Session 7 edition has been updated, in particular, to reflect procedural changes made at the end of Session 6, including for electing conveners. The origins of most of these Rule-changes can be found in the Standards, Proceduresand Public Appointments Committee’s 4th Report, 2025 (Session 6), Strengthening Committees’Effectiveness and follow-up reports. 1 This revised version takes account of the creation of Session 7 committees.  \nWhere what the Guidance describes has a source in the standing orders, the relevant Rule is mentioned in parentheses. Footnotes provide additional detail (including examples) and sources. Annex A includes a list of key terms used in the text, together with definitions.  \nThe Guidance is primarily intended as a source of reference for MSPs and Parliamentary staff but should also be useful for anyone wishing to follow committee proceedings or who wishes to contribute to the work of the committee","cbCaihOdCM7Ak5Fn","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihOdCM7Ak5Fn","pdf",823590,118,"English","# Contents\n## Foreword\n## Part 1: Introduction and background\n## Part 2: Establishment of committees\n## Part 3: How committees work\n## Part 4: What committees do\n## Part 5: Committee meetings\n## Part 6: Committee inquiries\n## Annex A: List of key terms\n## Annex B: The Conveners Group\n## Annex C: Role of Convener during Stage 2 proceedings\n## Annex D: External Meetings Policy\n## Annex E: Guidance on timescales for committee consultations","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of this guidance on committees?\",\"answer\":\"It explains how, within the Scotland Act 1998 and the Parliament’s standing orders, committees operate in practice, including the types of committees and the work they undertake.\"},{\"question\":\"How are committees established at the start of a session?\",\"answer\":\"The guidance covers establishing new committees at the beginning of a session, including types of committees, motions to establish committees, committee membership, and changes in membership.\"},{\"question\":\"What topics are covered for committee inquiries and evidence?\",\"answer\":\"It describes planning and launching an inquiry, issuing a call for views, submitting written evidence, taking oral evidence, gathering other information, drawing conclusions, reporting, and follow-up actions.\"}]","Guidance on Committees - Session 7 - Version 2 - June 2026 | PDF",1790245710,41]