Scottish Affairs Select Committee

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The Scottish Affairs Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (and prior to that, the Scottish Office), and relations with the Scottish Parliament. It also looks at the administration and expenditure of the Advocate General for Scotland.[1]

Unlike the Scottish Grand Committee, MPs from constituencies outside Scotland can, and do, sit on the Scottish Affairs Committee.

Predecessors[edit]

Before 1992 there was not consistent Select Committee scrutiny of Scottish affairs.[2] In 1968 a committee was formed partly in response to the growth of Scottish nationalism, although the committee was closed down by a reorganisation of select committees by Edward Heath's government in 1972. In 1979 Norman St John Stevas the Leader of the House under Margaret Thatcher's government instituted a Select Committee system that closely mirrored government departments in order to have better parliamentary scrutiny of the government. This was again discontinued in 1987 although there was an alternative Scottish Affairs committee manned by opposition MPs.[2]

Membership[edit]

Following the 2019 general election, the House of Commons appointed the members of the Scottish Affairs committee on 4 May 2020. As of Jannuary 2024, the membership is as follows:[3][4]

Member Party Constituency
Pete Wishart MP (chair) Scottish National Party Perth & North Perthshire
Deidre Brock MP Scottish National Party Edinburgh North and Leith
Wendy Chamberlain MP Liberal Democrats North East Fife
Alberto Costa MP Conservative South Leicestershire
David Duguid MP Conservative Banff and Buchan
Sally-Ann Hart MP Conservative Hastings and Rye
Christine Jardine MP Liberal Democrats Edinburgh West
Mark Menzies MP Conservative Fylde
Douglas Ross MP Conservative Moray
Michael Shanks MP Labour Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Dr Philippa Whitford MP Scottish National Party Central Ayrshire

Changes since 2019[edit]

Date Outgoing Member
& Party
Constituency New Member
& Party
Constituency Source
15 June 2020 David Duguid MP (Conservative) Banff and Buchan Douglas Ross MP (Conservative) Moray Hansard
8 November 2022 Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative) West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine David Duguid MP (Conservative) Banff and Buchan Hansard
9 January 2023 Mhairi Black MP (SNP) Paisley and Renfrewshire South Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP) Central Ayrshire Hansard
21 February 2023[a] Jon Cruddas MP (Labour) Dagenham and Rainham Christine Jardine MP (Liberal Democrats) Edinburgh West Hansard
Liz Twist MP (Labour) Blaydon Andrew Western MP (Labour) Stretford and Urmston
22 May 2023 John Lamont MP (Conservative) Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk Mark Menzies MP (Conservative) Fylde Hansard
  1. ^ Unusually, this motion was voted on by MPs. David Linden objected the nomination due to Labour nominating a Liberal Democrat MP to one of their vacant positions. Since both appointments were within the same motion, both were voted on. Members of select committees for each party are decided within the party, and parties can choose any MP to serve for one of their seats, including from outside of their party. The appointment passed with 383 votes to 37.

2017-2019 Parliament[edit]

The election of the chair took place on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.[5][6]

Member Party Constituency
Pete Wishart MP (chair) Scottish National Party Perth and North Perthshire
Deidre Brock MP Scottish National Party Edinburgh North and Leith
David Duguid MP Conservative Banff and Buchan
Hugh Gaffney MP Labour Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
Christine Jardine MP Liberal Democrats Edinburgh West
Ged Killen MP Labour and Co-op Rutherglen and Hamilton West
John Lamont MP Conservative Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Paul Masterton MP Conservative East Renfrewshire
Danielle Rowley MP Labour and Co-op Midlothian
Tommy Sheppard MP Scottish National Party Edinburgh East
Ross Thomson MP Conservative Aberdeen South

Changes 2017-2019[edit]

Date Outgoing Member
& Party
Constituency New Member
& Party
Constituency Source
22 October 2018 Paul Masterton MP (Conservative) East Renfrewshire Kirstene Hair MP (Conservative) Angus Hansard
1 April 2019 Kirstene Hair MP (Conservative) Angus Paul Masterton MP (Conservative) East Renfrewshire Hansard
21 October 2019 Christine Jardine MP (Liberal Democrats) Edinburgh West Jamie Stone MP (Liberal Democrats) Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Hansard

2015-2017 Parliament[edit]

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 6 July 2015.[7][8]

Member Party Constituency
Pete Wishart MP (chair) Scottish National Party Perth and North Perthshire
David Anderson MP Labour Blaydon
Kirsty Blackman MP Scottish National Party Aberdeen North
Christopher Chope MP Conservative Christchurch
Jim Cunningham MP Labour Coventry South
Margaret Ferrier MP Scottish National Party Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Stephen Hepburn MP Labour Jarrow
Chris Law MP Scottish National Party Dundee West
Dr Dan Poulter MP Conservative Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
John Stevenson MP Conservative Carlisle
Maggie Throup MP Conservative Erewash

Changes 2015-2017[edit]

Date Outgoing Member
& Party
Constituency New Member
& Party
Constituency Source
5 September 2016 David Anderson MP (Labour) Blaydon Ian Murray MP (Labour) Edinburgh South Hansard
Kirsty Blackman MP (SNP) Aberdeen North Deidre Brock MP (SNP) Edinburgh North and Leith
28 November 2016 Maggie Throup MP (Conservative) Erewash Anna Soubry MP (Conservative) Broxtowe Hansard
23 January 2017 Dr Dan Poulter MP (Conservative) Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Craig Williams MP (Conservative) Cardiff North Hansard

2010-2015 Parliament[edit]

The chair was elected on 10 June 2010, with members being announced on 12 July 2010.[9][10]

Member Party Constituency
Ian Davidson MP (chair) Labour and Co-op Glasgow Govan
Fiona Bruce MP Conservative Congleton
Cathy Jamieson MP Labour Dundee West
Jim McGovern MP Labour Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Mark Menzies MP Conservative Fylde
David Mowat MP Conservative Warrington South
Fiona O'Donnell MP Labour East Lothian
Alan Reid MP Liberal Democrats Argyll and Bute
Lindsay Roy MP Labour Glenrothes
Julian Smith MP Conservative Skipton and Ripon
Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP Scottish National Party Banff and Buchan

Changes 2010-2015[edit]

Date Outgoing Member
& Party
Constituency New Member
& Party
Constituency Source
29 November 2010 Mark Menzies MP (Conservative) Fylde Mike Freer MP (Conservative) Finchley and Golders Green Hansard
Julian Smith MP (Conservative) Skipton and Ripon Simon Reevell MP (Conservative) Dewsbury
25 October 2011 Cathy Jamieson MP (Labour) Kilmarnock and Loudoun Iain McKenzie MP (Labour) Inverclyde Hansard
Fiona O'Donnell MP (Labour) East Lothian Graeme Morrice MP (Labour) Livingston
23 January 2012 Graeme Morrice MP (Labour) Livingston Pamela Nash MP (Labour) Airdrie and Shotts Hansard
5 November 2012 David Mowat MP (Conservative) Warrington South Michael Crockart MP (Liberal Democrat) Edinburgh West Hansard
28 January 2013 Fiona Bruce MP (Conservative) Congleton Eleanor Laing MP (Conservative) Epping Forest Hansard
Iain McKenzie MP (Labour) Inverclyde Graeme Morrice MP (Labour) Livingston
4 February 2013 Mike Freer MP (Conservative) Finchley and Golders Green Sir James Paice MP (Conservative) South East Cambridgeshire Hansard
6 January 2014 Eleanor Laing MP (Conservative) Epping Forest Vacant Hansard
14 July 2014 Vacant Mark Menzies MP (Conservative) Fylde Hansard
23 February 2015 Lindsay Roy MP (Labour) Glenrothes Iain McKenzie MP (Labour) Inverclyde Hansard

List of chairs[edit]

Member First elected Method
Vacant[11] June 1987
William McKelvey[11] 15 July 1992 Elected by the Select Committee
Irene Adams 14 July 1997 Elected by the Select Committee
Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar 13 July 2005 Elected by the Select Committee
Ian Davidson[12] 10 June 2010 Elected by the House of Commons (uncontested)
Pete Wishart[13] 10 June 2015 Elected by the House of Commons (uncontested)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ UK Parliament – Scottish Affairs Select Committee Home Page
  2. ^ a b A COMMITTEE AGAIN: THE FIRST YEAR OF THE REVIVED SELECT COMMITTEE ON SCOTTISH AFFAIRS, Allan McConnell and Robert Pyper, Scottish Affairs, no.7, Spring 1994
  3. ^ "Scottish Affairs Committee – Membershi". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Business without Debate Volume 744: debated on Monday 22 January 2024". hansard.parliament.uk. UK Hansard. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024. That Andrew Western be discharged from the Scottish Affairs Committee and Michael Shanks be added.
  5. ^ "Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 627. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 628. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 11 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 597. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 18 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 598. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 6 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 511. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 June 2010.
  10. ^ "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 513. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2010.
  11. ^ a b "House of Commons – Liaison Committee – First Report". UK Parliament. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Winning candidates for select committee Chairs announced". UK Parliament. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Results of elections for select committee chairs announced". UK Parliament. Retrieved 17 September 2019.

External links[edit]