Scottish Parliament facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scottish Parliament Pàrlamaid na h-Alba Scots Pairlament
6th Scottish Parliament
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	12 May 1999
Preceded by	UK Parliament (pre-devolution) Parliament of Scotland (pre-union)
Leadership
Presiding Officer	Alison Johnstone Since 13 May 2021
First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon, SNP Since 20 November 2014
Minister for Parliamentary Business	George Adam, SNP Since 20 May 2021
Opposition leaders	Douglas Ross, Conservative since 8 May 2021 Anas Sarwar, Labour since 27 February 2021 Alex Cole-Hamilton, Liberal Democrat since 20 August 2021
Structure
Seats	129
Political groups	Government (71)      Scottish National Party (64) In co-operation with (7)      Green (7) Opposition (57)      Conservative (31)      Labour (22)      Liberal Democrat (4) Other (1)      Presiding Officer (1)
Committees	17 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, Committee on The Scottish Government's Handling of Harassment Complaints against Former Ministers, and Climate Change
Elections
Voting system	Additional member system
Last election	6 May 2021
Next election	On or before 7 May 2026
Meeting place
Scottish Parliament Building Edinburgh, Scotland

The Scottish Parliament (Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba Scots: Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyrood. The Parliament is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected for five-year terms under the additional member system: 73 MSPs represent individual geographical constituencies elected by the plurality (first-past-the-post) system, while a further 56 are returned as list members from eight additional member regions. Each region elects seven party-list MSPs. Each region elects 15 to 17 MSPs in total. The most recent general election to the Parliament was held on 6 May 2021, with the Scottish National Party winning a plurality.

The original Parliament 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. As a consequence, both the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England ceased to exist, and the Parliament of Great Britain, which sat at Westminster in London, was formed.

Following a referendum in 1997, in which the Scottish electorate voted for devolution, the powers of the devolved legislature were specified by the Scotland Act 1998. 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. The Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate in all areas that are not explicitly reserved to Westminster. 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. The first meeting of the new Parliament took place on 12 May 1999.

The legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament has been amended numerous times since then. The Scotland Act 2012 and Scotland Act 2016 expanded the Parliament's powers, especially over taxation and welfare. The United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 seeks to restrict the exercise of devolved competences both legally and practically. It aims to avoid regulatory divergence by the devolved nations following Brexit and, while not particularly changing devolved competences on paper, restricts the way that devolved competences operate in practice by imposing requirements of market non-discrimination and mutual recognition. Its effect is to undermine the freedom of action, regulatory competence and authority of the Parliament, limiting its ability to make different economic or social choices to those made by Westminster.

Images for kids

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

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  Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of the Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999 alongside then First Minister of Scotland Donald Dewar and then Presiding Officer Lord Steel of Aikwood

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  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.

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  The Crown of Scotland is carried by the Duke of Hamilton as the Queen leaves the Chamber, following the Opening of the fourth Session in July 2011.

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  Private Bill Committees are set up to deal with the legislation required for major public sector infrastructure projects, such as the underground extensions to the National Gallery of Scotland in 2003.

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  After a bill has passed through all legislative stages, it becomes an Act of the Scottish Parliament.