The Scottish Parliament:

Term	Description

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absolute majority	When the number of members voting for a proposition is more than half of the total number of seats for members of the Parliament or, in the case of a committee or sub-committee, more than half of the number of members of that committee or sub-committee. In a Parliament with 129 seats, 65 votes would be required to obtain an absolute majority. An example of a motion which requires such a majority is one that seeks to remove from office the Presiding Officer or a deputy Presiding Officer (rule 3.5.2).
accompanying documents	The documents that accompany a bill on its introduction.
accountable officer	An officer accountable to the Parliament for the actions, including the accounts and audit, of a particular public body, under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000, based on the report of the Financial Issues Advisory Group. For example, the Clerk is the principal accountable officer for the parliamentary corporation.
Acts of the Parliament of Scotland	The laws passed by the former Scottish Parliament which ceased to exist in 1707 on the union of the Parliaments.
Acts of the Scottish Parliament (ASP)	The laws that Parliament passes and that receive royal assent. They are numbered: [year] asp [number].
Acts of Union	The respective Acts of the Scottish Parliament and the English Parliament ratifying the 1707 union of the two Kingdoms set out in the Treaty of Union.
ad hoc committee	A committee of the Scottish Parliament established for a specific purpose, for example, to consider particular types of bills such as private bills and consolidation bills.
additional member system	The form of voting system used to elect the Scottish Parliament.
admissibility criteria	Criteria set out in the Standing Orders that motions, amendments, questions and petitions must satisfy in order to be lodged. For example, amendments to bills must be relevant to the subject matter of the bill.
adviser	A person who can be appointed by to assist a committee or sub-committee with an inquiry.
Advocate General for Scotland	The UK government’s Law Officer for Scottish matters.
affirmation	On being returned as members, all MSPs are required either to take the oath of allegiance or to make the solemn affirmation before the Clerk at a meeting of the Parliament. The form of the oath is set out in the Promissory Oaths Act 1868, and the corresponding affirmation, which may be taken instead, is set out in the Oaths Act 1978. An MSP may not participate in any other proceedings of the Parliament until he or she has taken the oath or made the solemn affirmation. An MSP that does not do this, normally within a 2 month period of being returned as an MSP, will cease to be an MSP.
affirmative instrument	A statutory instrument that can only come into force (or remain in force) if it is approved by a resolution of the Parliament.
allowances code	The rules governing the proper use of allowances payable under the members' allowances scheme.
Allowances Office	The office that is responsible for administering the members’ allowances scheme.
allowances scheme	See members allowances scheme.
amendments	Proposed textual changes to motions or bills.
Annual Evaluation Report	A spending plan provided by the Scottish Ministers to the Parliament by 31 March each year (or by the first sitting day thereafter), under the written agreement between the Scottish Ministers and the Parliament (SP Paper 155, June 2000), setting out general expenditure proposals for those years for which aggregate figures are then available. The document is provided by the Executive for parliamentary scrutiny in Stage 1 of the annual budget process, leading to the draft budget and the budget bill.
Annual Report	The Parliament publishes an annual report of its activities during the previous year. Each mandatory and subject committee also publishes an annual report on its activities during the Parliamentary year.
appointed day	The day when legislative provisions in an Act come into force.
approval (of a bill)	Where a private or public bill has had to go through a process of Reconsideration, the final step of that process is for Parliament to decide whether to approve the bill.
Audit Adviser	The Parliament official reporting to the Chief Executive, who provides advice on public sector audit, finance and corporate governance matters.
Audit Office	The office that provides advice on public sector audit, finance and corporate governance matters.
Audit Scotland	The public sector audit service for Scotland.
Auditor General for Scotland (AGS)	An officer appointed by the Queen on the Scottish Parliament’s nomination who acts independently of the Parliament and the Executive when carrying out his or her statutory functions in relation to financial control, accounting and audit. The Auditor General for Scotland is responsible for ensuring that bodies which spend public funds provide value for money and adhere to high standards of financial management. Bodies that fall within the remit of the Auditor General for Scotland include departments of the Scottish Executive, National Health Service boards and Scottish Water. The role of the AGS is comparable to that of the UK Comptroller and Auditor General.
Auditor General's report	If a bill contains any provisions charging expenditure on the Scottish Consolidated Fund, one of the accompanying documents required is a report signed by the Auditor General for Scotland setting out his or her views on whether the charge is appropriate.

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backbench, backbencher	Colloquial terms, derived from Westminster, that are used to denote those MSPs who are not Ministers, party leaders or party spokespersons. Sometimes also used of all MSPs other than Ministers and Presiding Officers.
Barnett formula	A population-based formula used to determine changes in each devolved administration’s spending allocation from the UK Parliament. Named after Joel Barnett, Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the late 1970s.
bill	A draft Act introduced into Parliament.
bill as amended at Stage 2	The print of a bill as it was amended at Stage 2.
bill as passed	The print of a bill as it was passed by the Parliament, before it receives royal assent.
block grant	Sometimes called the Assigned Budget or Scottish Block. Strictly that part of the grant paid to the devolved administration that is covered by the Barnett formula – in Scotland’s case at present, all spending within the Departmental Expenditure Limit. Often used to refer either to all funding received from Westminster, or to refer to the entire Scottish Budget.
British-Irish Council (BIC)	An institution established as part of the 1998 Belfast (‘Good Friday’) Agreement to promote consultation and co-operation between the British and Irish Governments, the devolved administrations, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. More information is available on the BIC website (http://www.britishirishcouncil.org/).
Broadcasting Office	The office responsible for producing and distributing all the Parliament's audio-visual output and overseeing the service provided through the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit.
budget (or budgeting) process	The three-stage annual process for the parliamentary consideration of the Scottish Executive’s expenditure plans.
Budget Act	An Act authorising the Scottish Executive's expenditure for the coming financial year.
budget bill	An Executive bill for a Budget Act.
budget documents	The documents that accompany a budget bill.
Bureau	See Parliamentary Bureau.
Business Bulletin (BB)	A daily publication containing details of current and future business.
Business Information Technology (BIT)	The office responsible for providing the Parliament with technological infrastructure, systems, services and applications.
business manager	Colloquial term for the MSP appointed by his or her party leader to be that party’s representative on the Parliamentary Bureau and to organise that party’s contributions to debates and other parliamentary business. Equivalent to a 'chief whip' in Westminster. Groups formed under rule 5.2.2 may also have a business manager.
business programme	The agenda for parliamentary business.
by-election	The method of filling a constituency vacancy arising during a parliamentary session.

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Cabinet	The group of senior Ministers of the Scottish government appointed by the First Minister.
Cabinet Minister	A senior minister appointed to the Cabinet by the First Minister. The current government calls the Senior Ministers Cabinet Secretaries and the junior Ministers, Ministers
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning	The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is responsible for further and higher education, science and lifelong learning, school education, training and skills, HM Inspectorate of Education and the Scottish Qualifications Authority, nurseries and childcare, children's services, children's hearings, social work and HM Social Work Inspectorate.
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth	The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth is responsible for the economy, the Scottish Budget, public service reform, de-regulation, local government, public service delivery, cities and community planning, GRO, ROS, relocation, e-government, SPPA, procurement, budgetary monitoring, business and industry including Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise' trade and inward investment, corporate social responsibility, voluntary sector and the social economy, community business and co-operative development, European Structural Funds, energy, tourism, land use planning system, climate change, building standards, transport policy and delivery, public transport, road, rail services, air and ferry services, Scottish Water.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing	The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing is responsible for the NHS, health service reform, allied healthcare services, acute and primary services, performance, quality and improvement framework, health promotion, sport, public health, health improvement, pharmaceutical services, food safety and dentistry, community care, older people, mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, social inclusion, equalities, anti-poverty measures, housing and regeneration
Cabinet Secretary for Justice	The Cabinet Secretary for Justice is responsible for criminal law and procedure, youth justice, criminal justice social work, police, prisons and sentencing policy, legal aid, legal profession, courts and law reform, anti-social behaviour, sectarianism, human rights, fire and rescue services, community safety, civil contingencies, drugs policy and related matters, liquor licensing, vulnerable witnesses, victim support and civil law, charity law, religious and faith organisations
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment	The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment is responsible for agriculture, fisheries and rural development including aquaculture and forestry, environment and natural heritage, land reform, water quality regulation and sustainable development
Canongate Buildings	The two buildings within the Parliament complex situated at the foot of the Canongate.
Canongate Wall	The boundary wall which runs down to the foot of the Canongate along the façade of the Canongate buildings.
Chamber	See Debating Chamber.
Chamber Desk	The section of the Chamber Office that processes, and advises on the processing of, parliamentary questions, motions and amendments to motions, and produces the Written Answers Report. In the House of Commons, parliamentary questions and motions are dealt with by the Table Office.
Chamber Office	The office providing clerking support for meetings of the Parliament; the Parliamentary Bureau; and for various committees.
Chief Executive	See Clerk of the Parliament.
civil servants	Officials of the executive arm of government.
Claim of Right	The declaration of Scotland’s constitutional rights and liberties that the former Parliament of Scotland made following the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 (akin to the English Parliament’s Bill of Rights). The term is also used for the declaration that the Scottish Constitutional Convention issued in 1989 in favour of a Scottish assembly based on popular sovereignty.
clerk	A Parliament official who provides procedural and administrative support to the Parliament or to a committee.
Clerk of the Parliament	The senior official of the Parliament’s administration.
coalition	A formal arrangement between several of the parties or groupings to combine to form a government.
code of conduct	A code of rules and guidance on standards of conduct by MSPs in carrying out their parliamentary duties.
codification bill	A bill that comprehensively restates and, if necessary, clarifies and simplifies the existing law in a particular area, making it legislation rather than common law.
Commissioner for Children and Young People	An independent commissioner appointed under the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2003 to promote and safeguard the rights of children and young people.Further information is available on the Commissioner's website (http://www.cypcommissioner.org/).
Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland	An independent commissioner, appointed under the Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003, whose role is to monitor, report and advise on ministerial appointments to public bodies in Scotland. More information is available on the website of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland.
committee	A small group of MSPs formed to deal with particular parliamentary business.
committee bill	A public bill introduced by the convener of a committee.
Committee of the Whole Parliament	The form of meeting when the full Parliament considers Stage 2 of a bill.
Committee Office	The Office that provides clerking support for many of the committees.
committee rooms	Rooms in the Parliament building used for committee meetings and other events.
committee substitute	An MSP who substitutes for any other MSP from their party on a particular committee.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)	An organisation representing the parliaments of the Commonwealth states, of which the Scottish Parliament is a member.
community law	Those legal rights and obligations arising from European Union treaties and related legislation.
competent matters	Matters within the remit of any particular committee of the Parliament.
complaint	For the purposes of the Code of Conduct for MSPs, a complaint is a formal communication by any person about the conduct of an MSP in relation to the Code. Section 9 of the Code provides guidance as to the making of complaints in particular circumstances. Complaints are investigated by the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
concordat	A non-binding agreement between the devolved administrations and the UK Government.
confidence of the Parliament	When a motion of no confidence (rule 8.12) is passed, stating that the Scottish Executive no longer enjoys the confidence of the Parliament, all Ministers in the Scottish Administration (including junior Scottish Ministers) are required by the Scotland Act 1998 to resign (section 45(2), section 47(3)(c), section 48(2), Scotland Act 1998). When such a motion directed at a named minister is passed, no such statutory obligation arises, but that minister would be expected to resign. Motions of no confidence must be debated if supported by at least 25 members. The Presiding Officer and deputy Presiding Officer can be removed from office if the Parliament so decides by an absolute majority (rule 3.5)
Consideration Stage	The stage for detailed consideration of a private bill's provisions.
consolidation bill	A bill whose purpose is to restate the law, with or without amendment, based on recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission or of the Commission and its England and Wales counterpart jointly. Such bills are subject to a special form of legislative process (rule 9.18).
consolidation committee	A committee established to consider a consolidation bill.
constituency	An electoral area which elects a single MSP using the first-past-the-post system.
constituency member	An MSP elected using the first-past-the-post voting system for a constituency.
consultation document	A document prepared to obtain views from the public and selected organisations on a particular issue.
Consultative Steering Group (CSG)	The group set up by the Secretary of State for Scotland in 1998 to bring together views on the Scottish Parliament and to consider the Parliament’s operational needs and working methods. Its membership included representatives of the main Scottish political parties as well as a wide range of civic groups and interests. Its main report, “Shaping Scotland’s Parliament”, was published in January 1999.
contingent liability	A contingent liability is a potential call on government resources (contingent on particular events happening in the future). The Scottish Ministers have undertaken to present proposals for contingent liabilities in excess of £1m to the Finance Committee, which has the power to either approve the proposal or propose an amendment.
convener	The MSP who convenes and chairs a committee.
Conveners Group (CG)	This Group was formally constituted in January 2003 and consists of the Presiding Officer and the convener of each mandatory and subject committee. In practice, the Group’s convener is one of the Deputy Presiding Officers rather than the Presiding Officer. Broadly speaking, the Group considers and makes recommendations on matters regarding the operation of committees. The Group may also act as a second consultative body to the Parliamentary Bureau on issues regarding Parliamentary business. Chapter 6A of the Standing Orders outlines the role of the Group.
Conveners Liaison Group (CLG)	Former name of the Conveners Group, before it was formally constituted.
Convention rights	Rights and freedoms set out in various articles of the European Convention on Human Rights as defined in section 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998. An Act of the Scottish Parliament is not law if it is incompatible with any of the convention rights.
Corporate Publications Team	The team responsible for dealing with issues of content, style, quality and cost in relation to material published by the Parliament.
Corporate Services	The department that provides the overall financial infrastructure and controls within which the Parliament operates. It incorporates the Finance, Allowances and Procurement Offices.
cross-party group (CPG)	A group made up of MSPs from across the parties and people from outside the Parliament who share an interest in a particular subject or issue.
Crown consent	The formal consent of the Crown to provisions in a bill which impinge on the private interests of the Crown.

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D-Day	1 July 1999. The principal appointed day for the implementation of key provisions of the Scotland Act 1998.
daily business list	The agenda of business for the Parliament on a particular day, published in Section A of the Business Bulletin.
debates	Discussions by MSPs, usually based on a motion.
Debating Chamber	The place for meetings of the Parliament.
Decision Time	The period at the end of a day’s business in the Parliament when decisions are taken on most of the questions before it.
declarable interest	An interest which must be declared in relevant proceedings of the Parliament.
declaration of interests	See declarable interest.
delegated legislation	See subordinate legislation.
Department for Constitutional Affairs	The department responsible for the overall management of relations between the UK Government and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As a result of the changes announced by the Prime Minister on 12 June 2003, the Scotland Office is now part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs. More information on the work of the DCA in relation to devolution can be found on its website (http://www.dca.gov.uk/constitution/devolution/index.htm).
deputy convener	A member of a committee who can carry out the functions of that committee’s convener as required.
Deputy First Minister	A non-statutory term for the Cabinet Minister who is deputy to the First Minister.
Deputy Minister	A non-statutory term for a junior Scottish Minister appointed by the First Minister.
Deputy Presiding Officers (DPOs)	The Presiding Officer’s two deputies, who can also preside at the Parliament’s meetings and undertake other functions of the Presiding Officer. DPOs can participate in proceedings and can vote on the same basis as other MSPs when not chairing a meeting.
devolution	The process of decentralising the governance of Scotland, within the UK, from the central authorities (Westminster and Whitehall) to a Scottish Parliament and Executive. Similar schemes have been implemented for Northern Ireland and for Wales.
devolution guidance notes (DGNs)	A series of advice notes from the UK Government on, for example, how the UK and devolved administrations inter-relate.
devolution issues	The term used in schedule 6 to the Scotland Act 1998 to describe particular kinds of legal issues arising from devolution.
devolved competence	The remit of the Scottish Ministers, which, very broadly, is the same as the Parliament’s legislative competence.
devolved matters	Matters for which the Scottish Parliament and/or the Scottish Executive have responsibility.
disability allowance	Under the members' allowances scheme, an allowance up to a specified limit per session which can be awarded by the SPCB to an MSP whose ability to undertake his or her role is impaired by disability. It is to be used in any way the SPCB decides is helpful to the MSP in undertaking that role. The SPCB may also make an award under this allowance to a member to meet costs the member may incur making reasonable adjustments to his or her local office to accommodate an employee who has a disability. This may include funds to facilitate access for disabled members of the public; provide equipment or parking spaces for disabled people; facilitate meetings for disabled people by hiring alternative premises; and contrating sign language interpreters for meetings with members of the public.
dissolution	The official term for the end of a session.
division	The means for deciding a question other than by consensus.
Document Supply Service	A service provided supplying MSPs, their staff and Parliament staff with copies of official documents they need for their parliamentary duties.
documents	Standing orders provide for the laying before, and publication by the Parliament of any relevant document, defined as ‘anything in which information is recorded in any form’.
draft budget	Proposals presented by Scottish Ministers to the Parliament setting out detailed expenditure plans for the next financial year.
dual mandate	A term to describe those MSPs who are also members of Parliament.

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E-Day	6 May 1999. The first general election to the Scottish Parliament.
EC	European Communities.
Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee	A subject committee of the Parliament, of 8 members, the remit of the committee is to consider and report on the Scottish economy, enterprise, energy, tourism and all other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth apart from those covered by the remits of the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change and the Local Government and Communities Committees.
Edinburgh accommodation allowance	An allowance set depending on the travel time from a member’s main residence to Edinburgh.
Education and Community Partnerships	The Education Service works with young people, teachers and other educational groups to encourage learning and teaching about the Parliament. The Events team manages the range of events that take place at the Parliament. Outreach Services include: Education Outreach, which arranges sessions in schools across Scotland; Community Outreach, which arranges information sessions about the work of the Parliament and ways to participate in its work for community groups, the voluntary sector and other local audiences; and Gaelic Outreach, which provides information and education sessions to Gaelic learners and native speakers, in the Parliament and across Scotland.
Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee	A subject committee of the Parliament of 8 members, the remit of the committee is to consider and report on (a) further and higher education, lifelong learning, schools, pre-school care, skills and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and (b) matters relating to culture and the arts falling within the responsibility of the Minister for Culture and External Affairs.
election expenses	Expenses incurred in relation to the conduct or management an election.
electronic voting	The normal method of voting at a meeting of the Parliament. MSPs can vote ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Abstain’ by pressing the appropriate button on the console on their desks.
emergency bill	An Executive bill which, with the Parliament’s agreement, undergoes a faster legislative process.
emergency business	Business which the Presiding Officer can allow to be taken at an appropriate point during a meeting of the Parliament.
emergency question	A question on an urgent matter which, if lodged by 10:00 on a day when the Parliament is meeting, may be asked that day if the Presiding Officer is of the opinion that it is ‘sufficiently urgent’ (rule 13.8).
emergency statement	A ministerial statement on an urgent matter.
employee travel allowance	Under the members' allowances scheme, an allowance for MSPs to be reimbursed for the cost of a specified number of journeys per year between the relevant constituency, region or the main residence of the employee and the parliamentary complex. It is also to fund journeys within the constituency or region made by MSP staff (employed through the SPCB payroll service) who support the member in his/her parliamentary duties. Commuting costs are excluded.
enactment	An Act, a part of an Act or, occasionally, a piece of subordinate legislation may be referred to as an enactment.
End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee	An ad hoc committee of six members established to look at the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill.
environmental statement	One of the accompanying documents for certain private bills relating to works of a class determined by the Presiding Officer, or to compulsory acquisition or use of land and buildings. The statement sets out environmental impact information as determined by the Presiding Officer.
equal opportunities	One of the 4 key principles of the report of the Consultative Steering Group. Equal opportunities are defined in the remit of the Equal Opportunities Committee (rule 6.9).
Equal Opportunities Committee	A mandatory committee of the Parliament, of 7 members, the remit of which is to consider and report on matters relating to equal opportunities, and upon the observance of equal opportunities within the Parliament. The committee must be established within 42 sitting days of a Scottish Parliament election.
equipment and furniture scheme	A separate scheme to the members' allowances scheme agreed on 21 June 2001 by Parliament. It regulates the provision of IT, other office supplies and furniture. The scheme was rescinded with effect from 1 October 2008.
estimate of expenses and funding statement	One of the accompanying documents for certain private bills relating to the construction or alteration of works of a class determined by the Presiding Officer, or to compulsory acquisition or use of lands and buildings. The statement sets out the total cost of, and sources of funding for, the project proposed in the bill, and any other financial information determined by the Presiding Officer, or reasons for non-inclusion of any financial information.
EU	European Union.
Europe Matters	The electronic newsletter of the European and External Relations Committee.
European and External Relations Committee	A mandatory committee of the Parliament, of 8 members, the remit of which is to consider and report on proposals for European Communities legislation;the implementation of European Communities legislation;any European Communities or European Union issue;the development and implementation of the Scottish Administration's links with countries and territories outside Scotland, the European Communities (and their institutions) and other international organisations and co-ordination of the international activities of the Scottish Administration. The committee must be established within 42 sitting days of a Scottish Parliament election. Until 5 March 2003, this committee was known as the European Committee.
European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)	The title used for the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. An international agreement between most European states setting out a package of civil rights and liberties. The ECHR is applied in Scotland through provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998.
Executive	See Scottish Executive.
Executive bill	A public bill introduced into the Parliament by a member of the Scottish Executive.
Executive devolution	The extent of powers conferred on Scottish Ministers, including some responsibilities in reserved matters.
Executive note	Text attached to a Scottish statutory instrument explaining the policy background.
Executive statement on legislative competence	Each Executive bill must be accompanied on introduction by a statement by a member of the Scottish Executive stating that, in his or her view, the provisions of the bill would be within the legislative competence of the Parliament.
explanatory notes	A form of accompanying document, the purpose of which is to summarise objectively what the provisions of the bill do.
extraordinary general election	A general election held because the Parliament either has resolved that it should be dissolved, or has failed to nominate a First Minister within the relevant statutory period. When either situation arises, the Presiding Officer proposes a date of poll, and the Parliament may be dissolved by royal proclamation for the election to be held on the proposed day (section 3, Scotland Act 1998).

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Facilities Management Office	The office responsible for managing the Parliament's accommodation, providing various support services and advising on health and safety and environmental issues.
fallen bill	If the Parliament does not agree to the general principles of a public bill after debate at Stage 1, then the bill falls. In the case of a private bill, if the Parliament does not agree to the general principles after debate at the Preliminary Stage, or does not consider that the bill should proceed as a private bill, then the bill falls.
Festival of Politics	A politically-themed event held over several days by the Scottish Parliament in August.
Final Stage	The stage for final consideration of a private bill and a decision on whether it should be passed.
Finance Committee	A mandatory committee of the Parliament, of 8 members, the remit of which is to consider and report on Executive reports/documents on proposals for, or budgets of, public expenditure, or for tax-varying resolutions; committee reports concerning public expenditure; any report made by a committee setting out proposals concerning public expenditure; and Budget bills, and (discretionary) timetable for such bills and handling of financial business; and any other matter relating to or affecting the expenditure of the Scottish Administration or other expenditure payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund. The committee must be established within 21 sitting days of a Scottish Parliament election.
Finance Office	An office that undertakes a range of functions, such as processing invoices, setting and monitoring budgets, and preparing the Parliament’s annual accounts.
Financial Issues Advisory Group (FIAG)	A group established by the Scottish Office in February 1998 to advise it and the Consultative Steering Group on procedures and practices for the Scottish Parliament in the handling of financial issues. Its report was published in January 1999.
financial memorandum	An accompanying document to a public bill setting out best estimates of the bill’s costs on the Scottish Administration, local authorities and others.
financial resolution	A financial resolution is required for bills which have or which are likely to have certain financial implications (as set out in rule 9.12.3). This is a resolution of the Parliament expressing its agreement to those implications. The motion for a resolution can be moved only by a Minister. If a bill requires a financial resolution, no further proceedings beyond Stage 1 can be taken until it has been agreed to, and the bill will fall if no resolution is passed within 6 months of the completion of Stage 1.
financial year	A year beginning 1 April, for the purposes of financial business.
First Minister	The head of the Scottish Executive.
First Minister’s Question Time (FMQT)	A period when MSPs ask questions of the First Minister at a meeting of the Parliament.
first past the post	Voting system where the candidate who obtains the largest number of votes is elected.
Forth Crossing Bill Committee	An ad hoc committee of four members established to look at the Forth Crossing Bill.
frontbench, frontbencher	A colloquial term to denote those MSPs who are Ministers or the spokespersons of opposition parties.
Futures Forum	A Scottish Parliament initiative to develop strategic thinking on the issues which will shape Scotland's future.

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Gaelic Service	A service to develop the Parliament’s links with the Gaelic-speaking community.
Garden Lobby	The main thoroughfare which joins all the buildings in the Parliament complex together.
general election	An election in which a poll is held for all 129 seats in the Parliament.
general principles of a bill	The overall policy and purpose of a bill, rather than its detailed provisions.
General Questions, General Question Time	See Question Time
government	The executive body that administers the running of the country.
Great Britain (GB)	That part of the United Kingdom comprising Scotland, England and Wales.
group	A group can be formed of members who represent parties with fewer than 5 seats in the Parliament, or of independent members (who do not represent a political party). The group must have at least 5 members, and is entitled to nominate a representative as a member of the Parliamentary Bureau (rule 5.2.2).
group representative	See group. See party representative.
groupings	A list setting out the how amendments to a bill are to be grouped for debate.

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half sitting day	Under rule 5.6.2, a period on a sitting day between 14.30 and 17.00 on a Monday, between 09.15 and 12.30 or 14.30 and 17.00 on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday or between 09.30 and 12.00 on a Friday. On 12 half sitting days in each parliamentary year, the business of committees is given priority over the business of the Scottish Executive at meetings of the Parliament; on 16 half sitting days in each parliamentary year, meetings of the Parliament consider business chosen by political parties which are not represented in the Scottish Executive, or by any group formed under rule 5.2.2.
Health and Sport Committee	A subject committee of the Parliament, of 9 members, the remit of the committee is to consider and report on (a) health policy and the NHS in Scotland and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and (b) matters relating to sport falling within the responsibility of the Minister for Public Health and Sport.
Holyrood	The area of Edinburgh where the Scottish Parliament is located.
Holyrood Progress Group (HPG)	A group that was set up following a resolution of the Parliament on 5 April 2000. It met for the first time in July 2000 and the last meeting was on 6 October 2004. Made up of representatives of the Parliament and relevant professionals, it was directed to work with the SPCB to finalise the design of the new Parliament building, complete the project and report regularly to the SPCB and members on the progress and costs of construction.
Holyrood Project Team (HPT)	The group that acted as the SPCB’s representative in securing delivery of the Scottish Parliament’s new building at Holyrood.
home rule	Another description for forms of democratically elected Scottish self-government, such as devolution.
House of Commons	The lower house of the United Kingdom Parliament (Westminster), composed of 646 members of Parliament (MPs).
House of Lords	The upper house of the United Kingdom Parliament (Westminster), composed of peers.
Human Resources Office	This office is responsible for providing a human resource service for the Parliament.
Human Rights Act 1998	UK legislation that applies most of the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights to domestic UK law.
Hybrid Bill	A hybrid bill is a public bill that adversely affects a particular interest of a person or a body in a way that is different from the interests of other people or bodies in the same category or class. Hybrid bills generally relate to development projects and the use of land. This type of bill could seek to authorise the construction or alteration of works or to authorise the compulsory acquisition or use of any land or buildings. The legislative procedure for hybrid bills is set out in chapter 9C of the standing orders.
Hybrid Bill Committee	Any committee of the Parliament established to consider a hybrid bill.

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Implementation Unit	The unit with responsibility for co-ordinating the projects associated with the move to the Holyrood building and ensuring that systems and procedures are properly tested. The unit will be disbanded once the migration is complete.
Information Centre	An informal name for the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).
instrument	See statutory instrument or Scottish statutory instrument
international obligations	As used in the Scotland Act 1998, a statutory term to denote any such obligation of the UK, other than those relating to Community law or Convention rights. This relates to the competence of the Parliament and of the Scottish Executive, and in particular to the intervention powers of the Secretary of State under section 35 and section 58.
intra vires	A decision or action which is within the lawful powers of a person or body.
introduction (of a bill)	When a signed copy of a bill is lodged with the clerks together with any required accompanying documents.

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Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC)	An inter-governmental committee consisting of UK Government, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Ministers.
Journal of the Scottish Parliament	The authoritative record of what the Parliament has done.
judges	The arrangements for the appointment and removal of Scottish judges are set out in section 95 of the Scotland Act 1998. Under these provisions, the Scottish Parliament has a key role in the procedures for the removal of a judge of the Court of Session or of the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court. The Scottish Parliament’s powers to summon witnesses or demand the production of documents cannot be imposed on a judge of any court (section 23(7)(a) of the 1998 Act).
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC)	The Scotland Act 1998 gives the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council an important role in the resolution of legal issues arising from devolution, for example whether bills passed by the Scottish Parliament are within its legislative competence (section 103 and schedule 6). It can also decide, on appeal or otherwise, on other ‘devolution issues’, and its decisions will be binding on all other courts. For devolution purposes, the JCPC consists of Law Lords and others holding high judicial office, such as judges of the Court of Session.
junior Scottish Ministers	The term used in the Scotland Act 1998 (section 49) to denote Ministers in the Scottish government who are appointed by the First Minister, with the approval of the Scottish Parliament, to assist the Scottish Ministers in the exercise of their functions. Junior Scottish Ministers (known by the current government as Minister) are not members of the Scottish Executive or the Cabinet but are bound by the principle of collective responsibility under which the Executive operates.
Justice Committee	A subject committee of the Parliament, of 8 members, the remit of the committee is to consider and report on (a) the administration of criminal and civil justice, community safety, and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and (b) the functions of the Lord Advocate, other than as head of the systems of criminal prosecution and investigation of deaths in Scotland.

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Keeper of the Records of Scotland	The person responsible, amongst other things, for storing the official records of the Parliament, including the official prints of Acts of the Scottish Parliament. The office is held by the Chief Executive of the National Archives for Scotland.
Keeper of the Registers of Scotland	The person responsible, amongst other things, for recording the royal assent of Acts of the Scottish Parliament in the Register of the Great Seal. The office is held by the head of the Scottish Executive agency Registers of Scotland.
Keeper of the Scottish Seal	The First Minister is Keeper of the Scottish Seal. (The Seal is the means of signifying Crown approval for letters patent and royal proclamations under section 45(7) of the Scotland Act 1998).
key principles	A list of the main principles underpinning the terms of a particular document.

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languages	Under rule 7.1 of the standing orders, the Parliament is normally to conduct its business in English, but MSPs, or any other person invited by the Parliament to address it, can speak in Scots Gaelic or any other language with the agreement of the Presiding Officer. The Parliament also has a language policy which deals with matters such as the publication of material in other languages and the provision of translation and interpretation facilities.
Law Officers	The senior legal advisers to the government.
laying documents	Chapter 14 of the Parliament’s Standing Orders provides rules on laying documents before the Parliament. Many types of documents, such as financial reports or annual reports of public bodies, must be laid by law.
lead committee	The parliamentary committee within whose remit a particular bill or item of subordinate legislation falls, and which, under the Standing Orders, takes the lead role in reporting to the rest of Parliament on that legislation. If a measure falls within the remit of more than one committee, the committees concerned may decide, with the agreement of the Parliamentary Bureau, to consider the matter jointly. Alternatively the Parliament may designate one to be the lead committee, acting on a motion from the Parliamentary Bureau.
leader of the opposition	An informal term sometimes applied to the leader of the largest non-Executive party in the Scottish Parliament.
legislation	Any written law agreed to and given authority by a law-making body.
legislative competence	Those areas in which the Scottish Parliament can make valid legislation.
Legislative Consent Memorandum	A document prepared by the Executive or by a Member describing a Westminster Bill that contains provisions on devolved matters, or provisions that would alter the devolved competence of the Parliament or the Executive. In most cases, the memorandum will also explain why the Executive (or the Member) wishes the Parliament to give consent to Westminster legislating in this way. See also Legislative Consent Motion, Sewel Convention.
Legislative Consent Motion	A motion expressing the Parliament’s consent to provisions in a Westminster Bill on devolved matters or to alter the devolved competence of the Parliament or of the Executive. Previously (and still, colloquially) known as a “Sewel motion”.
legislative process	The stages of parliamentary consideration that a bill must go through to become an Act.
letters patent	In the legislative context, royal assent to bills passed by the Parliament is signified by letters patent signed in the monarch’s own hand, passed under the Scottish Seal and recorded in the Register of the Great Seal.
list member	An informal term for a regional MSP, derived from the party lists used for their election.
lobbying	The Scotland Act 1998 makes provision for the ethical conduct of the Parliament. There is a transitional scheme for the regulation of MSPs’ interests including the prohibition of paid advocacy by MSPs. The Code of Conduct for MSPs includes additional provisions and guidance in relation to MSPs’ interaction with lobbyists. See section 5 of the Code of Conduct for MSPs.
Local Government and Communities Committee	A subject committee of the Parliament, of 8 members, the remit of the committee is to consider and report on (a) the financing and delivery of local government and local services and planning; and (b) housing, regeneration, anti-poverty measures and other matters (apart from sport) falling within the responsibility of the Minister for Housing and Communities.
Lord Advocate	The senior Scottish Law Officer and a member of the Scottish Executive.

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Main Hall	The Main Hall is located just beyond the public entrance and houses the exhibition area and the Visitor Information Desk.
mandatory committee	A committee of the Scottish Parliament which the Standing Orders require to be established.
mandatory consultees	Persons or bodies with special rights to be consulted prior to the introduction of a private bill and to comment during the bill’s passage on the adequacy of that consultation.
manuscript amendment	An amendment to a bill lodged after the normal time limit set down in the Standing Orders.
marshalled list	A document prepared for each day during the amending stage of a bill showing all the admissible amendments lodged for the stage and not so far disposed of, in the order in which they will be considered.
Media Relations Office	The office that provides information and official comment about the work of the Parliament to journalists.
Media Tower	The building providing office accommodation to journalists at the Parliament.
meeting of the Parliament	A gathering of the whole Parliament in the Debating Chamber (or elsewhere).
member in charge	The MSP who introduces a public bill and who has certain duties and rights during the bill’s passage.
member of the Scottish Executive	The First Minister, senior Ministers and the two Scottish Law Officers.
member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP)	Person elected to the Scottish Parliament to represent a constituency or region.
members allowances scheme	The current scheme for allowances for MSPs to enable them to carry out their parliamentary duties.
members bill	A public bill, other than a committee bill, introduced by an MSP who is not a member of the Scottish Executive.
members support allowance	An allowance to enable MSPs to run offices, employ staff, meet constituents and to reimburse qualified travel and overnight expenses.
members travel allowance	An allowance for travel expenses incurred by MSPs in performing their parliamentary duties.
members' business	A debate proposed by a backbench MSP generally on an issue of particular interest to the member or relating to their local area.
Minister	A member of the government.
Minister of the Crown	A holder of a ministerial office in the UK Government.
ministerial statement	An oral statement to the Parliament by a Minister to provide information or explanation.
Minutes of Proceedings	The formal record of all items of business taken at a meeting of the Parliament or committee.
motion	A proposition considered and often decided upon by the Parliament or a committee.
motion of no confidence	A motion that the Parliament no longer has confidence in the Scottish Executive or an individual Minister.
MP	Member of the House of Commons.
MSP building	The building that accommodates the MSP offices at Holyrood.

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National Assembly for Wales	The body (popularly known as the Welsh Assembly) established by the Government of Wales Act 1998 to be the mechanism for Welsh devolution. As an elected, representative assembly, with some legislative functions, it resembles the Scottish Parliament. However, it is also an executive body, with those powers currently delegated to the First Minister and as such it also includes the role that the Scottish Executive plays in Scottish devolution.
negative instrument	A statutory instrument that must be annulled if the Parliament passes a resolution to that effect within 40 days of the instrument being laid. This is generally regarded as the weaker of the two main forms of Parliamentary control over subordinate legislation. See also affirmative instrument.
non-Executive	A term used to describe the parties or independent members not represented in the Executive.
Non-Executive Bills Unit (NEBU)	A unit that provides assistance with members’ bills and committee bills. It works with members or committees and clerks in developing and clarifying the policy underlying proposals for bills, arranges for bills to be drafted and introduced, ensures that certain criteria are met, and assists the member or committee throughout the passage of the bill.
normal parliamentary week	Under rule 2.2.3 of the Standing Orders, the normal parliamentary week is between the hours of 14:30 and 17:30 on Monday, 09:30 and 17:30 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 09:30 and 12:30 on Friday. The Parliament can meet, generally, on any sitting day during these periods. A meeting of the Parliament may continue beyond these times under certain circumstances (rules 2.2.4-2.2.6 of the Standing Orders). The Presiding Officer may convene the Parliament on other dates and at other times in an emergency.
Northern Ireland Assembly	The body established under the Northern Ireland (Elections) Act 1998 and the Northern Ireland Act 1998, following the 1998 Good Friday agreement (also known as the Belfast agreement), as the mechanism for devolution in Northern Ireland. Before devolution was fully implemented by ministerial order in December 1999, it was called the New Northern Ireland Assembly. The Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended since midnight on 14 October 2002. However, arrangements have been made under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 for Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly to meet in another forum, known as The Assembly. The Assembly has met since 15 May 2006.

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oath of allegiance	On being returned as members, all MSPs are required either to take the oath of allegiance or make the solemn affirmation before the Clerk at a meeting of the Parliament. The form of the oath is set out in the Promissory Oaths Act 1868, and the corresponding affirmation, which may be taken instead, is set out in the Oaths Act 1978. An MSP may not participate in any other proceedings of the Parliament until he or she has taken the oath or made the solemn affirmation. An MSP that does not do this, normally within a two month period of being returned as an MSP, will cease to be an MSP.
objection	A formal statement lodged by anyone who considers that their interests would be adversely affected by a private bill.
objection period	A period during which objections to a private bill can be lodged.
objector	An individual person, or a body, who lodges an objection to a Private Bill during the objection period.
Office of the Clerk	In practice the offices of the parliamentary staff.
Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate General for Scotland	The office that provides legal services in Scotland to UK government departments.
Office to the Solicitor to the Scottish Parliament	The Office that provides legal services to the Parliament, its committees, the Presiding Officer and SPCB.
office-holders in the Scottish Administration	These are defined in section 126(7) of the Scotland Act 1998 as members of the Scottish Executive and junior Scottish Ministers (that is, all Ministers in the Scottish government) and the holders of specified non-ministerial offices. These non-ministerial offices are listed in section 126(8), and include the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages and the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. They also include others specified by Orders in Council, principally the Scottish Administration (Offices) Order 1999 (SI 1999/1127).
official print	The archive-quality copy of an Act of the Scottish Parliament signed by the Clerk of the Parliament after royal assent. This is deposited in the National Archives of Scotland.
Official Report (OR)	The transcript of what is said in public session at meetings of the Parliament and its committees.
oldest committee member	The member of a committee (other than a committee substitute) who is the oldest member of the committee present at a meeting and who has indicated to the clerk that he or she agrees to chair the meeting. The oldest committee member chairs meetings for the purpose of appointing a convener or temporary convener (see also oldest member of the committee).
oldest member	The oldest member elected to the Parliament is given functions by the Standing Orders. In rule 2.4 the ‘oldest qualified member’ (as defined in rule 2.4.7) chairs the first meeting of the Parliament following a general election, solely for the purpose of presiding over the proceedings when members are taking the oath of allegiance or making a solemn affirmation and for the election of the Presiding Officer. The oldest qualified member must take the oath of allegiance or make a solemn affirmation before he or she can chair the meeting. The oldest member may chair other meetings of the Parliament but only if the Presiding Officer and both deputy Presiding Officers are unable to act. Similarly, the first meeting of a newly established committee is chaired by the oldest committee member until a convener is chosen (rule 12.1.6).
open power	Section 112 of the Scotland Act 1998 states that, if a power to make subordinate legislation under the Act makes no provision for who may exercise it, the power can be exercised either by order in council or by a Minister of the Crown by order. Such a power is referred to as an open power.
Operational Management Group (OMG)	The group comprising the Clerk/Chief Executive, group heads, the Head of the Strategy and Development Office, the Head of Procurement and a senior lawyer. The remit of the group is to deliver the organisational strategy. It deals with cross-cutting operational issues and promotes collaborative working across the business to deliver organisational goals. The group also provides a forum to agree prioritisation and resourcing for projects. Within the overall strategy set by the Strategic Leadership Team, OMG co-ordinates the SPCB's annual budget bid and the SPS staffing bid for submission to SLT as part of the budget planning process.
opposition	A term commonly applied to those parties and groups in the Parliament that are not in the government.
oral question	A parliamentary question lodged for oral answer either at Question Time, First Minister’s Question Time or SPCB Question Time.
orders in council	A form of subordinate legislation made by the sovereign through the Privy Council, rather than directly by a Minister.
ordinary general election	A general election held under section 2 of the Scotland Act 1998 on the first Thursday in May in the fourth year after the previous such election - or on a date proposed by the Presiding Officer up to a month either side of that date.
overnight expenses allowance	An allowance for MSPs who stay overnight away from their main residence while carrying out their parliamentary duties.

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paid advocacy	When an elected member advocates or promotes a cause in return for payment or an other benefit.
Parliament	An assembly of representatives (generally elected).
Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit	The office, operated and staffed by BBC Resources Ltd, that televises the proceedings of the Scottish Parliament and its committees.
Parliamentary Bureau	The body consisting of the Presiding Officer and a representative of each party or grouping that has more than 5 members.
parliamentary complex	The place where the Parliament or any of its committees or sub-committees meets.
parliamentary corporation	The term used in the Scotland Act 1998 and in the Standing Orders.
parliamentary duties	Any task or function an MSP could reasonably be expected to carry out in their capacity as a member of the Parliament.
parliamentary liaison officer (PLO)	A person appointed by the First Minister on a recommendation from Cabinet Ministers. A parliamentary liaison officer assists the Minister in discharging their duties. PLOs are unpaid and are not part of the Executive. Their role and the arrangements for their appointment are set out in paragraphs 4.6 - 4.13 of the Scottish ministerial code. The functions of PLOs are broadly similar to those of parliamentary private secretaries at Westminster.
parliamentary privilege	See privilege.
parliamentary question (PQ)	One means by which MSPs can seek information or explanation from Ministers (and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body). Questions can be for oral or written answer, and are governed by chapter 13 of the Standing Orders and the detailed guidance published by the clerks.
parliamentary recess	See recess.
parliamentary week	See normal parliamentary week.
parliamentary year	A period, normally of 12 months, beginning on the date of the first meeting of the Parliament following a general election, and on each subsequent anniversary of that date within that session.
party representatives	Members of the Parliamentary Bureau representing parties with 5 or more members in the Parliament.
passage of a bill	The process through which a bill passes from introduction to royal assent.
passing (of a bill)	When a bill is approved by the Parliament at the end of Stage 3 (or, Final Stage consideration).
personal statement	A statement made by any MSP at a meeting of the Parliament, such as a public apology.
petition	See public petition.
plenary	A meeting of the Parliament.
point of order	An intervention by an MSP during parliamentary proceedings, questioning whether proper procedures have been followed or are being followed.
policy memorandum	A document accompanying an Executive or member's bill which sets out the policy objectives of the bill.
pre-commencement enactment	Primarily an enactment passed by the UK Parliament before, or in the same session as, the Scotland Act 1998.
pre-emption	When agreement to an amendment to a bill or motion means that another amendment can no longer be taken.
Preliminary Stage	The stage when a private bill’s general principles are considered.
prerogative	The residual, but often very important, powers of the sovereign, most of which are, in practice, exercised by Ministers on behalf of Her Majesty. Within the area of devolved competence, such powers are exercisable by Scottish Ministers (section 53, Scotland Act).
Presiding Officer (PO)	The MSP elected to chair meetings of the Parliament, the Parliamentary Bureau and the SPCB and to represent the Parliament externally.
Presiding Officers Office	The office providing advice and support to the Presiding Officer and his or her deputies.
Presiding Officers statement on legislative competence	A written statement by the Presiding Officer indicating whether or not, in his or her view, the provisions of a bill would be within the legislative competence of the Parliament. Such a statement is an accompanying document on the introduction of a bill (section 31, Scotland Act 1998; Standing Orders rules 9.3 and 9A.2.2).
primary legislation	Statutes enacted by a body with legislative powers, primarily Acts.
principal accountable officer	See accountable officer.
principal appointed day	See D-Day.
principles	See key principles.
private bill	A bill introduced by a person or body (the promoter) for the purpose of obtaining particular powers or benefits in excess of or in conflict with the general law, including any bill relating to the personal affairs or circumstances of the promoter. The legislative procedure for private bills is set out in chapter 9A of the Standing Orders.
private bill committee	Any committee of the Parliament that is established to consider a private bill.
Private Bills Unit	The Unit established in 2003 to receive and process all private bills. It provides information and advice to promoters and objectors, as well as clerking services to the committees established to scrutinise private bills.
privilege	The areas of legal protection or immunity vested by legislation in the Parliament, its members, or officials.
Privy Council	A body which, in the past, exercised much of the executive power of the sovereign, and which nowadays has a number of residual functions. These include the making of orders in council, aspects of the regulation of certain professions and universities and the granting of royal charters. For devolution purposes, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has an important role as a court in adjudicating on devolution issues.
proceedings of the Parliament	An important procedural and legal concept, not exhaustively defined in the legislation or the Standing Orders, although some guidance as to the sorts of proceedings which would be included is contained in the Presiding Officer’s guidance on ‘parliamentary privilege’ (Business Bulletin 38/1999) Examples include voting, lodging notices of motions and questions, and participating in debates in the Parliament or its committees.
proclamation	A declaration by the sovereign that has legal effect.
Procurement Office	The office responsible for purchasing all goods and services for the Parliament.
promoter	The person or body (not an MSP) who introduces a Private Bill.
promoter's agreement	An agreement or agreements relating to the copyright and licensing of a bill to the parliamentary corporation and some of the related documents. It constitutes one of the accompanying documents of a private bill.
promoter's memorandum	One of the accompanying documents of a private bill. The promoter’s memorandum sets out the bill’s objectives, any consideration of alternative ways of meeting those objectives and any consultation that was carried out.
promoter's statement	One of the accompanying documents of a private bill. The promoter’s statement sets out: details of any required notifications, advertisements and consents as determined by the Presiding Officer. It also gives the locations where the accompanying documents and other relevant documents can be inspected and purchased; and an undertaking to pay the required fees for introduction.
proposal for committee bill	The report published by a committee containing the proposal for a bill it wishes to introduce.
proposal for member's bill	A member who wishes to introduce a member’s bill must first lodge a notice of a proposal for such a bill. The member is then required either to consult on the proposal or to secure the agreement of the committee considering the proposal that consultation is not necessary. This is followed by the member lodging a final proposal for the bill, which need not be in identical terms. If, within one month, 18 other members from at least half of the parties represented in the Bureau have supported it, the member may introduce a bill to give effect to the final proposal in accordance with conditions laid out in the Standing Orders, section 9.14.
Public Affairs Group	The group dealing with matters relating to external communications and engagement with the public.
Public Audit Committee	A mandatory committee of the Parliament, of 8 members, the remit of which is to consider and report on any accounts laid before the Parliament; any report laid before or made to the Parliament by the Auditor General for Scotland; and any other document laid before the Parliament, or referred to it by the Parliamentary Bureau or by the Auditor General for Scotland, concerning financial control, accounting and auditing in relation to public expenditure. The committee must be established within 42 sitting days of a Scottish Parliament election. No member of the Scottish Executive or junior Scottish Minister may be a member of the committee. No member who represents a political party which is represented in the Scottish Executive may be convener of the committee.
public bill	A bill which proposes to change the law as it applies generally across the country.
public expenditure	For the purposes of the Standing Orders (including the remit of the Finance Committee), public expenditure means the expenditure of the Scottish Administration and other expenditure payable out of the Scottish consolidated fund or met out of taxes, charges and other public revenue.
Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000	The Act of the Scottish Parliament which deals with the public financial, budgeting, accounting and auditing procedures and practices of the Scottish Ministers and bodies supported from the Scottish consolidated fund, and with their scrutiny by the Parliament.
Public Information Service	The team within the Public Affairs Group that provides an enquiry service for the public.
public petition	A request for action lodged by the public, setting out what they want the Parliament to do and why.
Public Petitions Committee	A mandatory committee of the Parliament which decides what action should be taken on admissible public petitions.

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Queen's Printer for Scotland (QPS)	The office established by section 92 of the Scotland Act 1998 to carry out certain printing and other functions (such as Crown copyright) in relation to Acts of the Scottish Parliament, subordinate legislation and other official material. The QPS also manages the licensing of Scottish Parliamentary copyright under the terms of an agreement with the Scottish Parliament. The QPS is a member of the staff of the Scottish Administration. Further information is available on the Office of the Queen’s Printer for Scotland website.
Queensberry House	A 17th century building within the Scottish Parliament complex that includes the offices of certain officials.
question	See parliamentary question. Also refers to the terminology used in making decisions, where the Presiding Officer (or convener of a committee) puts a question to the Chamber (or the committee).
Question Time	A period of up to 60 minutes each week when oral questions to ministers are taken in the Chamber.

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reasoned amendment	A colloquial term for an amendment to a motion — particularly a motion to agree the general principles of a bill at Stage 1 or to pass it at Stage 3 — which sets out reasons for or against supporting the motion, or which amends the motion so as to indicate – whilst agreeing that the bill should proceed – that some issues to do with the bill arouse concern.
recess	A period when the Parliament is not dissolved, but is not meeting for a particular length of time.
Reconsideration Stage	For a public bill, the member in charge of a bill may, after the bill is passed, by motion propose that the Parliament reconsiders the bill (rule 9.9). In the procedure for a private bill, any member may, after the bill is passed, by motion propose that the Parliament reconsiders the bill (rule 9A.11). The purpose of the Reconsideration Stage is to resolve concerns over the competency of a bill.
region	An electoral area which contains a number of Scottish parliamentary constituencies.
regional member	An MSP returned for 1 of the 8 electoral regions in Scotland.
register of cross-party groups	The official record of cross-party groups recognised by the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee.
register of members interests	A register listing details of MSPs’ interests under categories such as remuneration, sponsorship and gifts.
registered political party	A political party registered under the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998.
registrable interest	An interest which must be registered to comply with the Code of Conduct for MSPs.
registration of interests	A scheme to ensure that registrable interests of MSPs are entered in the register of members’ interests.
Reid principles	A colloquial term to describe the 5 key principles set out by George Reid in the Presiding Officer’s Guidance on Relationships between MSPs.
rejection (of a bill)	Under the Standing Orders, a bill is rejected if the vote at Stage 3 is not valid. This applies even if a majority of those who voted backed the bill. A Stage 3 vote is valid only if the number of members who voted is more than one quarter of the total number of MSPs.
reporter	A member of a parliamentary committee appointed by that committee to report to it on any matter within its remit. Sometimes know as a rapporteur.
Research, Information and Reporting Group	The group which consists of the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) and the Official Report.
reserved matters	Matters on which the UK Parliament at Westminster alone can pass valid legislation.
resignation of member	When an MSP gives up their seat in the Parliament by notifying the Presiding Officer in writing.
resolution	A motion that has been agreed to by the Parliament.
roll-call vote	A form of voting at a meeting of the Parliament or in a committee, where the roll is called alphabetically and the members are asked to declare orally their vote (‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Abstain’).
royal assent	When the approval of the sovereign turns a bill passed by the Parliament into an Act of the Scottish Parliament.
royal proclamation	See proclamation.
Rural Affairs and Environment Committee	A subject committee of the Parliament, of 8 members, the remit of the committee is to consider and report on agriculture, fisheries and rural development and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment.

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sanctions	Penalties which may be imposed for breaches of parliamentary rules.
schedule 4	The schedule to the Scotland Act 1998 which sets out laws which the Parliament cannot change.
schedule 5	The schedule to the Scotland Act 1998 in which reserved matters are listed.
schedule 6	The schedule to the Scotland Act 1998 which describes devolution issues and how they are dealt with in the courts.
Scotland Act 1998	The main legislation of the UK Parliament.
Scotland Office	The department of the UK government that represents Scottish interests in reserved matters.
Scottish Administration	The term used to denote both the political and administrative sides of the Scottish government. As defined in section 126 of the Scotland Act 1998, it includes members of the Scottish Executive, junior Scottish Ministers, certain non-ministerial office-holders (such as the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages for Scotland, the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland and the Keeper of the Records of Scotland) and their staff. The definition of the Scottish Administration can be changed by an order in council to add non-ministerial office-holders.
Scottish Affairs Committee	A committee of the House of Commons appointed to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Scotland Office.
Scottish budget	The Scottish Executive’s expenditure plans and financial proposals to be contained in the annual budget bill.
Scottish Commission for Public Audit (SCPA)	A body which has various functions relating to the accounts and audit of Audit Scotland.
Scottish consolidated fund	The fund created by the Scotland Act 1998 into which payments are made by the Secretary of State or sums received by the Scottish Administration, and out of which the spending of the Scottish Administration and other statutorily defined bodies comes.
Scottish Constitutional Convention (SCC)	The body composed of a number of Scottish political parties and other public groups and organisations which, from 1989 until 1995, produced the detailed proposals for a devolution scheme which informed the UK government's policy from 1997.
Scottish Executive	As defined in section 44 of the Scotland Act 1998, the Scottish Executive is the group of senior Ministers in the Scottish government. It comprises the First Minister, other Ministers appointed by the First Minister under section 47 of the Scotland Act 1998, and the 2 Scottish Law Officers (that is, all Ministers in the devolved government other than junior Scottish Ministers). These members of the Executive are known collectively in the Act as ‘the Scottish Ministers’. Informally, the term is frequently used to mean the Scottish Ministers, the Scottish Law Officers and the junior Scottish Ministers, and their staff. The current administration prefers to be called the Scottish Government.
Scottish Government	An informal, descriptive term for the Scottish Executive or more widely, for the Scottish Administration. The current administration prefers to be called the Scottish Government.
Scottish Grand Committee	A standing committee of the House of Commons, consisting of all MPs for Scottish seats, together with some additional members. It has a range of functions under standing orders, from holding Ministers to account through questions and debates to scrutiny of certain types of Scottish legislation.
Scottish Information Commissioner	The independent commissioner, appointed under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, who is responsible for enforcing and promoting the right to access public information created by the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, both of which came into force on 1 January 2005. More information is available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Scottish Law Officers	The Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General for Scotland.
Scottish ministerial code	The document containing a code of conduct and guidance on procedures for Scottish Ministers.
Scottish Ministers	The collective term used in section 44(2) of the Scotland Act 1998 for the members of the Scottish Executive who exercise statutory functions, including those transferred from UK Ministers of the Crown. Apart from functions conferred specifically on the First Minister or the Lord Advocate, functions conferred on the Scottish Ministers can be exercised by any member of the Scottish Executive. The First Minister is responsible for allocating, and defining the remit of, ministerial posts. The term ‘the Scottish Ministers’ is also applied colloquially to any Ministers or junior Scottish Ministers.
Scottish Office	The name of the former department of the UK government which dealt with many areas of Scottish government before devolution.
Scottish Parliament (SP)	The law-making body for devolved matters created by the Scotland Act 1998.
Scottish Parliament corporate identity	The Scottish Parliament's official logo comprises two parts: the words ‘The Scottish Parliament’ and a badge made up of the Saltire and a crown.
Scottish Parliament electronic information resource (SPEIR)	The Parliament’s intranet.
Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe)	The office that provides research and information services to parliamentary committees, MSPs, their staff, and other offices within the Parliament.
Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB)	The body that arranges for the Parliament to be provided with staff, property and services.
Scottish parliamentary pension scheme (SPPS)	A pension scheme for MSPs, Ministers and various parliamentary office holders.
Scottish Parliamentary Service (SPS)	The Scottish Parliamentary Service is the collective term for the group of professional staff employed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) to support the business and operations of the Scottish Parliament.
Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner	The independent commissioner who investigates complaints that MSPs have breached the Code of Conduct.
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman	An office to look into complaints about Scottish government departments and various other public bodies.
Scottish statutory instrument (SSI)	The mainform of secondary legislation made, confirmed or approved primarily by the Scottish Ministers.
secondary committee	A committee whose remit covers an item or matter but which is not the designated lead committee.
secondary legislation	Legislation made by a Minister or other person or body under powers granted in an Act.
Secretary of State for Scotland	The head of the Scotland Office and the senior Minister of the UK Government dealing with Scottish matters.
section	A piece of text in an Act of the Scottish Parliament, consisting of one or more sentences gathered together under a section title.
Security Office	The office responsible for establishing a safe and secure environment throughout the parliamentary complex.
selection of amendments	The power of the Presiding Officer at Stage 3 of a bill to decide which of the admissible amendments lodged for Stage 3 are to be debated. Selection criteria are set out in the Scottish Parliament’s Guidance on Public Bills.
selection panel	A group of MSPs, established to nominate a person for appointment by the Queen.
session	The period from the date of first meeting of the Parliament following a general election until it is dissolved.
Sewel convention	A convention that Westminster would not normally legislate on devolved matters without the consent of the Parliament.
Sewel motion	See Legislative Consent Motion
shadow	An informal term for opposition frontbench posts or structures mirroring those in the government.
Short money	An informal term for the scheme of assistance for registered non-Executive political parties in the Scottish Parliament.
simple majority	When the number of MSPs voting for a proposition is more than the number voting against it.
sitting day	A day when the Office of the Clerk is open and the Parliament is not in recess or dissolved.
Solicitor General for Scotland	The junior Scottish Law Officer.
SPCB Question Time	A period of up to 15 minutes when oral questions to the SPCB are taken in the Chamber.
SPCB's further expenditure plan	A spending plan provided by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body to the Parliament’s Finance Committee and to the Scottish Executive by 20 August each year (or by the first sitting day thereafter). It is provided under the written agreement between the SPCB and the Committee (SP Paper 156, June 2000) and reflects any changes in the SPCB’s provisional expenditure plan.
SPCB's provisional expenditure plan	A spending plan provided by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body to the Parliament’s Finance Committee and to the Scottish Executive by 1 March each year (or by the first sitting day thereafter) under the written agreement between the SPCB and the Committee (SP Paper 156, June 2000).
special adviser	A temporary civil servant appointed by the First Minister or the Deputy First Minister to advise Ministers on matters where the work of government and the work of the government parties overlap. Unlike permanent civil servants, special advisers do not have to behave with political impartiality, and must leave their posts if the First Minister or Deputy First Minister who appointed them leaves office.
special rules	The rules procedure that apply to particular types of bills and might supersede the general rules.
sponsorship	A registrable interest where an MSP receives any financial or material support on a regular basis to assist them as an MSP.
staff of the Parliament	The public servants provided by the SPCB for the Parliament's purposes.
staff of the Scottish Administration	Civil servants appointed by the Scottish Ministers or by office-holders in the Scottish Administration.
Stage 1	The stage when general principles of a public bill are considered and decided on.
Stage 2	The stage when amendments to a public bill can be considered by a committee of the Parliament.
Stage 3	The stage for final consideration and amendment of a public bill and for deciding whether it should be passed.
stages of private bills	The various formal stages of consideration of a private bill by the Parliament: Preliminary Stage, Consideration Stage, Final Stage and, if necessary, Reconsideration Stage (rules 9A.7-9A.11).
stages of public bills	The various formal stages of consideration of a public bill by the Parliament. Stage 1 is a consideration of, and a decision on, a bill’s general principles. Stage 2 is a consideration and amendment of the details of a bill by a parliamentary committee (or committees) or in a Committee of the Whole Parliament. Stage 3 is the final consideration and amendment of a bill and a decision whether it should be passed or rejected. There may also be a Reconsideration Stage if necessary (rules 9.5-9.8).
stages of the budget process	The 3 stages of the annual budgeting process in the Parliament, based on the report of the Financial Issues Advisory Group, and set out in the written agreement between the Parliament and the Scottish Ministers (SP Paper 155, June 2000). Stage 1 is a consideration of spending strategy, to enable the Parliament to express its views on the Scottish Ministers’ future expenditure priorities. Stage 2 is a consideration by the Parliament of the Scottish Ministers’ detailed spending proposals for the next financial year. Stage 3 is parliamentary consideration of the annual budget bill.
Standards and Public Appointments Committee	A mandatory committee of the Parliament, of 7 members, the remit of which is to consider and report on whether a member's conduct is in accordance with these Rules and any Code of Conduct for members, matters relating to members' interests, and any other matters relating to the conduct of members in carrying out their Parliamentary duties; the adoption, amendment and application of any Code of Conduct for members; and matters relating to public appointments in Scotland. Where the Committee considers it appropriate, it may by motion recommend that a member's rights and privileges be withdrawn to such extent and for such period as are specified in the motion. The committee must be established within 21 sitting days of a Scottish Parliament election. Until 18 March 2005, this committee was known as the Standards Committee. Merged with the Procedures Committee on 27 September 2007.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee	Formed as a result of the merger between the Standards and Public Appointments Committee and the Procedures Committee on 27 September 2007. A mandatory Committee of 7 members. The remit of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee is to consider and report on the practice and procedures of the Parliament in relation to its business; whether a member’s conduct is in accordance with these Rules and any Code of Conduct for members, matters relating to members’ interests, and any other matters relating to the conduct of members in carrying out their Parliamentary duties; the adoption, amendment and application of any Code of Conduct for members; and matters relating to public appointments in Scotland. Where the Committee considers it appropriate, it may by motion recommend that a member’s rights and privileges be withdrawn to such extent and for such period as are specified in the motion.
Standing Orders (SOs)	The rules governing how the Parliament conducts its business.
statement	An oral contribution during a meeting of the Parliament that does not arise out of a question or motion before the Parliament. It does not include points of order, Time for Reflection or remarks from the Chair. The main examples are personal statements and ministerial statements. In a more technical sense, ‘statement’ has the same meaning for the purposes of the Standing Orders as it has in section 17(1) of the Defamation Act 1996, that is, words, pictures, visual images, gestures or any other method of signifying meaning.
statute law repeals bill	A bill to repeal legislation that has become obsolete or otherwise unnecessary following recommendations from the Scottish Law Commission.
statute law repeals committee	A committee established by the Parliament to consider a statute law repeals bill.
statute law revision bill	A bill whose purpose is to revise statute law both by repealing laws no longer in force or which have become unnecessary and by re-enacting provisions of UK Acts or Acts of the Scottish Parliament which have otherwise become spent (rule 9.20).
statute law revision committee	A committee established by the Parliament to consider a statute law revision bill.
statutory instrument	The main form for legislation made by Ministers and others under powers delegated by an Act.
Strategic Leadership Team	The group comprising the Clerk/Chief Executive, three Assistant Clerk/Chief Executives and the Solicitor to the Parliament. The remit of the group is to prepare final proposals for the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on the budget, strategic plan and staffing. The group also has shared corporate responsibilities on the delivery of the strategic plan, striving for excellence in parliamentary service, corporate culture, raising parliamentary awareness and monitoring budget and key performance indicators.
sub judice rule	This rule requires that a matter in relation to which legal proceedings are active (as defined in rule 7.5.2) may not be referred to in proceedings of the Parliament, except in so far as is permitted by the Presiding Officer. The rule does not itself prevent the Parliament from legislating about any matter.
sub-committee	A body established by a parliamentary committee, with the approval of the Parliament, to consider and report to the committee on a matter within its remit. Normally, only members of the committee (other than committee substitutes) may be members of its sub-committees. The duration of a sub-committee is decided by the Parliament on a motion of the Parliamentary Bureau.
subject committee	A committee, other than a mandatory committee, established by the Parliament to deal with a particular subject.
subordinate legislation	Legislation made by a Minister or another authorised person, using powers granted under primary legislation, such as an Act.
Subordinate Legislation Committee	A mandatory committee of the Parliament, of 7 members, the remit of which is to consider and report on subordinate legislation laid before the Parliament, any Scottish Statutory Instrument not laid before the Parliament but classed as general according to its subject matter, and, in particular, to determine whether the attention of Parliament should be drawn to any of the matters mentioned in Rule 10.3.1; proposed powers to make subordinate legislation in particular Bills or other proposed legislation; general questions relating to powers to make subordinate legislation; and whether any proposed delegated powers in particular Bills or other legislation should be expressed as a power to make subordinate legislation. The committee must be established within 21 sitting days of a Scottish Parliament election.
super-affirmative procedure	This procedure provides for a greater degree of parliamentary scrutiny than is the case with instruments subject to ordinary affirmative resolution procedures. With orders subject to super-affirmative procedure, the Parliament is given the opportunity to comment on the proposals for a draft instrument before the instrument is laid and Ministers have to make a statement on how the Parliament's comments have been reflected in the instrument when it is formally laid.
Support Fund - Employees and Contingencies	Under the members' allowances scheme, the fund from which a number of employee and local office support costs are met.
suspension of the Standing Orders	A mechanism to allow normal rules to be dispensed with or varied.

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tax-varying resolution	A resolution of the Parliament to change the basic rate of income tax for Scottish taxpayers by up to 3p, or to cancel any previous such resolution.
temporary convener	A member of a parliamentary committee which does not have a deputy convener, and who is chosen by that committee to carry out the functions of deputy convener.
term	A word sometimes used to describe the period in the parliamentary calendar between two recesses.
themed question; themed Question Time	See Question Time
Time for Reflection	The period when an invited speaker addresses a meeting of the Parliament for up to 4 minutes.
Tower buildings	The Parliament buildings that provide office space for committee clerks, Scottish Executive Ministers and their staff.
Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee	A subject committee of the Parliament, of 8 members, the remit of the committee is to consider and report on matters relating to transport, infrastructure and climate change falling within the remit of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth.
Treaty of Union	The international treaty between the 2 independent kingdoms of Scotland and England which led to their union as the new state of Great Britain in 1707. The treaty was ratified by Acts of the two Parliaments (Acts of Union)

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UK and International Relations Office (IRO)	The IRO is responsible for co-ordinating visits to the Parliament from other legislatures, governments and international organisations. It also advises MSPs and Parliament staff on international issues, and supports the Scotland Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
ultra vires	When something is outwith a person or body's lawful powers.
union of the Crowns	The term used to describe what happened in 1603 when James VI of Scotland became also James I of England.
union of the Parliaments	The term sometimes used to describe what happened in 1707 when the 2 countries of Scotland and England united to form the new united kingdom of Great Britain, under the Treaty of Union, approved by Acts of the 2 Parliaments. Both Parliaments ceased to exist on the establishment of the new Parliament of Great Britain.
United Kingdom (UK)	The state comprising Great Britain (Scotland, England and Wales) and Northern Ireland.

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vacancy	The situation when a seat in the Parliament is vacant because of the death, disqualification or resignation of an MSP.
vires	A legal term for the competent authority of a person or body.
Visitor Services	The team arranges tickets for meetings of the Parliament, committees and tours, and is responsible for managing the exhibition and shop.
voting	The means by which decisions are made in the Parliament on questions before it when they are not agreed unanimously.

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West Lothian question	The colloquial name for the perceived constitutional anomalies that would be a consequence of a system of devolution applicable only to parts of the UK. It is named after the constituency of Tam Dalyell MP, who raised these difficulties during the parliamentary passage of devolution bills in the late 1970s. In narrow terms, the question was why MPs for Scottish constituencies would be able to speak and vote on matters affecting UK areas outwith Scotland when neither they nor MPs from those areas could speak or vote at Westminster on those matters as they affected Scotland if they had been devolved to a Scottish legislature.
Westminster	The colloquial name for the UK Parliament, comprising the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
whip, whipping	Informal terms, derived from Westminster parliamentary practice, for the enforcement of parliamentary party discipline and for those who enforce such discipline on behalf of a party or group. Whip is used as a colloquial term for the party business managers and others who fulfil this task in the Parliament, who, in some cases are described by their parties in these terms.
Whitehall	The colloquial name for the UK government generally, and the civil service bureaucracy in particular.
William Simpson`s Home (Transfer of Property Etc.) (Scotland) Bill Committee	An ad hoc committee of three members established to look at the William Simpson's Home (Transfer of Property Etc.) (Scotland) Bill.
winding up allowance	An allowances MSPs can use to wind up their parliamentary duties and activities when they cease to be members.
withdrawal (of a bill)	A bill may be withdrawn at any time by the member in charge but shall not be withdrawn after completion of Stage 1 except with the agreement of Parliament (rule 9.13). A private bill may be withdrawn at any time by the promoter. Where a private bill is withdrawn, another private bill in the same or similar terms may not be introduced by the same promoter within a period of 6 months from the date of which the private bill was withdrawn (rule 9A.15).
withdrawal of rights and privileges	A sanction that can be imposed on MSPs following a breach of the Code of Conduct for members.
witness	A person invited or required to attend a meeting of a committee for the purpose of giving evidence.
Written Answers Report (WAR)	A publication containing the answers to written questions and those questions not reached at a Question Time session in the Chamber.
written question	A question lodged by an MSP which is specified as being for written answer by the Scottish Executive or the SPCB.