Power to the People!

Unleashing the Power of the People: Holyrood Committee urges bold moves to enhance public participation

A Holyrood Committee which has been considering how the public engages with the Scottish Parliament has published a new report which makes a series of recommendations on removing barriers to participation, embedding deliberative democracy and establishing regular ‘Citizen’s Panels’ to support the scrutiny work of the Parliament.   

The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee (CPPPC) undertook a year-long inquiry into Public Participation, recognising that the views of some groups and marginalised communities across Scotland weren’t being heard enough in the Parliament.  

The inquiry focussed on what more could be done to bring the Parliament closer to the people and how to improve wider public participation in parliamentary scrutiny.  

To assist the inquiry, the Committee established its own “Citizens’ Panel” – a group of 19 people from across Scotland who were asked: “How can the Scottish Parliament ensure that diverse voices and communities from all parts of Scotland influence our work?”  

The Panel met over two weekends in late 2022 and made 17 recommendations which were published in the Committee’s interim report.  

Following this, the Committee concluded that the Parliament should use Citizens’ Panels more regularly to help committees with scrutiny work as they give the public a greater voice and can help achieve consensus on difficult issues. 

The Committee has recommended that the Parliament should hold two further Citizens’ Panel pilots this session, one undertaking post-legislative scrutiny and the other looking at a live political issue.  

Following these panels, the Committee will then review how well they worked before seeking to suggest a more permanent model that the Parliament can adopt after the 2026 election.  

The Committee recommends that, each time a Panel is set up to help a committee with an inquiry as recommended, the subsequent report should be debated in the Parliament Chamber, with Panel members invited to watch from the public gallery. 

As well as considering how future Citizens’ Panels might work, the Committee has considered other ways that people can find out what the Parliament is doing, and how to get involved. Some of the ideas it looked at came from the recommendations made by its own Citizens’ Panel.  

The Committee agreed with the need to reduce the barriers to public participation with the Parliament and supported additional recommendations including:  

• paying people back if they have to take time off work or pay for childcare to engage 
• translating information into other languages, or making it easier to read 
• making it easier for people to engage in the evenings or at weekends, or by using online tools  
• considering a review of citizenship education in schools 

Throughout the inquiry, the CPPPC examined various mechanisms for citizen engagement and looked at how “Citizens’ Assemblies” at varying levels of government were being implemented and operated in other European countries including Belgium, France and Ireland.  

Committee members also considered suggestions for broader Parliamentary reform put forward by the Panel including changes to the Code of Conduct for MSPs, an evaluation of the Presiding Officer’s authority to ensure Ministers give adequate responses to questions, and the possibility of dedicating weekly parliamentary time for the public questioning of Ministers. 

Commenting, Convener of the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, Jackson Carlaw MSP said: “Over the course of the past year, we’ve heard time and time again that the Parliament doesn’t hear enough from some groups and communities across Scotland. This report is therefore a significant milestone in our pursuit of a more inclusive parliamentary process.  

“The recommendations, particularly the introduction of increasingly regular Citizens’ Panels and the embedding of deliberative democracy in the work of the Parliament, underscore our commitment to amplifying diverse voices.  

“This report sets a strong foundation for a more participatory and collaborative democracy in Scotland, and we hope it will be welcomed by the Citizens’ Panel that was integral to its development, as well as Parliamentary colleagues from across the political spectrum.” 

Citizens’ Panel member, Jaya Rao, from the North East said: “Participating in the Citizens’ Panel and visiting the Scottish Parliament was a truly enlightening experience.

“Interacting with diverse individuals and witnessing the democratic process first-hand has deepened my appreciation for our shared commitment to a better future for Scotland.”

Citizens’ Panel member, John Sultman, from Glasgow added: “This experience has shown me how much difference turning up and speaking up can make.” 

Citizens’ Panel member Alan Currie, from Glasgow. said: “Our seventeen recommendations were taken seriously by MSPs and the Committee, due to the facilitators, experts and presentations, which enabled us to learn more about not just the Parliament, but the concept of deliberative democracy, improving parliaments ability to reach and engage the public.”

The full report and recommendations can be found on the Scottish Parliament website.  

Alongside this the report is being published in a longer version and a summary version, in multiple languages, in BSL and Easy Read, reflecting the range of groups who engaged in the inquiry and demonstrating the importance of making the Parliament’s work accessible to all.