Editing Scottish Parliament (section)

== Committees ==
{{main|Committees of the Scottish Parliament}}

[[File:Scottish Parliament - Committee Room (5732688523).jpg|thumb|right|A Committee Room in the [[Scottish Parliament Building]]]]
[[File:Shona Robison before the Civil Justice Committee 2022.jpg|thumb|right|[[Shona Robison]], [[Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government]] before the Civil Justice Committee]]

Much of the work of the Scottish Parliament is done in [[committee]]. The role of committees is stronger in the Scottish Parliament than in other parliamentary systems, partly as a means of strengthening the role of backbenchers in their scrutiny of the government<ref>Dardanelli (2005), p. 185.</ref> and partly to compensate for the fact that there is no revising chamber. The principal role of committees in the Scottish Parliament is to take evidence from witnesses, conduct inquiries and scrutinise legislation.<ref name="Committee">{{cite web |title=The Scottish Parliament Committees |url=http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/committees.aspx |access-date=1 July 2016 |publisher=Scottish Parliament |archive-date=21 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721035817/http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/committees.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Committee meetings take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning when Parliament is sitting. Committees can also meet at other locations throughout Scotland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Finance Committee to meet in Perth |url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-comm-01/cfin01-002.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050321205926/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-comm-01/cfin01-002.htm |archive-date=21 March 2005 |access-date=22 November 2006 |publisher=Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe)}}</ref>

Committees comprise a small number of MSPs, who look at specific subjects such as health, the economy or justice. They play a central role in the work of the Scottish parliament because, unlike the UK Parliament, the Scottish parliament is a single-chamber parliament. The committees can thus, consider and amend proposals for new laws, they can also propose new laws themselves. The committees can investigate any area that is within their remit and publish recommendations, and can also report on petitions that have been submitted by members of the public or groups.<ref name="Committee" /><ref name="CommitteeInfo">{{cite web |date=December 2014 |title=Scottish Parliament committees – what are they and what do they do? |url=http://www.parliament.scot/PublicInformationdocuments/SP_WDCD_-_English_-_December_2014.pdf |access-date=1 July 2016 |publisher=Scottish Parliament |archive-date=20 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820113131/http://www.parliament.scot/PublicInformationdocuments/SP_WDCD_-_English_-_December_2014.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> The current Mandatory Committees in the fourth Session of the Scottish Parliament are: Public [[Audit]]; Equal Opportunities; [[Politics of Europe|European]] and External Relations; Finance; Public Petitions; Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments; and Delegated Powers and Law Reform.<ref name="Committee" />

Subject Committees are established at the beginning of each parliamentary session, and again the members on each committee reflect the balance of parties across Parliament. Typically each committee corresponds with one (or more) of the departments (or ministries) of the Scottish Government. The current Subject Committees in the fourth Session are: Economy, Energy and Tourism; [[Education in Scotland|Education and Culture]]; [[NHS Scotland|Health and Sport]]; [[Scots law|Justice]]; [[Local government in Scotland|Local Government and Regeneration]]; Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment; Welfare Reform; and [[Transport in Scotland|Infrastructure and Capital Investment]].<ref name="Committee" />

A further type of committee is normally set up to scrutinise [[private bill]]s submitted to the Scottish Parliament by an outside party or promoter who is not a member of the Scottish Parliament or Scottish Government. Private bills normally relate to large-scale development projects such as infrastructure projects that require the use of land or property.<ref name="PrivateBillCommitteeMeetings">{{cite web |title=Bills explained: Private Bills |url=https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/about-bills/how-a-bill-becomes-an-act/private-bill |access-date=1 July 2016 |publisher=Scottish Parliament}}</ref> Private Bill Committees have been set up to consider legislation on issues such as the development of the [[Edinburgh Tram Network]], the [[Glasgow Airport Rail Link]], the [[Airdrie–Bathgate rail link]] and extensions to the [[National Gallery of Scotland]].<ref name="PrivateBillCommitteeMeetings" />