# Scottish Affairs Select Committee

The Scottish Affairs Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (and prior to that, the Scottish Office), and relations with the Scottish Parliament. It also looks at the administration and expenditure of the Advocate General for Scotland.
Unlike the Scottish Grand Committee, MPs from constituencies outside Scotland can, and do, sit on the Scottish Affairs Committee.

## Predecessors

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

## Membership

Membership of the committee is as follows:
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Patricia Ferguson MP (chair) | Labour | Glasgow West |
| Maureen Burke MP | Labour | Glasgow North East |
| Harriet Cross MP | Conservative | Gordon and Buchan |
| Stephen Flynn MP | Scottish National Party | Aberdeen South |
| Lillian Jones MP | Labour | Kilmarnock and Loudoun |
| Angus Macdonald MP | Liberal Democrats | Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire |
| Douglas McAllister MP | Labour | West Dunbartonshire |
| Susan Murray MP | Liberal Democrats | Mid Dunbartonshire |
| Jack Rankin MP | Conservative | Windsor |
| Elaine Stewart MP | Labour | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock |
| Kirsteen Sullivan MP | Labour | Bathgate and Linlithgow |

## 2019-2024 Parliament

The chair was elected on 27 January 2020. Members of the committee were announced on 2 March 2020, but Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) objected to the appointment, claiming that not enough Scottish MPs had been selected. The debate was adjourned, and the committee was eventually constituted on 4 May 2020, when the list of proposed members was put before the house without objection.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Pete Wishart MP (chair) | Scottish National Party | Perth & North Perthshire |
| Mhairi Black MP | Scottish National Party | Paisley and Renfrewshire South |
| Andrew Bowie MP | Conservative | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine |
| Deidre Brock MP | Scottish National Party | Edinburgh North and Leith |
| Wendy Chamberlain MP | Liberal Democrats | North East Fife |
| Alberto Costa MP | Conservative | South Leicestershire |
| Jon Cruddas MP | Labour | Dagenham and Rainham |
| David Duguid MP | Conservative | Banff and Buchan |
| Sally-Ann Hart MP | Conservative | Hastings and Rye |
| John Lamont MP | Conservative | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk |
| Liz Twist MP | Labour | Blaydon |

### Changes since 2019

| Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
| 15 June 2020 | David Duguid MP (Conservative) | Banff and Buchan | → | Douglas Ross MP (Conservative) | Moray | Hansard |
| 8 November 2022 | Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative) | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | → | David Duguid MP (Conservative) | Banff and Buchan | Hansard |
| 9 January 2023 | Mhairi Black MP (SNP) | Paisley and Renfrewshire South | → | Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP) | Central Ayrshire | Hansard |
| 21 February 2023 | Jon Cruddas MP (Labour) | Dagenham and Rainham | → | Christine Jardine MP (Liberal Democrats) | Edinburgh West | Hansard |
| 21 February 2023 | Liz Twist MP (Labour) | Blaydon | → | Andrew Western MP (Labour) | Stretford and Urmston | Hansard |
| 22 May 2023 | John Lamont MP (Conservative) | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | → | Mark Menzies MP (Conservative) | Fylde | Hansard |
| 18 September 2023 | Deidre Brock MP (SNP) | Edinburgh North and Leith | → | Alan Brown MP (SNP) | Kilmarnock and Loudoun | Hansard |
| 18 September 2023 | Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP) | Central Ayrshire | → | Anum Qaisar MP (SNP) | Airdrie and Shotts | Hansard |
| 22 January 2024 | Andrew Western MP (Labour) | Stretford and Urmston | → | Michael Shanks MP (Labour) | Rutherglen and Hamilton West | Hansard |
* ↑ Unusually, this motion was voted on by MPs. David Linden objected the nomination due to Labour nominating a Liberal Democrat MP to one of their vacant positions. Since both appointments were within the same motion, both were voted on. Members of select committees for each party are decided within the party, and parties can choose any MP to serve for one of their seats, including from outside of their party. The appointment passed with 383 votes to 37.
* ↑ Whip suspended from 17 April 2024 to dissolution.

## 2017-2019 Parliament

The election of the chair took place on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Pete Wishart MP (chair) | Scottish National Party | Perth and North Perthshire |
| Deidre Brock MP | Scottish National Party | Edinburgh North and Leith |
| David Duguid MP | Conservative | Banff and Buchan |
| Hugh Gaffney MP | Labour | Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill |
| Christine Jardine MP | Liberal Democrats | Edinburgh West |
| Ged Killen MP | Labour and Co-op | Rutherglen and Hamilton West |
| John Lamont MP | Conservative | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk |
| Paul Masterton MP | Conservative | East Renfrewshire |
| Danielle Rowley MP | Labour and Co-op | Midlothian |
| Tommy Sheppard MP | Scottish National Party | Edinburgh East |
| Ross Thomson MP | Conservative | Aberdeen South |

### Changes 2017-2019

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

## 2015-2017 Parliament

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 6 July 2015.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Pete Wishart MP (chair) | Scottish National Party | Perth and North Perthshire |
| David Anderson MP | Labour | Blaydon |
| Kirsty Blackman MP | Scottish National Party | Aberdeen North |
| Christopher Chope MP | Conservative | Christchurch |
| Jim Cunningham MP | Labour | Coventry South |
| Margaret Ferrier MP | Scottish National Party | Rutherglen and Hamilton West |
| Stephen Hepburn MP | Labour | Jarrow |
| Chris Law MP | Scottish National Party | Dundee West |
| Dr Dan Poulter MP | Conservative | Central Suffolk and North Ipswich |
| John Stevenson MP | Conservative | Carlisle |
| Maggie Throup MP | Conservative | Erewash |

### Changes 2015-2017

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

## 2010-2015 Parliament

The chair was elected on 10 June 2010, with members being announced on 12 July 2010.
| Member | Party | Constituency |
| Ian Davidson MP (chair) | Labour and Co-op | Glasgow Govan |
| Fiona Bruce MP | Conservative | Congleton |
| Cathy Jamieson MP | Labour | Dundee West |
| Jim McGovern MP | Labour | Kilmarnock and Loudoun |
| Mark Menzies MP | Conservative | Fylde |
| David Mowat MP | Conservative | Warrington South |
| Fiona O'Donnell MP | Labour | East Lothian |
| Alan Reid MP | Liberal Democrats | Argyll and Bute |
| Lindsay Roy MP | Labour | Glenrothes |
| Julian Smith MP | Conservative | Skipton and Ripon |
| Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP | Scottish National Party | Banff and Buchan |

### Changes 2010-2015

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

## List of chairs

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