# Committees of the Scottish Parliament

Scottish Parliament committees (Scottish Gaelic: Comataidhean Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) are small groups of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) who meet on a regular basis to scrutinise the work of the Scottish Government, conduct inquiries into subjects within their remit and examine legislation. Much of the everyday work of the Scottish Parliament is done by these committees.
Committees play a more prominent role in the functioning of the Scottish Parliament than in many other comparable parliamentary systems. Partly this is intended to curb executive dominance, partly to empower backbench members as they carry out the work of scrutinising government, partly to encourage public and expert involvement, and partly due to the unicameral nature of the Scottish Parliament, meaning there is no revising chamber.
Some key committees, known as Mandatory committees, are required by the Scottish Parliament's Standing Orders and are established at the beginning of each session and their remits determined by parliamentary rules. Subject committees deal with a particular subject or area. Many of these Subject committees have been in place in one form or another since the formation of the Scottish Parliament, while others are quickly created and disbanded as circumstances require. A third type of committee may also be established to consider particular issues or pieces of legislation, especially private bills that have been submitted to parliament.
Committees usually have between five and ten MSPs as members, who are selected to reflect the balance of the political parties in parliament as a whole. Committee meetings are held in the committee rooms of the Scottish Parliament Building when parliament is sitting. Committees may also choose to meet at other locations throughout Scotland.

## Conveners Group

The Conveners Group is not a committee in the ordinary sense, but is a forum where committee conveners meet to discuss the operation of committees and to liaise with other parliamentary bodies. The Conveners Group makes recommendations regarding the scheduling of committee business in the debating chamber and has the authority to allow committee meetings to take place in locations other than the Scottish Parliament Building. The Conveners Group is chaired by the Presiding Officer or their deputy.

## Current committees
### Mandatory

Mandatory committees are set up under the Scottish Parliament's Standing Orders, which govern their remits and proceedings. Mandatory committees are established at the beginning of each parliamentary session.
* Citizen Participation and Public Petitions
* Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture
* Delegated Powers and Law Reform
* Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice
* Finance and Public Administration
* Public Audit
* Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments

### Subject

Subject committees are formed at the beginning of each parliamentary session. These committees typically correspond with one (or more) of the directorates or ministries of the Scottish Government. Additional Subject committees can be created as the need arises, such as the committee established in 2020 to examine the Scottish Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.
* COVID-19 Recovery
* Criminal Justice
* Economy and Fair Work
* Education, Children and Young People
* Health, Social Care and Sport
* Local Government, Housing and Planning
* Net Zero, Energy and Transport
* Rural Affairs and Islands
* Social Justice and Social Security

### Other

Issues not within the scope of the Mandatory or Subject committees, especially the examination of private bills, are considered by separate committees created solely for that purpose. Private bills typically relate to bills where the private interests of a person, group or organisation are the main focus of the bill (as opposed to being generally applicable across Scotland).
Such Private bills have been used to legislate for large-scale development projects such as infrastructure projects that require the use of land or property. Such committees have in the past been set up to consider legislation and issues relating to the development of the Edinburgh Trams, the Glasgow Airport rail link, the Airdrie–Bathgate rail link and extensions to the Scottish National Gallery.
Separate committees have also been established to consider Hybrid bills. These are bill that have both a general application in law across Scotland, but also majorly affect the private interests of a specific person, group or organisation.

## Previous committees
### First session

* Audit
* Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill
* Education, Culture and Sport
* Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
* Equal Opportunities
* European
* European and External Relations
* Finance
* Health and Community Care
* Justice and Home Affairs
* Justice 1
* Justice 2
* Local Government
* National Galleries of Scotland Bill
* Procedures
* Public Petitions
* Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm (Navigation and Fishing) (Scotland) Bill
* Rural Affairs
* Rural Development
* Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Bill
* Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Bill
* Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector
* Social Justice
* Standards
* Subordinate Legislation
* Transport and the Environment

### Second session

* Adhoc Standards
* Airdrie-Bathgate Railway and Linked Improvements Bill
* Audit
* Baird Trust Reorganisation Bill
* Communities
* Edinburgh Airport Rail Link Bill
* Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Bill
* Edinburgh Tram (Line Two) Bill
* Education
* Enterprise and Culture
* Environment and Rural Development
* Equal Opportunities
* European and External Relations
* Finance
* Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill
* Health
* Interests of Members of the Scottish Parliament Bill
* Justice 1
* Justice 2
* Justice 2 Sub
* Local Government and Transport
* Procedures
* Public Petitions
* Standards
* Standards and Public Appointments
* Stirling - Alloa - Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill
* Subordinate Legislation
* Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill

### Third session

* Audit
* Economy, Energy and Tourism
* Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture
* End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill
* Equal Opportunities
* European and External Relations
* Finance
* Forth Crossing Bill
* Health and Sport
* Justice
* Local Government and Communities
* Procedures
* Public Audit
* Public Petitions
* Review of SPCB Supported Bodies
* Rural Affairs and Environment
* Scotland Bill
* Scottish Parliamentary Pension Bill
* Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme
* Standards and Public Appointments
* Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments
* Subordinate Legislation
* Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
* Ure Elder Fund Transfer and Dissolution Bill
* William Simpson's Home (Transfer of Property etc.) (Scotland) Bill

### Fourth session

* Burrell Collection (Lending and Borrowing) (Scotland) Bill
* City of Edinburgh Council (Leith Links and Surplus Fire Fund) Bill
* City of Edinburgh Council (Portobello Park) Bill
* Delegated Powers and Law Reform
* Devolution (Further Powers)
* Economy, Energy and Tourism
* Education and Culture
* Equal Opportunities
* European and External Relations
* Finance
* Health and Sport
* Infrastructure and Capital Investment
* Interests of Members of the Scottish Parliament (Amendment) Bill
* Justice
* Justice Sub-Committee on Policing
* Local Government and Regeneration
* National Galleries of Scotland Bill
* National Trust for Scotland (Governance etc.) Bill
* Pentland Hills Regional Park Boundary Bill
* Public Audit
* Public Petitions
* Referendum (Scotland) Bill
* Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment
* Scotland Bill
* Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments
* Subordinate Legislation
* Welfare Reform

### Fifth session

* COVID-19
* Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints
* Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations
* Delegated Powers and Law Reform
* Economy, Jobs and Fair Work
* Edinburgh Bakers' Widows' Fund Bill
* Education and Skills
* Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
* Equalities and Human Rights
* Finance and Constitution
* Health and Sport
* Hutchesons' Hospital Transfer and Dissolution (Scotland) Bill
* Justice
* Justice Sub-Committee on Policing
* Local Government and Communities
* Pow of Inchaffray Drainage Commission (Scotland) Bill
* Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny
* Public Petitions
* Rural Economy and Connectivity
* Social Security
* Solicitors in the Supreme Courts of Scotland (Amendment) Bill
* Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments
* Writers to the Signet Dependants' Annuity Fund Amendment (Scotland) Bill