The Scottish Parliament
From SR
History
Scotland was granted devolution by the passing of the Scotland Act in 1998 which means that Scotland has a Scottish parliament with ‘devolved’ powers within the United Kingdom. Devolution is the delegation of power from a central government to local bodies. Any powers which remain with the UK Parliament at Westminster are reserved. Essentially the powers of the Scottish Parliament are set out by what it does not have legislative competence in rather than in what it can do.
Roles
Devolved powers: Matters such as education, health and prisons, which used to be dealt with by the Parliament at Westminster, are now decided in Scotland. Reserved powers: Decisions (mostly about matters with a UK or international impact) are reserved and dealt with at Westminster.
Committees
Committees play a central part in the work of the Parliament – taking evidence from witnesses, scrutinising legislation and conducting inquiries.
