Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office, Edinburgh - Briefing Document Nine

Email SCPO

Parliamentary Officer:Rev Graham Blount
Phone:
0131 558 8137

Briefing Document No 9 - Page 2 of 4

Making a Difference - Continued.

3. What do you want to achieve?

Are you just wanting to show what your Committee is doing, or do you want to point out a problem which Parliament should look at? Do you have specific proposals for Executive action or Parliamentary legislation, or do you want to express a viewpoint on a current proposal? Do you want your MSP to support a particular proposal, or do you want to change someone's mind on an issue? (Like the rest of us, politicians who have said something publicly don't often change their view. That's not to say it isn't worth trying, but it needs careful thought and imagination to be effective - better to get in before minds are made up). Make it clear what response you are looking for.

4. What kind of contact?

Depending on your objectives, you should think about whether a letter, email or phone-call would be most appropriate. Other possibilities would include arranging a meeting (presenting a briefing face-to-face is more likely to be effective), or inviting someone to speak at your event or to visit your project to see what you are talking about.

5. Who should you contact?

(a) Individual MSPs
You can contact your own constituency MSP either by letter or e-mail to their Parliamentary address (The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP; email addresses are all firstname. surname.msp@scottish.parliament.uk) or by attending a local "surgery" (advertised in local papers, etc). MSPs do take account of constituents' views and can get answers for you from Ministers or may even ask Parliamentary questions on issues you raise.

You also have seven "list" MSPs covering your region, probably of different parties from your constituency MSP. Although relationships are still being worked out, you can certainly contact them (without playing them off in party terms against your constituency MSP). Churches may also want to contact MSPs they know to be sympathetic or interested, either in general or on a particular issue. Remember no MSP will take up a local issue outwith their own area.

MSPs also have assistants and/or researchers. They can be a buffer or a good way into contact; they may well have time to read something and pass on information to their bosses, so don't give up if you feel "fobbed off" with a researcher.

(b) Parliamentary Committees
If the issue you are raising is being discussed by a Parliamentary Committee, or is within their remit, you should contact the Committee through its clerk; you can also contact individual members of the Committee (all Committees have representatives of each of the four main parties). Some Committees may have appointed "Reporters - members of the Committee who will take the lead on a particular issue; these could be key people to make contact with. Full details of Committees are available from SCPO.

Committees take written and/or oral evidence on topics they are dealing with. If you want to give oral evidence (it might be a better way to put your case, but you need to be ready for the possibility of tough questions), you will have to make a case for why your group should be heard, and decide who should speak for you - normally a maximum of three people from any organisation.

Committee meetings are open to the public - see Parliament's website for details or meetings, or from SCPO - but you'll need to order a ticket in advance as space is very limited (phone 0131 348 5000). You can get Minutes or full official reports of Committee Meetings on the Parliamentary website or from the Stationery Office.