Under consideration PE2283: Introduce Recording and Publication of MSP Attendance and Constituency Activity
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to introduce a system requiring MSPs’ attendance at debates and committees, as well as constituency activity such as surgeries and casework volumes, to be formally recorded and published annually, ensuring transparency and accountability in parliamentary duties.
Background information
At present, MSPs are not obliged to attend Parliament, and no central attendance records are kept. Attendance is managed privately by party whips, whose lists are not published. Constituency activity is left to each MSP’s discretion, with no independent measure of workload distribution or engagement. Committee minutes do record attendance, proving that such transparency is possible, yet chamber attendance and constituency casework remain hidden. This leaves constituents unable to verify whether their representatives are present and active, even as MSPs may hold second jobs, deliver paid talks, or cite overwhelming correspondence. The House of Lords recently revealed that over 100 peers failed to meet minimum attendance thresholds, underlining the risks of leaving attendance unenforced. Scotland has an opportunity to lead by example by adopting a modern, evidence based transparency model that records MSP attendance, constituency surgeries, and casework activity, and publishes this annually to strengthen accountability and public trust.
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