Kirk asks commissioners to ‘punch in’ for General Assembly

It passed proposals by the Assembly Arrangements Committee that all those attending the event must be present at 80 per cent of sessions - 10 out of 13 of them - if they are to qualify for their expenses being reimbursed.

To do this, the Assembly has introduced new individual handsets that mean people will effectively ‘punch in’ when they vote during sessions, registering their presence.

The Rev Janet Mathieson, convener of the committee, said that the move was not about saving money, so much as ensuring value for money.

“I’m sure that many commissioners are wearily familiar that is so often asked at the end of Assembly when they have returned to the parishes and congregations from where they have come: ‘Did you enjoy your wee break in Edinburgh?’,” she said.

“And try as one might, it is often impossible to persuade such questioners that General Assembly week has not been spent in the coffee bars, department store and tourist spots of the capital.

“This year, however, the Assembly Arrangements Committee seeks to help in the process of convincing the folks back home that a week spent at the General Assembly is a week spent in the Assembly Hall, at worship and at work. The proposed new arrangements for recording attendance will demonstrate clearly that commissioners are not having a wee break in Edinburgh, but are fully engaged with the important work of this court.”

She said that the move came from concerns about poorly attended sessions, and that the Kirk had to act to demonstrate to the church at large that finances were being used properly: “As the largest charity in Scotland, the Church of Scotland has a duty and an obligation to ensure and show good practice with regard to governance, and the committee believes these proposals just that.”

Payment of expenses is also dependent on the return of the handset.

Currently, commissioners receive £55 per day in overnight expenses.

The Assembly supported the moves, which will come into effect immediately, though an attempt to raise the minimum number of attendance to 13 was rejected by a vote of 50 to 499. However, it was pointed out that it was still possible to circumvent this new rule.

The Rev Klaus Buwert, from Wishaw, said: “Does it mean I can [come in during the morning] press a button on my handset and then go and spend the rest of the day drinking coffee in Edinburgh?”

Prior to the start of the business, the Lord High Commissioner, James Alexander Douglas Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas, addressed the Assembly, stating that the Kirk had a pivotal role in the debate in the current financial turmoil.

“We are living through very troubled economic times, and the behaviour of some people at the top of the financial sector has caused widespread disillusionment, excessive rewards gained, apparently even after failure, have caused members of the public and politicians to reassess and in some cases rediscover the ethical values that underpin our civic society. The church has much to contribute in such soul searching debates.”

He also voiced the concern that one of the most worrying aspects of the economic turbulence was the danger of young people becoming “alienated from society because they have no job”.