Foulkes urges First Minister's Questions overhaul

A VETERAN Scottish Labour figure has called for First Minister's Questions to be made more relevant.

Lord Foulkes has called for FMQs to be moved from their noon slot on Thursdays to the afternoon. He wants more opportunity for spontaneous supplementary questions. And he is demanding that the Presiding Officer curtails long questions and ensures that answers are relevant.

The Lothians MSP has written to the standards and procedures committee. His letter was partly prompted by what many observers saw as another poor FMQs yesterday. He said: "MSPs, constituents and people in the media have said to me First Minister's Questions has become less relevant, less spontaneous and less interesting than in the past."