Remote voting for MSPs as Scottish Parliament set to return after short recess

Presiding officer Ken Macintosh confirmed the new ‘hybrid’ model for Holyrood in an email to MSPs.

The Scottish Parliament will see remote voting and 'hybrid' sessions take place from today

MSPs will be allowed to work from home full-time due to new measures put in place by the Scottish Parliament to allow for continued social distancing.

Presiding officer Ken Macintosh said the measures would be in place for “the longer term” but said the new ”hybrid” structure, partially in place with Zoom-based committee meetings prior to the summer recess, would allow MSPs to “continue to undertake parliamentary scrutiny”.

Remote voting, which had not been in place prior to the brief summer recess, will now be rolled out meaning MSPs who live in the remoter parts of Scotland will no longer be forced to travel to Edinburgh to vote on parliamentary business.

Mr Macintosh said he was “satisfied” the new remote system was “sufficiently reliable and secure” following testing over the summer.

Committee meetings will also be able to take place in a ‘hybrid’ structure, which will see some MSPs joining remotely while the committee sits in the a committee room at Holyrood.

The system will be available in two of the six committee meetings from today, with plans for all six to have the system in place by the start of September.

When parliament sits on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Mr Macintosh confirmed it would be a “hybrid” chamber, with virtual only meetings taking place over Zoom on Thursdays.

However, it is anticipated that normal three-day sittings will return in the autumn.

Mr Macintosh said: “Over these past few months, our priority has been to ensure you are in a position to continue to undertake parliamentary scrutiny and feel supported in carrying out all your duties.

"What has become clear is that many of the restrictions which have affected not only our day to day lives, but also how we work, are here for the longer term and so it is important that as a Parliament we continue to provide new opportunities to support you in that work.

“Following extensive testing, I am pleased to say that we will now be in a position to offer remote voting. The system, which will be available for use when we come back next week, will allow everyone taking part in Chamber business to vote, whether you are physically present in Holyrood or participating by videoconference.

“Just as is possible in the Chamber, we are now also able to hold fully accessible hybrid committee meetings, allowing some Members to be in a committee room in Holyrood, whilst others join remotely.

“Finally, I want to remind everyone of our plans for business for the first few weeks in August. The sitting pattern for the coming weeks will continue the arrangements put in place before the summer and see us sit in the Chamber in hybrid business on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with virtual meetings taking place on Thursdays.

"Colleagues on the Bureau and I, however, are considering the business pattern as we move ahead and there is an expectation that we will return to the more recognisable full three day sittings as we head in to the autumn.

“Again, can I thank you for your continued support, assistance and patience as we navigate our way through these changes. I am sure that, like me, you appreciate the considerable efforts of colleagues and parliamentary staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure that we have robust systems in place to support us in carrying out our duties.”

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