Use of Sewel Motions

The motion

That the Parliament notes the Scottish Executive’s use of the convention known as the Sewel motion; recognises that there are occasional circumstances where the use of Sewel motions is an appropriate legislative route; believes that such motions should not be used for specifically political reasons and that an action of this nature would undermine the authority of the Parliament; further believes that it is possible for a process to be developed by which the Scottish Parliament can fully scrutinise a bill that is in passage at Westminster, and considers that this process would require a committee of the Scottish Parliament to consider the UK bill with sufficient time to take evidence and report, the Scottish Parliament to debate the committee’s report and agree recommendations for amendments to those parts of the bill that relate to Scotland, such recommendations to be submitted to the UK Parliament with sufficient time for their incorporation into the bill and a second Sewel motion to be considered by the Scottish Parliament to approve this bill as amended, before the bill is approved by the UK Parliament.


No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

Green 6 SSP 5 SNP 4 LD 2 Ind 1 Ind 1

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

No contribution in the Official Report cites S2M-00665 by reference.