Holyrood should consider holding daily question time sessions – Alison Johnstone

Holyrood should consider introducing a daily question time session to help make the Parliament “responsive”, outgoing Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone has said.

With MSPs currently having to meet deadlines when submitting questions for ministers, Ms Johnstone said a daily session, where MSPs could question the government, would remove that.

Such a change would help make Holyrood “as responsive as we can be,” she said and would help with “discussing the issues that matter to the people of Scotland”.

Ms Johnstone, who is stepping down as an MSP at May’s Scottish Parliament election, but remains as Presiding Officer until her successor is chosen by the new batch of MSPs, said: “I would like to see Parliament consider a daily question time.”

Speaking to BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show Ms Johnstone said in her time as Presiding Officer she had taken “absolutely as many urgent questions and topical questions as I have been able to”.

Stressing that such “scrutiny is essential,” she added she had worked to allow “as many members as I can to put questions to the Government on behalf of their constituents”.

However, clashes with the Conservatives – who last year accused the Presiding Officer of having a “blatant bias” against them – saw her twice eject former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross from the Scottish Parliament chamber.

Ms Johnstone said her relationship with Mr Ross – who is also stepping down as an MSP – had “absolutely not” broken down.

But she said it was “absolutely the case” that when she is presiding over sessions at Holyrood she is “working on behalf of all 128 members in enforcing the standing orders” – the rules which govern proceedings at Holyrood.

Stressing that it is “very important each and every member in the chamber has that opportunity to optimally represent their constituents”, Ms Johnstone was clear that “where there is something going on that is impacting that ability it is up to me to act”.

Asked about her relationship with Mr Ross she said: “I’m in the chair carrying out an impartial role, scrupulously, on behalf of all members of the Scottish Parliament and I wish each and every member well for the future.”

She continued: “Each and every week in every session I have ensured that across the piece, across these five years, every party and every member has had optimal opportunity to put questions.

“I have no doubt if anyone were to look at that they would see that is borne out by the facts.”

Ms Johnstone, who previously worked for former Scottish Green MSP Robin Harper at Holyrood before becoming an MSP herself in 2011 said she had been “very fortunate” to have “had the privilege of working in Parliament practically from its establishment in 1999”.

She recalled: “I actually joined the campaign for a Scottish Parliament before I joined a political party, so I have always been very committed to the devolved parliament.”

But she stated while she was leaving Holyrood “after six very busy fulfilling sessions” she would “not be leaving politics”, saying she will “be very interested always in our national debate”.