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A PARTNERSHIP FOR A BETTER SCOTLAND: PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

DEVELOPING A CONFIDENT, DEMOCRATIC SCOTLAND

GOVERNANCE

Introduction

A forward-looking successful country needs a democratic framework that works well for its people. We will work with others to shape effective partnerships which put the needs of communities and the country first.

There are some decisions that require to be made in Europe to be most effective. There are other decisions best made at a UK or Scottish level. We support the principle of subsidiarity so that the right decisions are made at the right level including within Scotland.

We need a stable, devolved Scotland. We will ensure that the work of the Scottish Parliament matches the priorities of the Scottish people.

We believe in elected local government and recognise its crucial importance. We will work with local government in the shared objectives of ensuring responsiveness to local people and their well being.

We want to ensure high quality public services for every community and local services that help build communities. We believe effective local services are best delivered by elected councils, in partnership with the voluntary sector and other local bodies. We will make sure local services join up to deliver for the communities they serve.

We will renew local democracy, acting to improve democratic participation and widen the range of people who become involved in local government.

We will invest for the future. We will seek to maximise the value to the public of all our expenditure. We will protect public spending that saves the taxpayer money in the long term. We will not use the income tax varying power of the Scottish Parliament.

To maintain the stability, effectiveness and accessibility of the Parliament, we continue to support the retention of 129 MSPs.

High level commitments

We will advance Scotland's place in Europe and the wider world by:

• working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Scotland Office to promote Scottish interests through the UK network of embassies and consulates around the world
• working to represent Scotland in the EU, both directly and through the strength of the UK government
• expanding the constructive role of Scotland within the European Union through collaboration with other legislative regions and nations
• building on the interest the establishment of the Scottish Parliament has generated by forging links with new EU member states and developing countries
• engaging positively as a member of the British-Irish Council.

We will renew local democracy by:

• reforming voting arrangements in order to increase participation, including further investigation of postal and electronic voting
• introducing for the next local government elections the proportional Single Transferable Vote system of election. The multi-member wards would have either 3 or 4 members, depending on local circumstances.

We will help improve local public services, in partnership with local authorities by:

• encouraging local authorities to ensure that Community Planning works effectively, including finding new and innovative ways of involving their local communities, protecting public services in rural and urban areas and developing new multi-function facilities
• eliminating inefficiencies and reducing barriers to quality by selectively reviewing the boundaries of public organisations that deliver services to identify areas where the creation of coterminous boundaries would facilitate their co-operative work
• following consultation with COSLA, we will establish an independent review into local government finance
• actively implementing the protocol which ends the two-tier workforce and protects workers who are transferred to new employers under contracts for the delivery of public services.

We will help improve the public service infrastructure in a way that delivers best value, continuing to develop a range of funding options including PPP, where appropriate, and other innovative and workable models.

Supporting activity

Scotland's place in Europe and the wider world

• We will continue to champion Scotland's interests in appropriate EU Council meetings and inside the UK and will work with Scotland's MEPs to help promote a united voice in the European Parliament.
• We will assist the Scottish Parliament in its role in scrutinising European legislation.
• We will promote the need for an effective regional policy in Europe.
• We will build on our participation at the Earth Summit held in Johannesburg by working with the UK Government, where appropriate, to meet our commitments to tackle climate change, and promote renewable energy and other aspects of sustainability.
• We will encourage the work of Scotland's NGOs which are active in international education programmes, disaster relief and encouraging international development.
• We will work with our excellent academic institutions to promote research links, education and student exchanges to raise Scotland's profile and increase opportunities for our young people and build global networks with Scottish institutions at their heart.

Improving the Executive's contribution to the working of the Parliament

• We will support robust Parliamentary arrangements to hold the Executive to account.
• We will continue to require NDPBs to submit their performance and results to Parliament.
• We will ask the Scottish Law Commission to investigate methods by which legislation can be published in plain English.
• We will continue to support awards for contribution to public service and the well being of Scotland.

Renewing local democracy

• We will remove unnecessary political restrictions on standing for local authority election.
• We will lower the age limit for local government candidates to 18.
• We will establish an independent remuneration committee for councillors and bring forward severance and pension arrangements for local authority councillors.

Environment in the public sector

• We will take measures to reduce energy use, including the increased use of solar power and the introduction of energy conservation measures, throughout the public sector.
• We will retain Scottish Water in public ownership and will support it with the resources necessary to invest in our public water and sewerage services so that they meet health standards.
• We will legislate to introduce strategic environmental assessment to ensure that the full environmental impacts of all new strategies, programmes and plans developed by the public sector are properly considered.
• We will use the public purchasing rules to enhance the status of recycled goods and those capable of reuse.

WORKING TOGETHER

Introduction

The partnership parties' objective is to form and maintain the devolved Government of Scotland until the dissolution of Parliament before the election in 2007. To achieve this they will make every effort to resolve any disagreements which may arise and threaten its continued operation.

To work effectively and deliver their programme the partnership parties will need goodwill, mutual trust and agreed procedures which foster collective decision making and responsibility while respecting each party's identity.

Close consultation between the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister, other Ministers and the MSPs of the two partnership parties will be the foundation of the Partnership's success. In the working of the Partnership, the principle of fairness will underpin both partnership parties' approaches to all aspects of the conduct of the Executive's business, including the allocation of responsibilities, the Executive's policy and legislative programme, the conduct of its business and the resolution of disputes.

Collective responsibility

Collective responsibility is accepted by the Partnership parties to mean that:

• all the business of the Executive, including decisions, announcements, expenditure plans, proposed legislation and appointments, engages the collective responsibility of the Executive as a whole and must be handled with an appropriate degree of consultation and discussion so as to ensure the support of all Ministers
• Ministers have the opportunity to express their views frankly as decisions are reached
• opinions expressed and advice offered within the Executive remain private
• decisions of the Executive are binding on and supported by all Ministers
• mechanisms for sharing information and resolving disputes are followed.

To achieve this, the Executive will update and publish the Scottish Ministerial Code and the Guide to Collective Decision Making.

Portfolios

The initial structure of portfolios and their allocation between the partnership parties will be agreed between the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister and will be published as an annex to this Agreement. The allocation will be based on the principle that the partnership party with fewer MSPs shall have a share of Ministerial appointments at least equal to its share of partnership MSPs. The First Minister, following consultation with the Deputy First Minister, will appoint Ministers. The First Minister will nominate Labour Party ministerial appointees and the Deputy First Minister will nominate Liberal Democrat ministerial appointees. The First Minister and the Deputy First Minister will agree the nomination of the Law Officers. Any changes to the structure of portfolios or their allocation between the partnership parties during the lifetime of the Agreement will be agreed between the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister.

The roles of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister

The partnership parties agree that, subject to the approval of the Parliament, the Leader of Labour in the Scottish Parliament will be nominated for appointment as First Minister and the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats will be appointed as Deputy First Minister in the Partnership Executive. Both the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister will be responsible for and engaged in policy and presentation across all portfolios, and arrangements for this will be agreed between them and the Permanent Secretary.

It is essential that both the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister are kept fully informed across the range of Executive business so that they can engage in any issue where they consider that appropriate. The procedures to be established for handling business within the Executive will require officials to copy all relevant material to the offices of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister. Both the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister will have appropriate official, political and specialist support to enable them to discharge their roles effectively.

The Partnership Parties' support for the Executive in Parliament

The partnership parties should aim to agree on all matters of Executive policy. Both partnership parties are committed to constructive dialogue between Ministers and backbenchers to build a strong partnership.

The two Parliamentary parties will operate in support of the Partnership Executive on all issues covered by this Agreement. Whilst preserving the independence of the committee system, members of the partnership parties serving on the same committee will co-operate on the formal business and legislation of the Executive. Whilst each will make its own business management arrangements to ensure effective party support for the Executive, the business managers will consult and co-operate with each other to ensure the delivery of the Executive's programme.

Matters of new Executive policy outside this Agreement must be agreed by both partnership parties. In all portfolios, Ministers will meet regularly with the nominated spokesperson or lead backbencher from both partnership parties to discuss policy. Any disagreement should be referred through internal party mechanisms until both partnership parties agree.

Matters reserved to the UK Parliament are outside this Agreement. Should it be necessary, the partnership parties will decide how to deal with these on a case by case basis.

Neither partnership party will support spending proposals brought before Parliament other than by the Executive or covered by this Agreement unless considered and agreed by both parties.

The partnership parties will agree and put in place appropriate political arrangements to facilitate an effective working relationship at all levels, including re-establishing the Backbench Liaison Group and regular meetings of the Partnership Group. In addition, the Executive will re-establish the practice of regular meetings of Deputy Ministers, who have an important role to fulfil in liaising with Parliamentary committees, and backbench MSPs of both parties.

Ratification of this Agreement

The partnership parties will ratify this Agreement according to their own internal procedures.

The Partnership Agreement will come into effect after ratification immediately on signature by the partnership party leaders.

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