Presiding Officer to cut off rambling MSPs under new rules on questions

Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone has told MSPs she will cut them off mid-sentence if they do not adhere to new rules she has imposed around asking questions in the chamber.

Writing to members ahead of their return to parliament next week, Johnstone said all questions must be limited to 45 seconds and answers to one minute, adding that she and Deputy Presiding Officers Annabelle Ewing and Liam McArthur “will intervene where required to implement this approach”.

The move, which is designed to maximise the number of questions members can ask of the government, will apply to general and portfolio questions as well as FMQs.

“More concise exchanges throughout will provide time for a substantial number of additional questions over the course of a parliamentary year,” Johnstone said.

“If four or five additional members are called each week to put supplementary questions, that would enable an additional 150 to 180 questions to be taken each parliamentary year.

“To achieve this, questions should be put within 45 seconds, and answers concluded within one minute.

“From the start of the new term in September, the deputy presiding officers and I will intervene where required to implement this approach, allowing more members to put questions on behalf of their constituents and enhancing scrutiny.”

FMQs were extended from half an hour to 45 minutes in 2016, with then first minister Nicola Sturgeon saying the move would allow more members to quiz her.

She said at the time that she wanted to give backbenchers “as much opportunity as possible to ask questions, while also protecting the time allocated to party leaders”.

However, Johnstone said the extension has not had the desired effect due to the length of time it takes individual members to ask a question.

“At the beginning of Session Five, there was cross-party agreement to extend FMQs from 30 to 45 minutes to enable more members to put questions,” she said.

“This extended period has not had the intended effect and each week there is significant unmet demand from members across the chamber to put important questions to the first minister.

“As presiding officer, I take account of the interests of all members equally and I am determined that the opportunity should be afforded to more members.”

MSPs return from summer recess next week, with the first FMQs of the new parliamentary year due to take place on 7 September.