Sunday, October 31, 1999 Published at 12:50 GMT
'Sleaze czar' for parliament
Donald Dewar says an independent judge could help
Scotland looks set to get its own independent commissioner for parliamentary standards following the controversy surrounding the so-called Lobbygate affair.
First Minister Donald Dewar is keen to have a standards investigation process similar to the one which operates at Westminster.
He said: "There is a strong feeling among MSPs that present proceedures are clumsy.
"If we had had someone to look at the information before the committee's inquiry then I am sure we would not have had the kind of speculation we did have."
Other political leaders are enthusiastic backers.
"The problem with Lobbygate was that a lot of allegations were being bandied about, back and forth, some with no substance at all. That is not fair to ministers."
The SNP's Andrew Wilson welcomed the idea and said he believed the Standards Committee would also embrace the notion of an independent adviser.
He said: "There might be justification in having an independent commissioner, but the idea of a full time post is ridiculous.
"If you have an energetic person in the role and MSPs are doing not much wrong then he will find work for himself. We have to look at this very carefully."
The willingness to appoint a "sleaze czar" comes in the wake of the parliament's inquiry into allegations that lobbyists had influence over minister's diaries.
This would not stop the Standards Committee from investigating serious allegations.
It could still scrutinise anything it chooses. But - as at Westminster - it is felt there should be a process of pre-scrutiny.
The plan follows the decision of the parliament's standards committee to acquit Finance Minister Jack McConnell - and all other members investigated - of having improper links with lobbyists.
Mr Reid told of his links with the Secretary of State for Scotland, John Reid, who is father.
And Mr Barr implied strong links with some Scottish Parliament ministers.
The tapes were made public and Mr Dewar launched an investigation.
The Standards Committee, headed by Mike Rumbles MSP, conducted an inquiry which saw Mr Reid, Mr Barr, the head of Beattie Media, Gordon Beattie, Mr McConnell and his secretary, Christina Marshall, all giving evidence.
Members have now finished the substantive inquiry and found that no MSP was in breach of the parliament's rules.
It will now move on to drafting a code of conduct for MSPs and, if possible, regulating lobbyists.