Scottish Affairs Select Committee

The Scottish Affairs Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (and prior to that, the Scottish Office), and relations with the Scottish Parliament. It also looks at the administration and expenditure of the Advocate General for Scotland.^[1]

Unlike the Scottish Grand Committee, MPs from constituencies outside Scotland can, and do, sit on the Scottish Affairs Committee.

Predecessors

Before 1992 there was not consistent Select Committee scrutiny of Scottish affairs.^[2] In 1968 a committee was formed partly in response to the growth of Scottish nationalism, although the committee was closed down by a reorganisation of select committees by Edward Heath's government in 1972. In 1979 Norman St John Stevas the Leader of the House under Margaret Thatcher's government instituted a Select Committee system that closely mirrored government departments in order to have better parliamentary scrutiny of the government. This was again discontinued in 1987 although there was an alternative Scottish Affairs committee composed of opposition MPs.^[2]

Membership

Membership of the committee is as follows:^[3]

Member		Party	Constituency
	Patricia Ferguson MP (chair)	Labour	Glasgow West
	Maureen Burke MP	Labour	Glasgow North East
	Harriet Cross MP	Conservative	Gordon and Buchan
	Dave Doogan MP	Scottish National Party	Angus and Perthshire Glens
	Lillian Jones MP	Labour	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	Angus Macdonald MP	Liberal Democrats	Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire
	Douglas McAllister MP	Labour	West Dunbartonshire
	Susan Murray MP	Liberal Democrats	Mid Dunbartonshire
	Jack Rankin MP	Conservative	Windsor
	Elaine Stewart MP	Labour	Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
	Kirsteen Sullivan MP	Labour	Bathgate and Linlithgow

Changes since 2024

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
16 June 2025		Stephen Flynn MP (Scottish National Party)	Aberdeen South	→		Dave Doogan MP (Scottish National Party)	Angus and Perthshire Glens	Hansard

2019–2024 Parliament

The chair was elected on 27 January 2020.^[4] Members of the committee were announced on 2 March 2020, but Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) objected to the appointment, claiming that not enough Scottish MPs had been selected.^[5] The debate was adjourned, and the committee was eventually constituted on 4 May 2020, when the list of proposed members was put before the house without objection.^[6]

Member		Party	Constituency
	Pete Wishart MP (chair)	Scottish National Party	Perth & North Perthshire
	Mhairi Black MP	Scottish National Party	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
	Andrew Bowie MP	Conservative	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
	Deidre Brock MP	Scottish National Party	Edinburgh North and Leith
	Wendy Chamberlain MP	Liberal Democrats	North East Fife
	Alberto Costa MP	Conservative	South Leicestershire
	Jon Cruddas MP	Labour	Dagenham and Rainham
	David Duguid MP	Conservative	Banff and Buchan
	Sally-Ann Hart MP	Conservative	Hastings and Rye
	John Lamont MP	Conservative	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	Liz Twist MP	Labour	Blaydon

Changes 2019–2024

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
15 June 2020		David Duguid MP (Conservative)	Banff and Buchan	→		Douglas Ross MP (Conservative)	Moray	Hansard
8 November 2022		Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative)	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine	→		David Duguid MP (Conservative)	Banff and Buchan	Hansard
9 January 2023		Mhairi Black MP (SNP)	Paisley and Renfrewshire South	→		Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP)	Central Ayrshire	Hansard
21 February 2023[a]		Jon Cruddas MP (Labour)	Dagenham and Rainham	→		Christine Jardine MP (Liberal Democrats)	Edinburgh West	Hansard
		Liz Twist MP (Labour)	Blaydon			Andrew Western MP (Labour)	Stretford and Urmston
22 May 2023		John Lamont MP (Conservative)	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk	→		Mark Menzies MP (Conservative)[b]	Fylde	Hansard
18 September 2023		Deidre Brock MP (SNP)	Edinburgh North and Leith	→		Alan Brown MP (SNP)	Kilmarnock and Loudoun	Hansard
		Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP)	Central Ayrshire			Anum Qaisar MP (SNP)	Airdrie and Shotts
22 January 2024		Andrew Western MP (Labour)	Stretford and Urmston	→		Michael Shanks MP (Labour)	Rutherglen and Hamilton West	Hansard

1. Unusually, this motion was voted on by MPs. David Linden objected the nomination due to Labour nominating a Liberal Democrat MP to one of their vacant positions. Since both appointments were within the same motion, both were voted on. Members of select committees for each party are decided within the party, and parties can choose any MP to serve for one of their seats, including from outside of their party. The appointment passed with 383 votes to 37.
2. Whip suspended from 17 April 2024 to dissolution.

2017–2019 Parliament

The election of the chair took place on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.^[7][8]

Member		Party	Constituency
	Pete Wishart MP (chair)	Scottish National Party	Perth and North Perthshire
	Deidre Brock MP	Scottish National Party	Edinburgh North and Leith
	David Duguid MP	Conservative	Banff and Buchan
	Hugh Gaffney MP	Labour	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	Christine Jardine MP	Liberal Democrats	Edinburgh West
	Ged Killen MP	Labour and Co-op	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
	John Lamont MP	Conservative	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	Paul Masterton MP	Conservative	East Renfrewshire
	Danielle Rowley MP	Labour and Co-op	Midlothian
	Tommy Sheppard MP	Scottish National Party	Edinburgh East
	Ross Thomson MP	Conservative	Aberdeen South

Changes 2017–2019

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
22 October 2018		Paul Masterton MP (Conservative)	East Renfrewshire	→		Kirstene Hair MP (Conservative)	Angus	Hansard
1 April 2019		Kirstene Hair MP (Conservative)	Angus	→		Paul Masterton MP (Conservative)	East Renfrewshire	Hansard
21 October 2019		Christine Jardine MP (Liberal Democrats)	Edinburgh West	→		Jamie Stone MP (Liberal Democrats)	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross	Hansard

2015–2017 Parliament

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 6 July 2015.^[9][10]

Member		Party	Constituency
	Pete Wishart MP (chair)	Scottish National Party	Perth and North Perthshire
	David Anderson MP	Labour	Blaydon
	Kirsty Blackman MP	Scottish National Party	Aberdeen North
	Christopher Chope MP	Conservative	Christchurch
	Jim Cunningham MP	Labour	Coventry South
	Margaret Ferrier MP	Scottish National Party	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
	Stephen Hepburn MP	Labour	Jarrow
	Chris Law MP	Scottish National Party	Dundee West
	Dr Dan Poulter MP	Conservative	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
	John Stevenson MP	Conservative	Carlisle
	Maggie Throup MP	Conservative	Erewash

Changes 2015–2017

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
5 September 2016		David Anderson MP (Labour)	Blaydon	→		Ian Murray MP (Labour)	Edinburgh South	Hansard
		Kirsty Blackman MP (SNP)	Aberdeen North			Deidre Brock MP (SNP)	Edinburgh North and Leith
28 November 2016		Maggie Throup MP (Conservative)	Erewash	→		Anna Soubry MP (Conservative)	Broxtowe	Hansard
23 January 2017		Dr Dan Poulter MP (Conservative)	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich	→		Craig Williams MP (Conservative)	Cardiff North	Hansard

2010–2015 Parliament

The chair was elected on 10 June 2010, with members being announced on 12 July 2010.^[11][12]

Member		Party	Constituency
	Ian Davidson MP (chair)	Labour and Co-op	Glasgow Govan
	Fiona Bruce MP	Conservative	Congleton
	Cathy Jamieson MP	Labour	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	Jim McGovern MP	Labour	Dundee West
	Mark Menzies MP	Conservative	Fylde
	David Mowat MP	Conservative	Warrington South
	Fiona O'Donnell MP	Labour	East Lothian
	Alan Reid MP	Liberal Democrats	Argyll and Bute
	Lindsay Roy MP	Labour	Glenrothes
	Julian Smith MP	Conservative	Skipton and Ripon
	Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP	Scottish National Party	Banff and Buchan

Changes 2010–2015

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
29 November 2010		Mark Menzies MP (Conservative)	Fylde	→		Mike Freer MP (Conservative)	Finchley and Golders Green	Hansard
		Julian Smith MP (Conservative)	Skipton and Ripon			Simon Reevell MP (Conservative)	Dewsbury
25 October 2011		Cathy Jamieson MP (Labour)	Kilmarnock and Loudoun	→		Iain McKenzie MP (Labour)	Inverclyde	Hansard
		Fiona O'Donnell MP (Labour)	East Lothian			Graeme Morrice MP (Labour)	Livingston
23 January 2012		Graeme Morrice MP (Labour)	Livingston	→		Pamela Nash MP (Labour)	Airdrie and Shotts	Hansard
5 November 2012		David Mowat MP (Conservative)	Warrington South	→		Michael Crockart MP (Liberal Democrat)	Edinburgh West	Hansard
28 January 2013		Fiona Bruce MP (Conservative)	Congleton	→		Eleanor Laing MP (Conservative)	Epping Forest	Hansard
		Iain McKenzie MP (Labour)	Inverclyde			Graeme Morrice MP (Labour)	Livingston
4 February 2013		Mike Freer MP (Conservative)	Finchley and Golders Green	→		Sir James Paice MP (Conservative)	South East Cambridgeshire	Hansard
6 January 2014		Eleanor Laing MP (Conservative)	Epping Forest	→	Vacant			Hansard
14 July 2014	Vacant			→		Mark Menzies MP (Conservative)	Fylde	Hansard
23 February 2015		Lindsay Roy MP (Labour)	Glenrothes	→		Iain McKenzie MP (Labour)	Inverclyde	Hansard

List of chairs

Member		First elected	Method
	Vacant[13]	June 1987
	William McKelvey[13]	15 July 1992	Elected by the Select Committee
	Irene Adams	14 July 1997	Elected by the Select Committee
	Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar	13 July 2005	Elected by the Select Committee
	Ian Davidson[14]	10 June 2010	Elected by the House of Commons (uncontested)
	Pete Wishart[15]	10 June 2015	Elected by the House of Commons (uncontested)

See also

• Parliamentary Committees of the United Kingdom