ABSTRACT
If somebody said to me "What is the best thing about the Scottish Parliament during the time you have been there?" the answer has to be in general terms the committee system. This is not to say the committee system is delivering what we would hope it to deliver, but it is certainly one of the most positive aspects, as far as I am concerned, of the Scottish Parliament. It is what sets it apart from being a very posh regional council. The committees in the parliament are far more effective than any committee I ever sat on in local government, which always ended up having a recess and a haggle. When you went back to the table, you agreed to differ, but you each got your compromise. This is not the way it operates here because the Executive does not negotiate at the interval and resume and then agree things.
