King and Queen attend event marking Holyrood’s 25th anniversary

Kirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The 370 Acts of Parliament that have been created include
legislation to abolish tuition fees and bridge tolls, to give communities the
right to buy land and to make it an offence if you fail to clear up after your
dog.

But not all legislation has been successful.

MSPs had two goes at banning foxhunting. The offensive behaviour at football
act, designed to tackle sectarianism had to be repealed and the gender
recognition reform legislation was blocked by the Westminster government.

The
Supreme Court also ruled that bills to incorporate the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child, and the European charter of local self-government into Scots law, overstepped the Parliament’s powers in some regards and would
have to be reconsidered.

At events to mark the 25th anniversary some people
questioned whether Holyrood needed a revising chamber for better scrutiny.

Others have argued the committee system needs beefed up, with elected conveners
to ensure MSPs aren’t just rubber-stamping the wishes of the government of the
day. Holyrood’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
is conducting an inquiry into what could help the committees work better.