What are the powers of the Scottish Parliament?

The Scottish Parliament is the result of a process known as “devolution”. Devolution allows decisions to be made at a more local level.

In the UK there are several examples of devolution, including the:

Scottish Parliament

Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament

Northern Ireland Assembly

London Assembly

Scotland is still part of the United Kingdom but, under devolution, the Scottish Parliament can make decisions on certain issues without needing approval from the UK Parliament. The UK Parliament in Westminster alone still makes decisions for the whole UK on certain issues.

Learn more about the UK Parliament

The UK Parliament sometimes makes laws for Scotland about things that have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament. It usually does this only after the Scottish Parliament has given its agreement through a “legislative consent motion” (LCM).

MSPs can debate and vote on an LCM to give their views.

Find out more about LCMs

Watch a BSL video about legislative consent

It is important to know whether the issue you’re interested in is devolved or reserved. This will determine whether you contact your:

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

Member of Parliament (MP) at Westminster