Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

1. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take item 7 in private. 2. Subordinate Legislation: The Committee will take evidence on — The Representation of the People (Postal Voting for Local Government Elections) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026 [draft] The Scottish Local Government Elections (Election Agents, Expenses and Publication of Information) Amendment Order 2026 [draft] from— Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans. Iain Hockenhull, Head of Elections, Scottish Government. Lorraine Walkinshaw, Lawyer, Scottish Government Legal Directorate. 3. Subordinate Legislation: Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans to move— S7M-01085—That the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee recommends that the The Representation of the People (Postal Voting for Local Government Elections) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026 [draft] be approved. S7M-01086—That the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee recommends that the The Scottish Local Government Elections (Election Agents, Expenses and Publication of Information) Amendment Order 2026 [draft] be approved. 4. Subordinate Legislation: The Committee will consider— The Representation of the People (Absent Voting at Local Government Elections) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026 (SSI 2026/251) The Scottish Local Government Elections Amendment Order 2026 (SSI 2026/254) 5. Scottish Local Government Elections (Candidacy Rights of Commonwealth Citizens) Bill – Stage 1 evidence: The Committee will take evidence from— Robert Nicol, President, Scottish Assessors Association. Chris Highcock, Secretary to the Board and Depute Returning Officer for the City of Edinburgh, Electoral Management Board for Scotland. 6. Representation of the People Bill (UK Parliament Legislation) – evidence: The Committee will take evidence on legislative consent memorandums LCM-S6-74, LCM-S7-7, LCM-S7-7a and LCM-S7-7b from— Robert Nicol, Electoral Registration Officer Chris Highcock, Secretary to the Board and Depute Returning Officer for the City of Edinburgh, Electoral Management Board for Scotland. Professor Toby James, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, University of East Anglia UK. 7. Review of evidence: The Committee will review the evidence it heard under agenda items 5 and 6.