YOU do have to wonder whether taxpayers got their value for money from Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden submitting a staggering 987 written questions in January.
Costing around £100 each to answer, it was suggested that the MSP for North East Scotland used AI for the endeavour, which he has denied.
It included asking for the cost of electric hand dryers on the parliamentary estate, how many Scottish Parliament flags have gone missing over the last 10 years, and the average profit or loss on jars of honey sold in the Holyrood shop.
SNP MSP Kevin Stewart said it was a “flagrant disregard for the taxpayers’ cash” and called for the Tory MSP to pay back the nearly £100,000 it will reportedly cost to answer his questions.
Lumsden, meanwhile, told The Scotsman that he didn't use AI but would "look at any new tools to hold the Government to account".
Written questions are used by MSPs to obtain information on Government and parliament for the public.
This is crucial, giving elected members the opportunity to scrutinise and probe. But at what point does it become too much? Asking for the sake of asking, rather than for the actual benefit of Scotland?
It’s a question I certainly wouldn’t be able to answer.
But the Sunday National has analysed and compiled a full list of MSPs who have asked the most and least questions at Holyrood (above) – including written questions, but also other categories such as those asked in the chamber at First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) – during this current Parliament – from May 12, 2021 until now.
Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon (below) tops the list with more than 2000 questions asked, swiftly followed by her party’s deputy leader Jackie Baillie.
A trio of Scottish Tories round out the top 5, including Miles Briggs, Donald Cameron and Douglas Lumsden – who would have been much further down the list were it not for the actions of the past month or so.
At the bottom of the list is, predictably, a host of SNP ministers with zero questions asked. SNP MSPs – generally speaking – also ask far fewer questions, one would presume because they are the party of government.
Several Scottish Greens MSPs are also low down on the list – again, perhaps predictably given the party entered into the Bute House Agreement swiftly after the 2021 election, before it was annulled last year.
The lowest MSPs outwith those two parties in terms of questions asked are former Tory MSP Dean Lockhart and current Tory MSP Edward Mountain.
In terms of party averages (above), Scottish Labour lead with an average of 598 questions per MSP. Scottish LibDem MSPs have asked an average of 552 questions and Scottish Tory MSPs have asked 534.
Meanwhile, Scottish Greens MSPs have asked an average of 183 and SNP MSPs ask a lower amount at 60 – the exact amount Independent MSP John Mason has asked.
Ash Regan, Alba’s sole MSP (and previously an SNP MSP, of course) has asked 253 questions.
Should there be a cap on the number of written questions MSPs can ask?
AFTER Lumsden’s barrage of questions, the Sunday National asked the SNP whether they would consider suggesting a cap on written questions – such as the five-daily limit per MP at Westminster – an idea that a spokesperson said was not under consideration.
“MSPs have a duty to hold the Government and Parliament to account but the issue here is that Douglas Lumsden has been purposefully wasting time and public money,” they said.
"This incredible volume of questions is a flagrant disregard for the taxpayers’ cash, costing the public a reported £100,000 in a single month – he should apologise to the public for his actions."
The Scottish Greens meanwhile, also said it wasn’t party policy.
“I’m not sure that a limit is appropriate: MSPs should be able to scrutinise government in this way,” MSP Gillian Mackay said.
"However, this saga has raised the question of how we can prevent abuse of the system and the use of AI. I am sure there will be discussions about this over the coming weeks.”
