This year the BBC's Charter and Agreement will be renewed. 

The charter is in effect the constitution by which the corporation is run. 

It sets out the public purposes of the BBC and outlines the duties of the BBC Trust and the Executive Board. 

Accompanying the charter is an official "agreement", detailing the BBC's editorial independence and its public obligations, which is established between the BBC and the UK government's culture secretary. 

The current Royal Charter and Agreement came into effect on 1 January 2007 and are due to expire on 31 December 2016.

Ahead of renewal there will be months of discussion about the BBC's future, including what it should be doing and how it is funded. 

The House of Commons, House of Lords and the UK's devolved parliaments will have their say, but it's the Commons that gives final approval. 

Ms Hyslop says there is a broad consensus on BBC Scotland's future.

The culture secretary says the BBC in Scotland must be transparent and accountable to the Scottish Parliament.

She says she fundamentally agrees that the BBC's independence from governments and politicians is not undermined and says she will back the Conservative amendment.

The minister says she will be sitting down with the director general of the BBC next week to discuss how to move forward. 

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop uses her motion to highlight the Parliament's new formal role in the BBC charter renewal process and that of the Scottish Government, which is to be consulted throughout the process of developing the BBC charter by the UK Government. 

 Ms Hyslop recognises the important role that publicly-funded, public service broadcasting plays in reflecting a nation to itself and to the wider world. 

The Culture Secretary agrees with the recommendations of the Education and Culture Committee regarding BBC charter renewal and the future of broadcasting in Scotland. 

The Scottish government has published its proposals, external for strengthening BBC Scotland. 

It said its suggestions would help the BBC deliver "better, more representative content" for Scottish audiences. 

They included calls for a decentralised BBC structure, with BBC Scotland given greater control over budgets and commissioning. 

It also proposes a new Scottish-focused version of the Six O'clock News. 

And it has called for the creation of a new Scottish TV and radio channel. 

The paper also called for a semi-autonomous Scottish board to be created to hold BBC Scotland to account. 

The board would itself be accountable to the Scottish Parliament.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop will now lead a debate on the BBC Charter Renewal Process.

This evening’s Devolution Committee meeting with Scottish Secretary David Mundell will now start at 7pm.

Image source, bbc

Independent MSP John Finnie closes the debate on behalf of the Justice Committee.

Mr Finnie says we all want individuals and citizens to understand their human rights and the police to be the front line defenders of those rights.

The former senior policeman stresses the importance of making human rights real.

Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell asks if the minister accepts there are areas where the rest of the UK have a better record on human rights than Scotland.

Mr Neil says that exemplifies the tragedy of the threat to human rights legislation. 

Objectives of the Conservatives' proposed British Bill of Rights and Responsibilities:

• Repeal the Human Rights Act, which brought the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law
• Put the text of the original Human Rights Convention into primary legislation
• Clarify the convention rights, to reflect a proper balance between rights and responsibilities
• Break the formal link between British courts and the European Court of Human Rights
• End the ability of the European Court of Human Rights to oblige the UK to change the law
• Prevent UK laws from being effectively rewritten through "interpretation"
• Limit the use of human rights laws to the most serious cases

2016 has yet to see the UK government's much-anticipated announcement on human rights reform.

The Conservatives promised in their election manifesto to "replace the Human Rights Act with a UK bill of rights" as long ago as 2010 - but they were unable to reach agreement with the Liberal Democrats during the coalition government of 2010-15.

Image source, EPA

Even so, the Tories promised to produce their own draft Bill of Rights by the end of 2014.

Although that failed to materialise, there was a commitment in their 2015 manifesto, external to "scrap the Human Rights Act".

And reporters were told after the Conservatives won a majority in May that plans would appear within the government's "first 100 days", external.

By September, ministers were promising to publish a consultation paper "towards the end of the autumn", external.

Mr Neil says fundamental rights remain under direct threat if the UK government carries out its threat to repeal the Human Rights Act. 

Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil says the new Scottish government, after the May election, must embed human rights in everything Scotland does.

Mr Neil says Professor Alan Miller has been outstanding in his role and wishes Judith Robertson, his successor, well. 

Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell says the commission recognises that people in Scotland do not know much about their human rights.

Ms Mitchell says it is imperative that the parliament continues to support SNAP and that Professor Alan Miller's legacy is protected by supporting his successor.

Scottish Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell says SNAP is a road map for collective action to make human rights a reality for everyone.

Mr Pearson says there must be justice in small places and for small people.

The former senior policeman says the contents of SNAP are important steps forward giving government a clue in how to develop further human rights in our country. 

Labour MSP Graeme Pearson says the work of human rights lies at the heart of what this parliament is all about.

Mr Pearson says SNAP is a personal triumph for Professor Alan Miller and also for his colleagues at the SHRC.

Mr Neil say a rights based approach is one reason the Scottish government have opposed the UK government's Trade Union Bill.

The minister says the refugee crisis highlights the need for human rights to be embedded throughout Scotland's society.

Mr Neil says social justice embeds human rights at every level and ensures everyone of us has equal opportunities.

The cabinet secretary says human rights must be embedded at every level of how Scotland operates.

Nicola Sturgeon has said it is "inconceivable" that Holyrood would consent to Conservative plans to scrap the Human Rights Act.

The first minister said any move to repeal the act would be a "monumental mistake". And she would have "no interest" in a deal that protected rights in Scotland but weakened them elsewhere in the UK. 

The Conservative UK government has pledged to replace the act with a British Bill of Rights. 

In December, though, Justice Secretary Michael Gove told the House of Lords Constitution Committee that his plans had been put back.

"I expect that any consultation document that we produce will now be produced in the new year." 

Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil says this is a sobering opportunity to highlight some of the "illiberal and regressive policies from the UK government" that pose a threat to human rights.