Pam Duncan-Glancy asks what made the Education Committee work so well in 2000 when it was looking for solutions to incorrect exam results being sent out. 

Lord McConnell says the Education Committee was under pressure to make changes to the issuing of exam results "it had been a shambles and thousands of people's lives were affected".

He says this put the committee under pressure and therefore it worked better. 

Image source, bbc

Commission member Pam Duncan-Glancy asks how civic society could be structured to improve engagement with the Scottish Parliament.

Lord McConnell says the public engagement with the parliament has been very positive.

He says there are two areas where it can be improved.

Firstly the professionals have a better chance of influencing what is going on and the MSPs must seek out the ordinary voice.

Secondly, he says there is much more that could be done in post-legislative scrutiny.

Mr McCormick says some people are not sure what the Scottish Parliament does, though they know what the Scottish government does.

Lord McConnell says that is a difficult challenge and requires a realistic approach.

He says there is a role for a strong parliamentary profile.

The former first minister says the parliament must be holding the government to account and does not deserve a high profile if it does not.

Lord McConnell says he is "strongly against" having more members of the Scottish Parliament.

He says the Scottish Parliament has more members per head of population than that of devolved parliaments of comparable size.

Commission chair John McCormick asks about the relationship between the electoral system and the parliament.

Lord McConnell says proportional representation is the right system for Holyrood.

He says the mixed member system has allowed the parties to exert more control over members than if they were all locally elected.

Lord McConnell says the MSPs and former MSPs he spoke to were all defensive about the institution, but those from the outside said Holyrood is not doing well enough. 

The former Scottish Labour leader says there must be strong back-bench members of the Scottish Parliament.

He says there needs to be structural change and again he says the election of committee chairs should be in the hands of the back-benchers.

On the number of MSPs, the former first minister says it should be "quality, not quantity."

Lord McConnell says there must be more scrutiny of ministers by parliament.

He says parliament works better and more effectively when it is under scrutiny.

Lord McConnell says there should be less scripting of questions "weeks in advance" and that ministers should be forced to answer more questions on the spot. 

Image source, Andrew Cowan

Jack McConnell says the balance between MSPs as representatives of the party and the people has shifted far too far in favour of the parties.

The former Labour first minister says there must be racdical change to procedures to address this.

He says back-benchers should elect committee chairs, not party whip.

Lord McConnell thanks the presiding officer for setting up the commission.

The former first minister says it can be very difficult to change an institution from the inside and he says he hopes the independent commission can be radical.

He says there is much the Scottish Parliament can be proud off, but he thinks "it can do better".

The Commission for Parliamentary Reform will now hear from former Labour first ministers Jack McConnell and Henry McLeish.  

In his submission to the commission, Mr McConnell proposed a number of changes to Parliamentary procedures in 2003/04 to improve the opportunities for Parliament to scrutinise the work of Scottish Ministers, but most were rejected.

After 2011, some of those changes were implemented in part by the new Parliament. 

Image source, Andrew Cowan

He highlights three main areas: 

1. The balance between MSPs representing their constituents and being part of a collective party organisation has shifted too far in the direction of the party and is not strong enough in the connection with the constituents
2. There is a need to improve the opportunities for the Scottish Parliament to scrutinise Ministers, and to be a location for national debate.   
3. The Committees of the Parliament have involved a lot of hard work and have been a positive force for engagement with those outside the Parliament. But, with a few notable exceptions, they have neither significantly influenced legislation nor the direction of national policy  

Image source, bbc

• 2010 – : Member, UK House of Lords 2001 – 2007
• First Minister of Scotland 2000 – 2001
• Minister for Education, Europe and External Relations 1999 – 2000
• Minister for Finance 1999 – 2011
• Member of the Scottish Parliament for Motherwell and Wishaw   

Image source, Scottish Parilament

Henry McLeish and Jack McConnell both submitted written evidence, external to the Commission.

Mr McLeish said the current total of 129 of MSPs was "incredibly limiting".

And both men suggested the electoral list system currently used in Holyrood elections should be re-evaluated.

Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh set up the independent Commission on Parliamentary Reform.

Image source, bbc

It is reviewing;

• the role of Holyrood in scrutinising legislation
• the committee system
• and parliament's independence from the Scottish government.

The reform body is being chaired by former Electoral Commissioner John McCormick, and has a "wide and substantial remit" to give Holyrood "an MOT".

The Commission for Parliamentary Reform will hear from former Labour first ministers Jack McConnell and Henry McLeish.

Image source, bbc

Good afternoon and welcome to Holyrood Live on 16 January 2017.

In a rare outing on a Monday we will bring you not one, but two exciting pieces of political action.

First up we have the Commission for Parliamentary Reform will hear from former first ministers's Jack McConnell and Henry McLeish.

This begins at 12.30pm.

Image source, bbc

Then, from 4pm we will bring you extensive coverage of MSPs taking evidence, from Finance Secretary Derek Mackay, on the expenditure proposals in his draft budget.