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Mr Stewart says the RAF Benevolent Fund (RAFB) is the RAF's leading welfare charity.

He tells the chamber the RAFB has supported thousands of veterans and last year spent £148,000 supporting families at RAF Lossiemouth.

The charity spent £20.9m last year supporting 53,000 members of the RAF family around the world.

He points to the Join the Search Change A Life, external campaign launched this year as part of the centenary celebrations.

The charity estimates that as many as 100,000 veterans and their families are in urgent need of what could be life-changing support.

Mr Stewart concludes saying much of the "truly phenomenal work of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund" goes unsung.

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Tory MSP Alexander Stewart welcomes members of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund to the gallery and praises their work.

Mr Stewart begins by outlining the 100 year history of the fund.

Founded by Lord Trenchard in 1919, the RAF Benevolent Fund has been supporting members of the RAF Family for 100 years.

Click here, external for the RAFB's timeline of '100 years at the heart of the RAF family'.

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Alexander Stewart will now lead a member's debate congratulating the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, external (RAFBF) on reaching its 100th anniversary in 2019.

The RAFBF is the Royal Air Force's leading welfare charity, providing financial, emotional and practical support to serving and former members of the RAF.

The charity provides a far broader range of support to more than 55,000 members of the "RAF Family" with a reported expenditure in 2017 of £18.8 million.

The chamber convenes at 1:15pm for a member's debate on the RAF Benevolent Fund, led by Tory MSP Alexander Stewart.

Then justice and constitution ministers face portfolio questions.

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Health Secretary Jeane Freeman will make a statement on theRoyal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh at 2:40pm.

After that MSPs will debate the Citizens Assembly of Scotland.

Ending the day, SNP MSP Alasdair Allan leads a debate on Scottish food and drink fortnight.

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Committee convener Bruce Crawford pivots to the Gould Principle.

In 2012 an elections expert Ron Gould, who reviewed the 2007 Holyrood voting shambles, said that except in cases of unforeseen emergencies, changes to election law should not be applicable to any elections within a six-month period from the date the legislation comes into effect.

Prof James points out elections are the most difficult logistical challenge faced in peacetime so more time is helpful.

The committee draws to a close.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie wonders about regulating digital campaigning and comments made online.

There is no answer to that question, replies Dr Theresa Reidy.

The nature of the medium and the fact companies are transnational in nature are two difficulties around this, she explains.

Dr Reidy says there would need to be direct cooperation with the platforms and we would be relying on their adherence to policies despite them being transnational.

Mr Mycock says digital education of young people and citizens in general has been largely overlooked and they fail to navigate an increasingly complex digital world.

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The Scottish government has started recruiting people to take part in a Citizens' Assembly.

Members of the public selected will be asked to discuss the big constitutional questions facing the country, hearing evidence from all sides in debate and looking at topics such as independence and Brexit.

The approach was used in Ireland during the debate over the legalisation of abortion.

BBC Scotland'sThe Nine programme has been looking at how it worked there.

• Why is Scotland setting up a Citizens' Assembly?
• Sturgeon wants independence vote by 2021
• Landslide vote overturns Irish abortion ban
• Read more here

Image source, Getty Images

Legislation which could pave the way for a new Scottish independence referendum was tabled in May.

The Scottish government wants to put the question of independence to a new public vote in the second half of 2020.

However, the Referendums (Scotland) Bill does not set a date or question, with ministers seeking agreement with the UK government

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said "now more than ever it is essential that we keep Scotland's options open".

• Read more here
• Why is Nicola Sturgeon making indyref2 plans?

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It is very important that all sides, parties and citizens have a sense of the process being legitimate from the start, Dr Mycock says.

Dr Reidy agrees there must be clarity about the types of issues to be dealt with in a referendum and what can trigger them.

Lots of countries revisit referendum questions but there needs to be an understanding among the public about why, she adds.

Mr Arthur points out there would be an opportunity for the Electoral Commission to make its view of any question known.

Prof Carman replies that would depend on how much time the EC had to write to the committee or give evidence.

Labour MSP Alex Rowley asks if there is a danger the legitimacy of the referendum could be called into doubt if the governing party just insists on the question.

Dr Mycock says in terms of legitimacy, the phrasing of the question is one element of legitimacy, but there are others like how campaigns are funded.

He cites the controversy around the funding of the campaigns in the EU referendum, saying the UK government acted too quickly in that case.

SNP MSP Tom Arthur highlights the 2014 question has been used in several opinion polls since then and suggests changing it could cause confusion.

Prof Carman replies that just because something is used in opinion polls does not mean that the public understand what they are responding to.

Questions can over time lose or change their meaning, he adds.

He insists independent experts should still look at the question to verify it is the correct one to task.

Tory MSP Alexander Burnett asks about question testing by the Electoral Commission and calls for it to take place regardless of question already having been used.

I think it's very good practice for an independent body to be involved in question testing, replies Prof James.

The precise wording of a question can affect the result, he adds, to ensure the question is reasonable, fair and fully tested.

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Dr Mycock points out this is the kind of issue that works well with a citizens assembly.

Dr Theresa Reidy concurs that it is good to have an independent body involved in testing the question and Prof Carman agrees the question used in the independence referendum in 2014 needs testing again for an indyref2.

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Changing the wording of the question voters would be asked if there was a second Scottish independence referendum would be "very confusing", according to Mike Russell.

The Brexit secretary said there was a "clarity and consistency" to be gained from having the same wording as in the 2014 ballot, when people were asked: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

He told MSPs because this question was "still current" there was no need for the Electoral Commission to test it if there is another referendum in 2020 .

The commission has made clear it "firmly recommends" it should provide its "views and advice to the Scottish Parliament on the wording of any referendum question", regardless of whether it has previously done so.

Committee convener and Tory MSP Graham Simpson suggested it would be "better" for the independent Electoral Commission to "make a ruling or recommendation" on the question.

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The Electoral Commission would want to assess the wording of the question for a new Scottish independence vote even if it was the same one used in 2014.

A Scottish government official has suggestedthis would be unnecessary as the question is already "tested".

But the election watchdog said it would want to review the question in the light of possible new evidence.

The Scottish government said the 2014 vote provided a clear precedent for a simple, straightforward question.

Read more here.

Tory MSP Adam Tomkins says under current law each referendum requires its own act of parliament.

Does this bill need to specify what subject matters referendums could be held on, he asks.

Prof Carman suggests an independent commission could be set up to consider what issues could be put to a referendum and what is devolved.

Prof James says it is important to be wary that it could result in referendums more often, which is a significant shift from what we are used it.

Parliamentary sovereignty and popular sovereignty could come into more conflict, Dr Mycock agrees, calling for a need to think about the possible outcome of this.

Professor Toby James from the University of East Anglia warns there may be too much flexibility in the Referendums Bill which may prevent full scrutiny.

Dr Theresa Reidy warns that all not referendums are the same and may be used more frequently going forward.

Mr Crawford asks if there is a danger of viewing the bill solely through the prism of indyref2.

Prof Chris Carman agrees this is a problem and asks if referendums can be held on any devolved issues.

Dr Andrew Mycock ponders that what triggers a referendum can be contentious itself.