MSPs want to look at remits, budgets and accountability

Members of the Scottish Parliament's finance committee said they would scrutinise the country's ombudsman and commissioner positions.

The move comes after they discovered funding for the five parliamentary bodies could be �6m next year.

Committee convener Des McNulty said there was concern over the setting up of new commissions.

MSPs said they would be looking at costs and accountability issues relating to the children's commissioner, the Scottish parliamentary standards commissioner, the information commissioner, the commissioner for public appointments and the Scottish public services ombudsman.

Our committee is concerned that despite the potential remit overlaps and cost of these bodies, there are plans to establish more new commissions Des McNulty Finance Committee convener

Members of the finance committee said they had noted concerns about potential gaps in accountability.

Mr McNulty said: "Our committee is concerned that despite the potential remit overlaps and cost of these bodies, there are plans to establish more new commissions.

"We want to find out if the necessary controls are in place to ensure that such bodies are accountable for the money they spend.

"We have agreed that the time is right to look at the remits, budgets, and accountability of these and other similar bodies and to consider how financial control can be squared with independence."

The launch of the accountability and governance inquiry comes just days after MSPs on another Holyrood committee refused to back plans to set up another commissioner.

Ministers failed to win the support of the justice 1 committee for proposals for a Scottish human rights commissioner.