Standards boss job 'cut' warning

Dr Dyer is coming to the end of his term as standards commissioner

The Scottish Parliament's standards commissioner has warned MSPs against plans to scrap his current post.

Jim Dyer said merger proposals for the position could be seen as a "desire to lessen scrutiny of MSP conduct".

His comments came amid proposals to halve the number of Holyrood-funded Scottish "tsars", to three.

Dr Dyer was at the centre of the row which led to the resignation of Wendy Alexander as Scottish labour leader last year.

Holyrood bosses said the number of commissioners could be reduced while still maintaining all the current watchdog functions, amid concerns that parliament has succumbed to "commissioner-itis".

'Tacked-on post'

Dr Dyer's role would be merged with other functions under a new complaints and standards body.

But he told a Holyrood committee set up to look into the issue: "To remove a stand alone post of standards commissioner might well be interpreted as a desire to lessen scrutiny of MSP conduct."

Dr Dyer said MSPs had to be policed by someone with authority, rather than holding a standards role "tacked on" to a larger organisation.

Scotland's current tzars are the Office of the Ombudsman, Information Commissioner, the Standards Commissioner, the Children's Commissioner, the Public Appointments Commissioner, and the Scottish Commission for Human Rights, employing 96 staff in all.

Under the reforms, one would be responsible for complaints and standards, the second would deal with questions of rights, while the information commissioner would be retained as a separate post.

Dr Dyer, who is leaving his commissioner's post shortly after six years in the job, investigated complaints that Ms Alexander failed to register donations to her leadership campaign.

Holyrood's standards committee voted to suspend her from parliament, but the decision was later overturned by a full meeting of MSPs.

Holyrood bosses also put forward plans to appoint future commissioners on a one-off, fixed-term basis.

They are currently appointed for up to five years, with re-appointment possible.

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