 Your Scottish Parliament What is the Scottish Parliament? The Scottish Parliament was established in 1999 to debate issues and make laws for Scotland. It is made up of 129 elected representatives who are known as members of the Scottish Parliament or MSPs. What can the Scottish Parliament decide? The Scottish Parliament has power to make laws on a range of issues that are known as devolved matters. Some issues remain the responsibility of the UK Parliament alone. These are known as reserved matters. Devolved matters include agriculture, forestry and fisheries education and training environment health and social services housing land use planning law and order local government sports and the arts some forms of taxation many aspects of transport reserved matters include benefits and social security broadcasting the constitution defence employment equal opportunities foreign policy immigration trade and industry Will more powers be devolved to the Scottish Parliament? Yes, further powers are being transferred to the Scottish Parliament through the Scotland Act 2016 in areas such as taxation, welfare and elections to the Scottish Parliament. Is the Scottish Parliament part of the Scottish Government? No, they are separate organisations. The Scottish Parliament makes laws on devolved matters and holds the Scottish Government to account. The Scottish Government implements laws and develops policy on devolved matters.