News In Focus
1 July 2009
Scottish Parliament celebrates 10th birthday
The Queen is to mark the anniversary of Scottish devolution, 10 years after the Holyrood Parliament formally gained its full legislative powers.
Her Majesty visits the Parliament today and will address MSPs in the debating chamber before meeting more than 140 Scottish children who are also celebrating their 10th birthdays today.
Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson MSP said: “This is a landmark day in our history – and we want to reaffirm the parliament’s commitment to engaging with the people of Scotland through our wide-ranging programme of anniversary activities.
"In our first decade we tried new and different ways to share the power with the people of Scotland, such as the Public Petitions Committee and the Festival of Politics which have been studied and replicated by a number of other legislatures. It is fitting that we continue to build on this work in this our 10th anniversary year.”