(424)  SEWEL MOTIONS

Sewel motions, under which the Scottish Parliament agrees to Westminster legislating in UK-wide measures on what would otherwise be devolved areas, were much in the public eye in the early weeks of 2005.  On 19 January the Parliament approved (by 63 votes to 56) such a motion to enable the Constitutional Reform Bill to set up a Supreme Court to replace the House of Lords and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.  On 2 February another motion was passed in relation to the UK Government’s Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill, which will introduce a British version of the FBI, regulate private security firms, and give new investigatory powers in relation to suspected crimes.  The Bill also contains provisions for royal trespass law”