Opposition MSPs have called for a culture change at Holyrood in order to counteract government "control" of committees.

The Scottish Parliament's Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee is looking at how to improve the ability of committees to hold the Scottish Government to account by scrutinising legislation and policy.

One of the issues under consideration is whether the status of committee conveners should be enhanced through increased pay or allowances, or by making the position an elected one.

John Lamont MSP, Scottish Conservative business manager, said: "I think it would be very difficult to sell to the outside world any case or any argument for paying politicians more.

"The issue perhaps should be more a change in culture. If you compare some of the committee conveners at Westminster and elsewhere, there is much more of a willingness, I would suggest, maybe to issue statements and issue reports which are critical of government policy.

"I think there's a feeling in certain elements within the Scottish Parliament just now there is a reluctance to do that."

James Kelly MSP, business manager for Scottish Labour, said he was "not convinced" about the need to pay conveners more.

Mr Kelly said: "I agree with John Lamont about the need to change the culture.

"I think as this session has continued there has been evidence that the government has sought to seek greater control, particularly over reports that are coming out of committees, and I think that's been a regrettable development."

He added: "The committee structure has got to reflect the democratic outcome of the election.

"However, I would make the point that if committees are going to operate properly and if they're going to serve a purpose, then they need to properly hold the government to account.

"If we get into a situation where the government, as has been the case in some instances, simply use their majority to push report changes through a committee, then that undermines democracy and it also undermines the role of committees.

"From that point of view, if we're really serious about moving forward and making the Parliament more effective and making committees more effective we should look at the idea of giving a stronger voice to opposition within committees as a counterbalance to the control that the government seeks to exercise."

Joe FitzPatrick, Scottish Government minister for parliamentary business, said committees were doing a "really good job" of scrutinising legislation.

He said: "Most of the time, particularly when committees are looking at legislation, they do take their hats off in terms of party politics and look at the legislation properly."