LEGISLATION to ensure every elected member in Scotland undergoes background checks before they spend unsupervised time with children or vulnerable adults will be voted on in Holyrood next week.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats want to bring in new rules requiring all MSPs, MPs and councillors to undergo a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check, in a bid to safeguard against exploitative or predatory behaviour.

The move comes after Derek Mackay resigned as Finance Secretary following revelations he bombarded a 16-year-old boy with online messages, including calling him “cute”.

The PVG scheme currently covers those who work with children and protected adults, such as teaching or medical roles. When someone applies to join it, Disclosure Scotland carries out criminal record checks and shares the results with individuals and organisations.

LibDem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton, pictured above, has now lodged a series of amendments to the Disclosure (Scotland) Bill to make it an offence for an elected representative to take part in regulated activities without being a member of the scheme. These activities include meeting alone with children and vulnerable adults or spending time unsupervised with young people on work experience.

The amendments will be voted on at Holyrood’s Education Committee on Wednesday.

Cole-Hamilton said his proposal was a “commonsense safety move”. He added: “I hope that when this comes to a vote every party in the Parliament will acknowledge the importance of strengthening the protections in place and back my amendments.”

New rules will set out actions if someone fails the post-election PVG check, for example potentially requiring MSPs to be chaperoned by someone in possession of a PVG when meeting children or vulnerable adults. The amendments could also see political parties require PVG checks for anyone in a position of power or influence and could spend time unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults, such as target seat candidates or office-bearers.

The LibDems said a PVG costs in the region of £60, and the extra expense could be met by the elected institution. Some councils already ask members to undergo such background checks, while others require it of those who sit on children and families committees.

The PVG scheme is private, and the public and media would not know if someone had failed a check. However, the LibDems argued they would at least know safeguards are in place.

The party said the proposal would see MSPs and others undergo a PVG check straight after being elected. This would be renewed every five years, coinciding with both the provisions that exist for other types of work elsewhere and the length of a typical elected term.

MSPs are currently specifically excluded from the provisions in the Disclosure (Scotland) Bill.

But Maree Todd, Minister for Children and Young People, previously said she was “more than happy to assess whether parliamentarians fall within” the category of those who should be covered by the scheme.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said any proposition “must command wide acceptance across the Parliament and the public”. “These particular amendments have not been consulted upon nor has detailed evidence-based parliamentary scrutiny taken place. While well-intentioned, they present a number of challenges which will have very significant constitutional implications, not least potentially allowing the removal of MSPs on the instruction of ministers. That would not be acceptable to anyone. As a result, we welcome the debate but are concerned that these specific amendments are not the solution.

“The Scottish Government is, however, keen to see Parliament find an appropriate way forward on this issue in due course.”