Questions time figures fall

Jack McConnell now faces questions at midday

Viewing figures for the weekly clash between Scotland's first minister and opposition leaders have slumped since its television time slot was changed, MSPs have been told.

Members of parliament, who were taking stock of progress under devolution, were told that moving First Minister's Questions (FMQs) from mid-afternoon to midday has not been a success.

A majority of MSPs voted in favour of changing the time slot for a trial period in the hope that it would lead to more viewers and improve the parliament's reach to the public.

However, they were told that viewing figures for FMQs, which is included in Thursday's editions of BBC Scotland's Holyrood Live programme, have fallen from a best average of 63,000 to 7,000 under the switch.

It shows that those in this chamber that believed viewers would follow FMQs to the new slot were all completely wrong Jamie McGrigor Tory MSP

Official BBC Scotland figures for the first four programmes at the new midday time in fact showed an average audience of 18,000.

This compared with 63,000 for the first six months of last year at the old time of 1510.

During a debate in which MSPs were assessing their performance under the parliament's founding principles, they were told that the trial had not been a success and should end.

Tory MSP Jamie McGrigor said: "We are failing the founding principles by denying access and therefore transparency and participation.

"It shows that those in this chamber that believed viewers would follow FMQs to the new slot were all completely wrong.

"We are constantly told that there is apathy in the country to politics and politicians, but those who mistakenly voted for these measures have effectively discouraged those people who actually were interested in politics."