1.  The selection process within the Scottish National Party is such that potential candidates must first be placed on the Approved Register of Potential Parliamentary Candidates. This consists of an assessment process which potential candidates must attend, usually in our Edinburgh Headquarters. Thereafter, those who are successful in the assessment process are added to the Approved Register and may approach any constituency with regard to being their candidate. We operate a rolling register of approved potential candidates, and reassessment for subsequent election campaigns is not generally required. For selection purposes at local level, potential candidates are required to be nominated from within the constituency. If there is a sole nominee then they are deemed to be selected. If there are multiple nominees then there will be a postal ballot of members to decide upon the candidate. In those circumstances, candidates will produce an accompanying statement to go out with ballot papers. The winner of that contest is then selected as the candidate.

  2.(a)  The cost to the candidate of the selection contest can be fairly minimal. Potential candidates are only charged a nominal £10 for the assessment procedure, and even with travel costs to Edinburgh, travel costs to a particular constituency for hustings etc., and the cost of producing leaflets for a postal ballot, it might be that many candidates will spend under £100 in total during the process. That is obviously multiplied should they contest a number of selection processes in different constituencies.

  (b)  Costs to the candidate during a campaign will vary greatly dependent on how closely to the constituency they reside, and the size of the constituency. Someone from central Scotland contesting a seat in the Highlands would spend several hundred pounds or more in travel and accommodation costs, whereas someone who stays in a compact city constituency and contests that seat may have personal expenses of less than a couple of hundred pounds.

  3.  At a national level we do not support the personal expenses of candidates, but they are given support at a number of levels in regard to training and campaigning. Some constituencies do give assistance to candidates in terms of their personal outlay, but this will be dependent on their local resources. National resources will be focussed on the general campaign and also on key seats, but again this will be used for supporting the campaign in those seats, as opposed to supporting the candidate.

  4.  Allocation of resources will be based on strength of support in particular seats and the potential for a swing to the SNP.

  5.  We do not ask for demographic data from our members so cannot give accurate figures on under-represented groups.

(a) A recent academic survey of our membership produced the figure of 32% of our membership as female, which ties in roughly with our estimates based on members using Miss, Ms or Mrs as their title, which discounts those with Dr, Rev, Prof, Cllr etc.

(b) The survey figure for BME members was 0.7% which diverges significantly from our own estimate of 3-4%, most of whom are of Pakistani Asian descent.

(c) Disabled—we have no figures

  6.  If by party officials you mean the elected officer bearers, of which there are eight, then the percentages would be:

(a) female—12.5%

(b) BME—0%

(c) disabled—0%

  7.  Our revised constitution and rulebook, which came into effect in 2004, made a clear statement of intent with regard to equality of opportunity in candidacy. In part this led to the election of the first ever Scots Asian MSP—Bashir Ahmad—for the SNP in 2007. Key to encouraging more diversity in our candidates is to increase minority representation amongst our membership. With a view to this, the National Executive Committee appointed an Equalities Champion in 2006 to lead a new equality forum which would include members from under-represented groups.