Extra payments for senior council officers to administer elections should be abolished, a report has said today.

Holyrood's Local Government and Communities Committee warned the current system lacked transparency, especially around the amount paid to returning officers.

The report also said that while the role of returning officers should remain independent and outside of political control MSPs were not convinced the level of payments reflected the workload and responsibilities.

‘Our committee has found that the current system of payments to returning officers is lacking transparency, which could have an impact on people's views on the integrity of the system,' said convener of the committee, Bob Doris.

‘There is a lack of transparency around the value of these payments and how they are allocated. We heard that payments can range from £2,500 in Orkney and Shetland to more than £16,000 in Edinburgh, and may reportedly be worth as much £1m in total.'

The committee called for a review into the role of returning officers and the fees they receive.