SCOTTISH Government terms could be extended from four to five years under new legislation published by SNP ministers.

The Scottish Election (Reform) Bill would change the current system to make five years the standard period between both Holyrood and local government elections.

At the moment, both types of election are supposed to be four years apart, but are frequently moved to avoid clashes with other elections.

For instance, the first three Holyrood terms all lasted four years, but since 2011 they have been set at five years to avoid coinciding with scheduled Westminster polls.

The next Holyrood election was put back a year from 2020 to 2021 to avoid an election that is no longer due to take place because Theresa May called a snap election in 2017.

A recent consultation found mixed views on whether four or five year terms were best, with 44 per cent of 900 respondents backing four and 50% backing five.

The Government said a five-year term was “not the settled preference of the Scottish Ministers” but was included in the Bill “to promote further debate on this issue.

The reforms, if agreed, should be implemented in time for the Scottish Parliament election in 2021 and local government elections in 2022.

If passed, the legislation would also allow all 14-year-olds to register to vote ahead of them reaching the voting age of 16, as well as prohibiting people from voting in more than one area in local elections - mirroring the law in Scottish and UK Parliament elections.

The Bill also proposes reorganising the commission which draws up council ward boundaries and renaming it Boundaries Scotland.

It would be able to recommend wards of between two and five councillors on the mainland, instead of the current three or four per ward, with single-member wards possible on islands.

Holyrood was given control of its own elections for the first time by the 2016 Scotland Act.

Constitutional Relations Secretary Michael Russell said: "This Bill invites debate over how Scotland runs its local and national elections.

"The proposal to extend parliamentary and council terms to five years is fully intended to prompt discussion and investigation - it is my hope that we can find a robust consensus on the issue.

"It also provides a basis on which the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee can take evidence.

"Overall the Bill, using powers under the Scotland Act 2016, will make a range of substantial improvements to critical areas of our civic and national life."