The presiding officer was involved in bringing about devolution

Sir David was speaking as he gave evidence in person for the first time to a parliamentary committee.

He was quizzed by the Procedures Committee in Edinburgh as part of its inquiry into the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament.

Convener, Murray Tosh, described first minister's questions as a "knock-about between the political leaders" and asked Sir David for his views.

Sir David said: "I don't find the whole system satisfactory. It's become something of a caricature of prime minister's question time which is not a healthy aspect of parliamentary democracy at all.

"I also wonder whether we were right to depart from the original form of questions where the questions were asked of the government generally and the first minister answered some of them."

Sir David gave evidence to a committee

Labour MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Frank McAveety, questioned Sir David on suggestions that the number of MSPs could be reduced under proposals, contained in the Scotland Act.

Sir David said: "There's one problem with the position of the parliament and that's that it is still set up under the Scotland Act and we have to go back to that if we want to introduce changes in our structure.

"I don't think in the long run that's a sensible way to proceed."

He added: "Even if we are all agreed on a sensible change here it means we have to persuade both Houses at Westminster that they have got to give up time."

First minister's questions was discussed

Gil Paterson, the SNP list MSP for Central Scotland, asked Sir David whether he backed the substitution of terms like government for the Scottish Executive.

The Presiding Officer replied: "I took part in the legislation which became the Scotland Act, particularly in the House of Lords.

"I was very actively involved in that. I said at the time and I haven't changed my views that the change in all these details was quite unnecessary.

"The title 'presiding officer' seems to me to be bit bizarre, unlike a 'speaker' which everybody understands."

The committee announced on earlier this year that it would consider how successfully the founding principles were applied.

The principles, drawn up by a steering group before devolution, were power-sharing, accountability, accessibility and equal opportunities.