In the Scottish Parliament I am the Labour Party spokesperson on the Enviroment. My responsibilities include membership of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Science and Techology, Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Civil Nuclear Energy, Co-Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Life Sciences and Vice-Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Animal Welfare.

Recent Speeches

My most recent speech was on the 18th June (as Parliament is currently in recess) on the topic of festivals:

You can watch my recent speeches in the Scottish Parliament on my Youtube channel.

Recent appearances in Parliament, written answers and debates

Theyworkforyou.com is an independent website that lets you keep track of what your MPs and MSPs are doing in Parliament. You can read my written questions to Scottish Government ministers as well as read transcripts of what I say in Parliament. Click here to visit my page on theyworkforyou.com.

Rural Affairs and Enviroment Committee

The Rural Affairs and Enviroment (RAE) committee considers and reports on matters that fall within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, such as agriculture, fisheries and rural development. The Committee is currently considering the Marine (Scotland) Bill and has been designated as a secondary Committee on the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill. Recently we held a short inquiry into the pig industry in Scotland and will publish a report in due course.   We have an agreed work programme up until October, which gives an outline of what we will be doing in the coming months. The Current Business page on the Scottish Parliament website gives information about our work as well as Committee correspondence and information on petitions being considered.

What do I do in Parliament?

You can find out some information about the Scottish Parliament by clicking here, but what is a normal day in the Parliament like for me? I am usually in Parliament on Tuesday to Thursday, spending the rest of my time in Dumfries Constituency. Tuesday is spent in Committees; as a member of the Rural Affairs and Enviroment Committee I will often spend the day debating proposed laws with collegues, listening to evidence from experts and suggesting amendments. The Committees deal with the detailed aspects of the propsoals and by hearing evidence from a range of indivudals and organisations we are able to improve the proposals to ensure they best meet the needs of the people of Scotland.

Wednesday morning is also often spent in committees and in Wednesday afternoon and most of Thursday attention usually moves to the Parliament's debating chamber. Here all the MSPs come together to discuss proposed laws, hear feedback from committees and debate important issues of the day. As Enviroment spokesperson I often take part in debates on a diverse range of topics such as agriculture to climate change. You can view my speeches on my Youtube channel.

In between committees and debates in the Chamber I regulary hold meetings with individuals and groups on topics related to Dumfries constituency and my remit within the Parliament. I also prepare my speeches and answer constituents enquires.