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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Claire Baker

Scottish Labour

MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife (Region) 2007 - present day

About Claire Baker

Contact details

Contact online

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 6769
Text relay calls welcome.

Contact at local office

Ore Valley Business Centre
93 Main St
Lochgelly
Fife
KY5 9AF

Phone: 01592 786 726
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Claire is a member of 2 committees

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Member

Cross-party groups

Claire is a member of 10 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Accident Prevention and Safety Awareness

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Co-Operatives

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Culture and Communities

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Fair Trade

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Food

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Men's Violence Against Women and Children

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Music

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Towns and Town Centres

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Women in Enterprise

Deputy Convener

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Claire does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Claire has 1 party role

Party Spokesperson on Social Security

Scottish Labour

Previous roles

Claire has had 36 previous roles

Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.

27 September 2024 - 05 December 2025

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Transport

Scottish Labour

23 June 2021 - 06 November 2024

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Convener

23 June 2021 - 06 November 2024

conveners group

Member

22 September 2021 - 25 April 2023

Constitution Europe External Affairs and Culture Committee

Substitute Member

31 May 2021 - 28 December 2022

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Drugs Policy

Scottish Labour

20 September 2018 - 14 September 2021

commonwealth parliamentary association branch executive

Member

17 June 2021 - 23 June 2021

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Member

01 March 2021 - 04 May 2021

Party Spokesperson on Culture

Scottish Labour

06 September 2018 - 04 May 2021

Culture Tourism Europe and External Affairs Committee

Deputy Convener

19 December 2017 - 01 March 2021

Party Spokesperson on Culture

Scottish Labour

19 December 2017 - 01 March 2021

Party Spokesperson on Tourism

Scottish Labour

19 December 2017 - 01 March 2021

Party Spokesperson on External Affairs

Scottish Labour

11 January 2018 - 06 September 2018

Culture Tourism Europe and External Relations Committee

Deputy Convener

09 January 2018 - 11 January 2018

Culture Tourism Europe and External Relations Committee

Member

28 June 2016 - 09 January 2018

Justice Committee

Substitute Member

28 November 2017 - 09 January 2018

Standards Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Member

25 May 2016 - 19 December 2017

Party Spokesperson on Justice

Scottish Labour

19 August 2015 - 23 March 2016

Party Spokesperson on Democracy

Scottish Labour

08 January 2015 - 23 March 2016

European and External Relations Committee

Substitute Member

16 December 2014 - 19 August 2015

Party Spokesperson on Culture

Scottish Labour

16 December 2014 - 19 August 2015

Party Spokesperson on Europe and External Relations

Scottish Labour

19 September 2012 - 08 January 2015

Rural Affairs Climate Change and Environment Committee

Substitute Member

19 December 2011 - 16 December 2014

Party Spokesperson on Rural Development

Scottish Labour

19 December 2011 - 16 December 2014

Party Spokesperson on the Environment

Scottish Labour

23 June 2011 - 19 September 2012

Economy Energy and Tourism Committee

Substitute Member

14 June 2011 - 21 December 2011

Education and Culture Committee

Deputy Convener

20 May 2011 - 19 December 2011

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Education and Young People

Scottish Labour

01 June 2011 - 14 June 2011

Education and Culture Committee

Member

01 April 2008 - 22 March 2011

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Higher Education

Scottish Labour

02 October 2008 - 22 March 2011

Education Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee

Member

15 September 2010 - 22 March 2011

Justice Committee

Substitute Member

02 October 2008 - 15 September 2010

Public Petitions Committee

Substitute Member

01 May 2008 - 01 October 2008

Education Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee

Substitute Member

13 June 2007 - 01 October 2008

Public Petitions Committee

Member

20 September 2007 - 01 May 2008

Audit Committee

Member

27 June 2007 - 01 May 2008

Equal Opportunities Committee

Substitute Member

Register of interests

Claire's register of interests

MSPs must provide details of their financial interests in the Register of Interests. They make an initial statement on becoming or being returned as an MSP. This is then updated with any changes they provide.

Recent Activity

What was said

What Claire Baker has said in Parliament

These are the official transcripts of what was said by this MSP in the chamber and at committee meetings. You'll find the topic discussed and how many times this MSP has contributed to the discussion.

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan

Chamber meeting date: 12 March 2026

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): "I apologise for forgetting to put my card in.I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of the statement and for the accompanying documents…

Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund

Chamber meeting date: 5 March 2026

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): "Will the cabinet secretary clarify how many families in Scotland are impacted by the benefit cap? One of the main drivers is high rents, and most of the people who are affected by it are concentrated in the south of England."

Tenanted Properties (West Wemyss and Denbeath)

Chamber meeting date: 5 March 2026

6. Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): "To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any recent discussions it has had with Fife Council regarding a solution for households in West Wemyss and Denbeath that were issued with eviction notices, following the sale of their tenanted properties by Wemyss estate to Torah Capital last year. (S6O-05608)"

Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund

Chamber meeting date: 5 March 2026

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): "Will the cabinet secretary clarify how many families in Scotland are impacted by the benefit cap? One of the main drivers is high rents, and most of the people who are affected by it are concentrated in the south of England."

Tenanted Properties (West Wemyss and Denbeath)

Chamber meeting date: 5 March 2026

6. Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): "To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any recent discussions it has had with Fife Council regarding a solution for households in West Wemyss and Denbeath that were issued with eviction notices, following the sale of their tenanted properties by Wemyss estate to Torah Capital last year. (S6O-05608)"

Votes

How Claire Baker has voted in Parliament

Find out how Claire Baker has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 46 Amendment 268

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Friday, March 13, 2026

Result 65 for, 56 against, 2 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 46 Amendment 269

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Friday, March 13, 2026

Result 86 for, 35 against, 1 abstained, 7 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 46 Amendment 272

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Friday, March 13, 2026

Result 69 for, 48 against, 4 abstained, 8 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 46 Amendment 263

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Friday, March 13, 2026

Result 65 for, 52 against, 4 abstained, 8 did not vote

MSP voted against

Agreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 46 Amendment 56

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Friday, March 13, 2026

Result 73 for, 45 against, 4 abstained, 7 did not vote

MSP voted against

Agreed

Motions

Questions

Questions Claire Baker has asked

These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.

Question reference: S6W-44481

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 12 March 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to annex 1 of the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026-2031, how it planned to fund the statutory requirement to uprate the Scottish Child Payment, including the introduction of a £40 weekly payment for under-one-year-olds, had the “two-child limit” remained in place."

Question reference: S6W-44479

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 12 March 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to annex 1 of the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026-2031, for what reason the monetary investment in the Tackling Child Poverty Fund as a result of the allocation of “two child limit funds” has increased from £49 million to £61.5 million, and how this fund would have been…

Question reference: S6W-44480

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 12 March 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what its estimated cost for 2026-27 is of (a) uprating the Scottish Child Payment and (b) introducing the £40 weekly payment for under-one-year-olds."

Question reference: S6W-44003

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 27 February 2026

Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 March 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how many Pension Age Winter Heating Payments were still to be paid by 24 January 2026, and what the estimated total value was of any such payments."

Question reference: S6W-44004

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 27 February 2026

Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 March 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how many Pension Age Winter Heating Payments were still to be paid by 26 February 2026, and when any such payments will be paid."

Question reference: S6W-44002

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 27 February 2026

Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 March 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what resources it has committed to progressing the policy commitment to deliver automatic individual payments of universal credit in Scotland, and how it is ensuring this remains a priority within the work of the social justice directorate."

Question reference: S6W-44006

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 27 February 2026

Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 March 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36671 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 2 May 2025, whether it expects automatic split payments of universal credit in Scotland, as it committed to in 2017, to be delivered by the end of 2026, and, if not, when this can be expected."

Question reference: S6W-44005

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 27 February 2026

Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 March 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that split payments of universal credit will be delivered, as set out in part 6, section 94 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, and what action it has taken in the last six months regarding this work."

Question reference: S6O-05608

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 25 February 2026

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any recent discussions it has had with Fife Council regarding a solution for households in West Wemyss and Denbeath that were issued with eviction notices, following the sale of their tenanted properties by Wemyss Estate to Torah Capital last year."

Question reference: S6O-05516

Asked by: Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 11 February 2026

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 February 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with local and national bodies to maximise the cultural and economic potential of the Adam Smith heritage in Kirkcaldy."