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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Finlay Carson

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries (Constituency) 2016 - present day

About Finlay Carson

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @fincarson

Facebook: Finlay's facebook

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Contact at local office

107 King Street
Castle Douglas
DG7 1LZ

Phone: 01556 504991
Text relay calls welcome.

Find out when the MSP's surgery times are on their website.

Committees

Finlay is a member of 1 committee

Cross-party groups

Finlay is a member of 12 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Autism

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Brain Tumours

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Cancer

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Circular Economy

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Civil Nuclear Industry

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Dyslexia

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Islands

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Nature and Climate

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Rural Policy

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Science and Technology

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Shared Parenting

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Wood Panel Industry

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Finlay has 1 parliamentary and government role

Conveners Group

Member

Party Roles

Finlay does not have any party roles

Previous roles

Finlay has had 16 previous roles

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

22 June 2021 - 01 February 2023

Rural Affairs Islands and Natural Environment Committee

Convener

17 June 2021 - 22 June 2021

Rural Affairs Islands and Natural Environment Committee

Member

11 August 2020 - 04 May 2021

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Natural Environment

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

11 August 2020 - 04 May 2021

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Rural Affairs

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

17 September 2019 - 04 May 2021

Environment Climate Change and Land Reform Committee

Deputy Convener

18 February 2020 - 11 August 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Land Reform

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

18 February 2020 - 11 August 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on the Environment

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

18 February 2020 - 11 August 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Climate Change

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

29 June 2017 - 25 February 2020

Public Audit and Postlegislative Scrutiny Committee

Substitute Member

18 September 2019 - 25 February 2020

Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee

Substitute Member

28 June 2017 - 18 February 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Biodiversity

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2017 - 18 February 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Animal Welfare

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2017 - 18 February 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Digital Economy

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

08 June 2016 - 17 September 2019

Environment Climate Change and Land Reform Committee

Member

26 May 2016 - 28 June 2017

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Fisheries

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

26 May 2016 - 28 June 2017

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Rural Development

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Register of interests

Finlay'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 Finlay Carson 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.

Chamber meeting date: 12 June 2025

Public Transport (Rural Communities)

1. Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con): "To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to ensure that rural communities have access to public transport. (S6O-04792)"

Chamber meeting date: 12 June 2025

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statistics 2023

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con): "The Scottish Government committed £80 million to the Acorn carbon capture project in January 2022 and said that that was contingent on UK Government funding being committed…

Chamber meeting date: 11 June 2025

Medical and Nursing Workforce

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con): "How many times have we sat in this chamber and listened to successive health secretaries assure us that Scotland’s NHS is safe in their hands…

Chamber meeting date: 11 June 2025

Lomond Banks Planning Application

Finlay Carson: "Will the member give way?"

Chamber meeting date: 11 June 2025

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con): "It is important to understand that my colleagues and I believe that we need to push some fish farms further offshore to reduce their impact, but does the cabinet secretary appreciate that we want the industry to learn not from mistakes but from good practice? Putting the SSI in place is effectively putting the cart before the horse, and the…

Votes

How Finlay Carson has voted in Parliament

Find out how Finlay Carson has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-17906.1

A Migration System that Works for Scotland

Submitted by: Liz Smith, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 12, 2025

Result 24 for, 84 against, 0 abstained, 21 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-17906.2

A Migration System that Works for Scotland

Submitted by: Michael Marra, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 12, 2025

Result 19 for, 62 against, 27 abstained, 21 did not vote

MSP abstained

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-17906

A Migration System that Works for Scotland

Submitted by: Kate Forbes, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Supported by: Tom Arthur, Richard Lochhead, Paul McLennan, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Kaukab Stewart
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 12, 2025

Result 67 for, 42 against, 0 abstained, 20 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-17895

Approval of SSI

Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Result 85 for, 32 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-17862

Planning

Submitted by: Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, June 9, 2025

Supported by: Foysol Choudhury, Katy Clark
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Result 91 for, 1 against, 21 abstained, 16 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Passed

Motions

Questions

Questions Finlay Carson has asked

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

Question ref. S6W-37899

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Climate Change Committee's projection of a 36% reduction in cattle and sheep numbers by 2045, how it will assess the impact of any reduction in the beef herd on the abattoir and meat processing industry…

Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 June 2025

Question ref. S6W-37911

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support land managers to integrate agroforestry and hedgerows into productive farmland."

Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 June 2025

Question ref. S6W-37897

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Climate Change Committee's projection of a 36% reduction in cattle and sheep numbers by 2045, how it will assess the impact of any reduction in the beef herd on rural communities."

Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 June 2025

Question ref. S6W-37910

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to double woodland planting rates, in light of the Climate Change Committee's projection that the proportion of woodland cover will need to rise to 23% by 2045."

Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 June 2025

Question ref. S6W-37908

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that agricultural emissions reductions are achieved without compromising food security."

Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 June 2025

Question ref. S6W-37901

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 28 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to incentivise farmers to diversify into (a) renewable energy, (b) agroforestry and (c) nature restoration."

Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 June 2025

Question ref. S6W-37913

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that (a) woodland creation and (b) peatland restoration projects deliver biodiversity benefits alongside carbon sequestration."

Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 June 2025

Question ref. S6W-37912

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Climate Change Committee's projection of a required 67% increase in the rewetting and restoration of degraded peatlands by 2045, what progress has been made toward meeting this target."

Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 June 2025

Question ref. S6W-37904

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 28 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to engage with the public on the benefits of land use change and sustainable agriculture."

Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 June 2025

Question ref. S6W-37896

Asked by: Carson, Finlay, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 28 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that any land use changes align with its (a) biodiversity and (b) water quality goals."

Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 June 2025

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