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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Paul O'Kane

Scottish Labour

MSP for West Scotland (Region) 2021 - present day

About Paul O'Kane

Contact details

Contact online

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 5942
Text relay calls welcome.

Contact at local office

Phone: 0141 887 5111
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Paul is a member of 2 committees

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Member

Cross-party groups

Paul is a member of 17 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Building Bridges with Israel

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Care Leavers

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Carers

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Changing Places Toilets

Convener

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

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Deafness

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Diabetes

Co-Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Dyslexia

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on India

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Learning Disability

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on LGBTI+

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Long Covid

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Poverty

Convener

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

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Social Work

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Ukraine

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Volunteering

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Paul does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Paul has 3 party roles

Party Spokesperson on Equalities

Scottish Labour

Party Spokesperson on Social Justice

Scottish Labour

Party Spokesperson on Social Security

Scottish Labour

Previous roles

Paul has had 5 previous roles

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

22 June 2021 - 25 April 2023

Health Social Care and Sport Committee

Deputy Convener

22 September 2021 - 25 April 2023

Equalities Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Substitute Member

31 May 2021 - 10 April 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Public Health

Scottish Labour

31 May 2021 - 10 April 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Social Care

Scottish Labour

17 June 2021 - 22 June 2021

Health Social Care and Sport Committee

Member

Register of interests

Paul'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 Paul O'Kane 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: 5 September 2024

People with Disabilities (Human Rights Legislation and Support)

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "Human rights organisations such as the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Amnesty and the Human Rights Consortium have described the Government’s abandonment of human rights legislation during this session of Parliament as “disappointing”, “unjustifiable” and “a breach of trust”. That is coupled with the apparent abandonment of the Learning…

Chamber meeting date: 5 September 2024

Programme for Government 2024-25 (Eradicating Child Poverty)

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "As always when we debate child poverty, I start by highlighting the consensus that—as we have already heard this afternoon—there is no more important mission or goal, and no more important subject that we debate in the chamber…

Social Justice and Social Security Committee meeting date: 5 September 2024

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "Good morning. One aspect of the bill that the committee is interested in and concerned about is the domestic abuse provisions. We want to ensure that they are being engaged with…

Social Justice and Social Security Committee meeting date: 5 September 2024

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Paul O’Kane: "The challenge of being the last questioner is that we have covered a lot of ground. However, it is important to pull together some of what we have heard this morning…

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee meeting date: 3 September 2024

Disability Commissioner (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "Good morning, minister. On that broad theme, I have some specific questions on the proposed learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill and its interaction with this bill…

Votes

How Paul O'Kane has voted in Parliament

Find out how Paul O'Kane has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-14322

Programme for Government – Eradicating Child Poverty

Submitted by: Jenny Gilruth, Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Supported by: Graeme Dey, Natalie Don-Innes, Paul McLennan, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Kaukab Stewart
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 5, 2024

Result 67 for, 54 against, 0 abstained, 8 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-14322.1

Programme for Government – Eradicating Child Poverty

Submitted by: Paul O'Kane, West Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Supported by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, Michael Marra
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 5, 2024

Result 21 for, 95 against, 4 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-14322.3

Programme for Government – Eradicating Child Poverty

Submitted by: Maggie Chapman, North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 5, 2024

Result 8 for, 113 against, 0 abstained, 8 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-14322.2

Programme for Government – Eradicating Child Poverty

Submitted by: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 5, 2024

Result 29 for, 91 against, 0 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-13759.2

Scottish Government Priorities: Tackling the Climate Emergency

Submitted by: Sarah Boyack, Lothian, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Result 58 for, 59 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Defeated

Motions

Questions

Questions Paul O'Kane has asked

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

Question ref. S6W-29670

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 6 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government, prior to the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, in her letter to the Convener of Finance and Public Administration Committee, that the Changing Places toilet fund would be reprofiled, what work it had undertaken to prepare for the fund to open at the start of 2025, as previously…

Answer expected on 23 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29669

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 6 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to open the £10 million Changing Places toilet fund, in light of the reprofiling of the commencement of the fund, as detailed in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee, published on 3 September 2024."

Answer expected on 23 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29668

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 6 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still committed to investing £10 million in Changing Places toilets by the end of the current parliamentary session, in light of the reprofiling of the commencement of the Changing Places toilet fund, as detailed in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the…

Answer expected on 23 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29112

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 15 August 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that lessons from the implementation of the public sector equality duty are taken into account in the development of its proposed Human Rights Bill."

Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 September 2024

Question ref. S6O-03704

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 4 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its Pre-budget Fiscal Update on 3 September, what the potential impact will be of its "review and reprofile of recruitment" at Social Security Scotland on the agency’s provision of frontline services to clients."

Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29110

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 15 August 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revisit and expand the review of the public sector equality duty, in light of the letter to stakeholders on 4 October 2023 from the then Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees."

Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29141

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 16 August 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to continued support through Transport Scotland of SUSTRANS’ Places for Everyone programme, as part of its commitment to supporting active travel."

Answer expected on 16 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29139

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 16 August 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met Transport Scotland to discuss the Places for Everyone programme administered by SUSTRANS and its associated funding."

Answer expected on 16 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29138

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 16 August 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that decisions regarding funding for SUSTRANS’ Places for Everyone programme for 2024-25 will be made by Transport Scotland."

Answer expected on 16 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29140

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 16 August 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government when (a) ministers and (b) representatives of Transport Scotland last met (i) SUSTRANS and (ii) other relevant stakeholders to discuss the Neilston and Uplawmoor Link active travel project."

Answer expected on 16 September 2024

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