Elena Whitham
Scottish National Party
MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Constituency) 2021 - present day
About Elena Whitham
Contact details
Contact online
Email: [email protected]
Website: elenawhitham.scot
Twitter: @ElenaWhitham
Facebook: Elena's facebook
Contact at the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Phone: 0131 348 5494
Text relay calls welcome.
Contact at local office
46-48 Glaisnock Street
Cumnock
East Ayrshire
KA18 1BY
Phone: 01290 319126
Text relay calls welcome.
Find out when the MSP's surgery times are on their website.
Committees
Elena is not a member of any committees
Cross-party groups
Elena is not a member of any cross-party groups
Parliamentary and Government Roles
Elena has 1 parliamentary and government role
Minister for Community Safety
Scottish Government
Find out more about the Cabinet and Ministers at the Scottish Government website.
Party Roles
Elena does not have any party roles
Previous roles
Elena has had 6 previous roles
Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.
27 January 2022 - 03 November 2022
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Convener
27 January 2022 - 03 November 2022
Conveners Group
Member
25 January 2022 - 27 January 2022
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Member
22 June 2021 - 24 January 2022
Local Government Housing and Planning Committee
Deputy Convener
01 December 2021 - 24 January 2022
Standards Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Member
17 June 2021 - 22 June 2021
Local Government Housing and Planning Committee
Member
Register of interests
Elena'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.
Here is the register for Elena Whitham. The date of their initial statement was 02 June 2021.
Remuneration and related undertaking
Until 5 May 2022 I was a councillor at East Ayrshire Council (of Council Headquarters, London Road, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, KA3 7BU). I spent approximately 15 hours a week on the role and received remuneration of between £15,001 and £20,000 per annum. I donated my councillor salary, after deductions and taxes, to charities within my ward for the duration of my term. [Registered 31 August 2021, Amended interest 10 May 2022]
Until 24 June 2021 I was Depute Leader of East Ayrshire Council (of Council Headquarters, London Road, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, KA3 7BU). I spent approximately 20 hours a week on this role and received remuneration of between £25,001 and £30,000 per annum. I donated this salary, after deductions and taxes, to charities within my ward. [Amended interest 31 August 2021]
Gifts
No registrable interests
Overseas visits
No registrable interests
Controlled transactions
No registrable interests
Heritable property
No registrable interests
Interest in shares
No registrable interests
Voluntary
I am a member of Women for Independence.
I am currently a member of the 16th Ayrshire Scout Group.
Recent Activity
What was said
What Elena Whitham 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: 22 March 2023
Legal Aid (Eviction Proceedings)
The Minister for Community Safety (Elena Whitham): "Civil legal aid is available to tenants of private and public sector landlords to oppose eviction proceedings. The usual tests of financial eligibility, probable cause and reasonableness apply…
Chamber meeting date: 22 March 2023
Legal Aid
The Minister for Community Safety (Elena Whitham): "The Scottish Legal Aid Board’s most recent report shows that the number of grants of civil legal aid in 2021-22 was slightly above the long-term five-year, 10-year and 15-year averages…
Chamber meeting date: 22 March 2023
Emergency Services (Children and Young People)
The Minister for Community Safety (Elena Whitham): "Knowing how and when to contact our emergency services is a key skill that we want our children to have at the earliest possible age…
Chamber meeting date: 7 March 2023
Imprisonment and Release (Effect on Families)
The Minister for Community Safety (Elena Whitham): "I, too, thank Rona Mackay for bringing this important issue to the chamber. The impact of imprisonment on families is, as Families Outside’s report makes clear, significant and often unseen…
Chamber meeting date: 1 March 2023
Domestic Abuse Legislation
The Minister for Community Safety (Elena Whitham): "We must treat domestic abuse survivors with compassion and make available services that acknowledge the significant trauma that they have experienced…
Votes
How Elena Whitham has voted in Parliament
Find out how Elena Whitham has voted recently.
Employment Support for Veterans and their Families
Submitted by: Paul Sweeney, Glasgow, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Supported by: Martin Whitfield
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, March 23, 2023
Result 45 for, 65 against, 0 abstained, 19 did not vote
MSP voted against
Vote Defeated
Transition to a Wellbeing Economy
Submitted by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, March 20, 2023
Supported by: Tom Arthur, Richard Lochhead, Ivan McKee, Lorna Slater
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Result 64 for, 54 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
Transition to a Wellbeing Economy
Submitted by: Daniel Johnson, Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Supported by: Claire Baker, Alex Rowley, Paul Sweeney
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Result 24 for, 94 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote
MSP voted against
Vote Defeated
Transition to a Wellbeing Economy
Submitted by: Liz Smith, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Supported by: Tess White
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Result 30 for, 88 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote
MSP voted against
Vote Defeated
Expansion of Vocational and Technical Qualifications in Scotland’s Secondary Schools
Submitted by: Michael Marra, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, March 20, 2023
Supported by: Paul Sweeney, Martin Whitfield
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Result 54 for, 65 against, 0 abstained, 10 did not vote
MSP voted against
Vote Defeated
Motions
Motions made by Elena Whitham in Parliament
Find out what motions Elena Whitham has submitted recently.
First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Allocation of Functions to the General Regulatory Chamber) Regulations 2023 [draft]
First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber and Upper Tribunal for Scotland (Composition and Rules of Procedure) (Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2023 [draft]
Legal Aid and Advice and Assistance (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 [draft]
Questions
Questions Elena Whitham has asked
These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 2 November 2022
Awaiting answer
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 26 October 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working with colleagues in local government, as part of its Covid Recovery Strategy, to support Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley’s recovery from COVID-19."
Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2022
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 19 October 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions with the UK Government, in light of the concerns raised with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regarding the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill."
Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2022
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10 October 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government what further support it will provide to low income families this winter."
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 October 2022
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 28 September 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the impact on farmers in Scotland of the UK Government’s energy price cap."
Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2022
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 24 June 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the uptake to date of the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel, and what assessment it has made of the impact of the scheme on children in households on the lowest incomes and their ability to access opportunities."
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 July 2022
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 9 June 2022
"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether an assessment has been made of the chairs in the MSP block for use by members and staff, in relation to occupational health and the latest standards."
Awaiting answer
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 28 April 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government how much it (a) has spent on funding Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in each year for which it has been responsible for doing so and (b) estimates it will spend on funding DHPs in the current financial year, all broken down by how much was in relation to (i) the removal of the spare room subsidy and (ii) other…
Answered by Shona Robison on 11 May 2022
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 22 April 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making food security impact assessments an immediate requirement for any application for largescale forestry expansion on productive agricultural land, in order to ensure that all productive land can be prioritised for food production rather than carbon offsetting by non-agricultural…
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 May 2022
Asked by: Whitham, Elena, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 22 April 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to implementing a rapid food production impact assessment of all existing and new legislation and policy affecting agricultural land use and practice, in order to avoid any undermining of the potential for, or increases to the costs of, food production."
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May 2022
See all of Elena Whitham's questions submitted in Parliament