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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Jeremy Balfour

Independent

MSP for Lothian (Region) 2025 - present day

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Former MSP for Lothian (Region) 2016 - 2025

About Jeremy Balfour

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @jeremyrbalfour

Facebook: Jeremy's facebook

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 5961
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Cross-party groups

Jeremy is a member of 18 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Autism

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Children and Young People

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Deafness

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Disability

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Epilepsy

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Funerals and Bereavement

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Human Trafficking

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Industrial Communities

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Maritime and Shipbuilding

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Older People, Age and Ageing

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Shared Parenting

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Social Work

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Sport

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Taiwan

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Visual Impairment

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Volunteering

Co-Convener

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Jeremy has 1 parliamentary and government role

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Branch Executive

Member

Party Roles

Jeremy does not have any party roles

Previous roles

Jeremy has had 20 previous roles

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

08 October 2024 - 22 August 2025

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Social Justice

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

21 May 2021 - 08 October 2024

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Social Security

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2023 - 08 October 2024

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Housing

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2023 - 08 October 2024

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Equalities

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

25 May 2022 - 21 March 2024

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Member

21 May 2021 - 28 June 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Local Government

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

08 September 2021 - 25 May 2022

Equalities Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Substitute Member

11 August 2020 - 04 May 2021

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Equalities

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

11 August 2020 - 04 May 2021

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Older People

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

29 June 2017 - 04 May 2021

Social Security Committee

Member

20 August 2020 - 04 May 2021

Local Government and Communities Committee

Substitute Member

25 February 2020 - 20 August 2020

Local Government and Communities Committee

Member

18 February 2020 - 11 August 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Housing

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

18 February 2020 - 11 August 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Communities

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

18 February 2020 - 11 August 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Welfare

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

10 September 2019 - 25 February 2020

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Member

28 June 2017 - 18 February 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Welfare

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

29 September 2016 - 29 June 2017

Equalities and Human Rights Committee

Member

26 May 2016 - 28 June 2017

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Children

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

08 June 2016 - 29 September 2016

Equal Opportunities Committee

Member

Register of interests

Jeremy'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 Jeremy Balfour. The date of their initial statement was 01 June 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

No registrable interests

Gifts

No registrable interests

Overseas visits

From 9 t o 13 October 2017, I participated in a cross-party visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan), at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). The trip was arranged by the Taipei Representative Office (Edinburgh Office) in the UK, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) (of 1 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7PE). I met a number of Government departments, as well as trade and cultural organisations. The cost of the visit was £3,900 for return flights, and the hotel and ancillary expenses was £2,600. All costs were met by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan).

From 4 July to 8 July 2022 I visited Munich and Berlin, Germany, as part of a cross-Party delegation from the Scottish Parliament, meeting Parliamentarians, public officials and business representatives, as a guest of the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The costs of the visit, including travel, accommodation, meals and translation services amounted to £1460 and were paid by the Hanns Seidel Foundation (a political research foundation of Munich, Germany). [Registered 1 August 2022]

From 20 to 30 August 2018 I was part of a Tearfund delegation travelling to Rwanda to learn how projects in relation to genocide reconciliation and new business projects are transforming lives. The costs of the visit amounted to £1,700 and were met by Tearfund Scotland (a Christian charity of 29 Canal St, Glasgow G4 0AD).

From 21 to 23 August 2019 I travelled to Stockholm on a fact finding visit. The costs of the visit, for flights, were £223.38 and were met by UK Feminista (a charitable organisation which promotes equality between men and women of Omnibus Business Centre, North Road, London, N7 9DP).

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests

Heritable property

No registrable interests

Interest in shares

No registrable interests

Voluntary

No registrable interests

Recent Activity

What was said

What Jeremy Balfour 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: 30 September 2025

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Ind): "I thank Jamie Halcro Johnston and Maggie Chapman for lodging their amendments. I will be supporting them all, and I hope that the cabinet secretary will take them seriously…

Chamber meeting date: 30 September 2025

Housing (Scotland) Bill

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Ind): "I start by agreeing with Willie Rennie that we should give a big thank you to all the clerks who have worked so hard on the bill and helped us with it…

Chamber meeting date: 25 September 2025

Homelessness

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Ind): "As we have just heard, it has been reported that more than 16,000 housing violations have happened in the past year alone…

Chamber meeting date: 24 September 2025

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Ind): "I will speak to a couple of the amendments in the group. I welcome Megan Gallacher’s amendments on terminal illness, and I put on record that Marie Curie’s work on the issue has achieved cross-party support…

Votes

How Jeremy Balfour has voted in Parliament

Find out how Jeremy Balfour has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-19123

Mobile Phones in Schools

Submitted by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, Glasgow, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, September 29, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Result 85 for, 26 against, 0 abstained, 18 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19124.1

Protecting Scotland’s Fire Service

Submitted by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Result 54 for, 56 against, 2 abstained, 17 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-19124

Protecting Scotland’s Fire Service

Submitted by: Katy Clark, West Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, September 29, 2025

Supported by: Paul Sweeney
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Result 56 for, 53 against, 3 abstained, 17 did not vote

MSP abstained

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19124.2

Protecting Scotland’s Fire Service

Submitted by: Siobhian Brown, Ayr, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Supported by: Angela Constance
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Result 55 for, 52 against, 3 abstained, 19 did not vote

MSP voted against

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19123.1

Mobile Phones in Schools

Submitted by: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Result 49 for, 62 against, 0 abstained, 18 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motions

Questions

Questions Jeremy Balfour has asked

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

Question reference: S6W-40894

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Independent

Date lodged:1 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the park being managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and regulated under the Holyrood Park Regulations 1971, what discussions it has had, or plans to have, with HES regarding by what date Duddingston Low Road in Holyrood Park can be fully re-opened; what work is required to allow it to do so; how…

Question reference: S6W-40722

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Independent

Date lodged:23 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Public Health Scotland Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme report suggesting that, in the last year, on admission to hospital, only 56% of stroke patients in NHS Lothian received the most basic levels of care for the condition, which is known as "the stroke care bundle"."

Question reference: S6W-40698

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Independent

Date lodged:22 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to expand access to specialist migraine care through community and primary care services."

Question reference: S6W-40720

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Independent

Date lodged:23 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is a requirement for a second angiographic suite to be built at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to enable a 24/7 thrombectomy service, and what plans there are to build such a suite."

Question reference: S6W-40835

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Independent

Date lodged:30 September 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether the UK Government has indicated, as a response to the correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care regarding the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, whether it agrees with the Scottish Government position that the Bill is outside the legislative competence of the…

Question reference: S6W-40834

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Independent

Date lodged:30 September 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought legal advice from the Lord Advocate regarding the legislative competence of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill."

Question reference: S6W-40555

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Independent

Date lodged:16 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 September 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40302 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 September 2025, regarding Adult Disability Payment (ADP) reviews, whether it will confirm the financial cost to Social Security Scotland of conducting the 142,100 reviews of claimants transferred from Personal Independence Payment to ADP, in…

Question reference: S6W-40302

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Independent

Date lodged:2 September 2025

Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 September 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of Adult Disability claimants transferred from PIP have received a reassessment of their claim, and what the outcomes were of any such reassessment, including the percentage of claims that have (a) increased, (b) decreased and (c) remained the same."

Question reference: S6W-39899

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged:14 August 2025

Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 September 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government when section 8 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 will be implemented."

Question reference: S6W-39898

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged:14 August 2025

Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 September 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason section 8 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 has not yet been implemented."

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