Margaret Mitchell
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for Central Scotland (Region) 2003 - present day
About Margaret Mitchell
Contact details
Committees
Margaret is a member of 3 committees
Justice Committee
Substitute Member
Justice Sub-Committee on Policing
Deputy Convener
Cross-party groups
Margaret is not a member of any cross-party groups
Parliamentary and Government Roles
Margaret has 1 parliamentary and government role
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Branch Executive
Member
Party Roles
Margaret has 1 party role
Deputy Party Spokesperson on Community Safety
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Previous roles
Margaret has had 18 previous roles
Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.
14 June 2016 - 20 August 2020
Justice Committee
Convener
14 June 2016 - 20 August 2020
Conveners Group
Member
06 February 2019 - 20 February 2019
Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints
Member
29 September 2016 - 29 June 2017
Culture Tourism Europe and External Relations Committee
Substitute Member
06 October 2016 - 27 October 2016
Justice SubCommittee on Policing
Member
28 June 2016 - 29 September 2016
European and External Relations Committee
Substitute Member
08 June 2016 - 14 June 2016
Justice Committee
Member
10 September 2013 - 23 March 2016
Justice Committee
Member
13 March 2013 - 23 March 2016
Justice SubCommittee on Policing
Member
16 November 2011 - 11 September 2013
Local Government and Regeneration Committee
Member
23 June 2011 - 07 March 2013
Justice Committee
Substitute Member
01 June 2011 - 16 November 2011
Equal Opportunities Committee
Member
19 June 2007 - 22 March 2011
Conveners Group
Member
19 June 2007 - 22 March 2011
Equal Opportunities Committee
Convener
27 June 2007 - 16 June 2010
Local Government and Communities Committee
Substitute Member
13 June 2007 - 19 June 2007
Equal Opportunities Committee
Member
03 September 2003 - 02 April 2007
Justice 2 Committee
Substitute Member
04 June 2003 - 02 April 2007
Justice 1 Committee
Member
Register of interests
Margaret'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 Margaret Mitchell. The date of their initial statement was 31 May 2016.
Remuneration and related undertaking
No registrable interests
Gifts
No registrable interests
Overseas visits
From 11 to 14 November 2014 I participated in a fact-finding and educational seminar on the Holocaust at Yad Vashem Jerusalem. The total costs of the trip, including travel and accommodation, were £1,600 and a portion of these costs were met by Yad Vasham Resource Centre (£450) (a non-profit education and dialogue organisation of the International School of Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem) with the majority of the costs being met by the Council of Christians and Jews. The trip included a visit to Ramallah to meet with an official from the Palestinian Authority. [Amended interest 22 February 2017]
From 13 to 18 August 2005 I visited Taiwan to observe and study the economy, its public services and its relationship with its neighbours. The Republic of China Government met the costs of the visit, £1,965.
From 8 October to 14 October 2013, I participated in a cross-party visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan) at the invitation of the Director General, Taipei Representative Office (Edinburgh Office) in the UK, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China Department (of 1 Melville Street Edinburgh, EH3 7PE). The delegation attended National Day, met President Ma and held meetings with a number of government department ministers as well as representatives from trade and cultural organisations. The cost of the visit was £2,050 for return flights, £725 for hotel accommodation, £191 for meals and £142 for transport. All costs (which totalled £3,108) were met by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan).
Controlled transactions
No registrable interests
Heritable property
No registrable interests
Interest in shares
No registrable interests
Voluntary
I own 1% of the issued share capital in Fairfield Properties Limited, a property investment company.
Recent Activity
What was said
What Margaret Mitchell 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: 23 March 2021
Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): "I know how much work goes into introducing a member’s bill, and I congratulate Neil Bibby on the tenacity that he has shown in getting it to this stage…
Chamber meeting date: 11 March 2021
Scottish Biometrics Commissioner (Appointment)
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): "As a member of the cross-party selection panel that was established by the Presiding Officer under the standing orders, I am delighted to speak to motion S5M-24333, which invites members of the Parliament to agree to nominate Dr Brian Plastow to Her Majesty the Queen for appointment as the first Scottish Biometrics Commissioner. The Presiding…
Chamber meeting date: 10 March 2021
Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): "During the scrutiny of the bill, there was significant discussion about the inclusion of age as a characteristic and the issue of vulnerability…
Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints meeting date: 3 March 2021
Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): "Good morning, First Minister…
Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints meeting date: 2 March 2021
Decision on Taking Business in Private
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): "I say at the outset that I welcome the Lord Advocate’s decision that today’s evidence session, in which he is giving evidence as the Scottish Government’s chief legal adviser, will be held fully in public…
Votes
How Margaret Mitchell has voted in Parliament
Find out how Margaret Mitchell has voted recently.
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill
Submitted by: Emma Harper, South Scotland, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Result 120 for, 0 against, 0 abstained, 9 no vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
Motion of No Confidence
Submitted by: Ruth Davidson, Edinburgh Central, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Thursday, March 4, 2021
Supported by: Jeremy Balfour, Bill Bowman, Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Donald Cameron, Jackson Carlaw, Peter Chapman, Maurice Corry, Murdo Fraser, Maurice Golden, Jamie Greene, Jamie Halcro Johnston, Rachael Hamilton, Alison Harris, Liam Kerr, Gordon Lindhurst, Dean Lockhart, Tom Mason, Margaret Mitchell, Edward Mountain, Oliver Mundell, John Scott, Graham Simpson, Liz Smith, Alexander Stewart, Adam Tomkins, Annie Wells, Brian Whittle
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Result 31 for, 65 against, 27 abstained, 6 no vote
MSP voted for
Vote Defeated
Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill
Submitted by: Neil Bibby, West Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Result 111 for, 0 against, 0 abstained, 18 no vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill
Submitted by: Andy Wightman, Lothian, Independent. Date lodged: Thursday, February 25, 2021
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Result 114 for, 0 against, 0 abstained, 15 no vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
National Mission to Reduce Drug Deaths and Harms
Submitted by: Brian Whittle, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Supported by: Donald Cameron
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, March 18, 2021
Result 43 for, 69 against, 1 abstained, 16 no vote
MSP voted for
Vote Defeated
Motions
Motions made by Margaret Mitchell in Parliament
Find out what motions Margaret Mitchell has submitted recently.
Written questions
Written questions Margaret Mitchell has submitted in Parliament
These are the questions that this MSP has asked the Scottish Government about its work. It also includes any answer to these questions.
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 28 January 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether teachers, across all local authorities, who undertake assessments for dyslexia are appropriately trained and skilled."
Answered by: John Swinney on 4 February 2021
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 28 January 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its response to the 2020 report on the review of additional support for learning implementation, whether it plans to investigate issues regarding the qualifications and training provided for teachers to enable them to competently assess for dyslexia, in light of concerns that, in a number of local…
Answered by: John Swinney on 4 February 2021
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 28 January 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its response to the 2020 report on the review of additional support for learning implementation, whether it will provide evidence to show how young people will not be subject to a so-called “postcode lottery” in relation to access to support."
Answered by: John Swinney on 4 February 2021
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 28 January 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government what quality assurance measures are in place in local authorities in relation to the identification of secondary school pupils with dyslexia; what its position is on whether these measures are (a) appropriate and robust in relation to the levels of identification and (b) addressing the issue of low identification…
Answered by: John Swinney on 4 February 2021
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 16 December 2020
"To ask the Scottish Government how many projects have been funded via the Agricultural Transformation Programme; how much funding each project has been awarded to date, and how it plans to distribute the remainder of the £40 million fund before the end of the financial year."
Answered by: Fergus Ewing on 24 December 2020
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 22 October 2020
"To ask the Scottish Government when the standards for a Barnahus response to children and young people who have been victims and witnesses of violence in Scotland will be put out for consultation."
Answered by: Humza Yousaf on 16 November 2020
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 3 September 2020
"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications there have been for legal aid under the Advice and Assistance (Proceedings for Recovery of Documents) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 in each year since they came into force, and how many of those applications have been successful."
Answered by: Ash Denham on 17 September 2020
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 3 September 2020
"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to raise awareness of the Advice and Assistance (Proceedings for Recovery of Documents) (Scotland) Regulations 2017."
Answered by: Ash Denham on 17 September 2020
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 16 March 2020
"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that local authorities have suitable resources to identify secondary school pupils with dyslexia."
Answered by: John Swinney on 26 March 2020
Asked by: Mitchell, Margaret, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 16 March 2020
"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase identification of dyslexia among primary school pupils."
Answered by: John Swinney on 26 March 2020
See all of Margaret Mitchell's written questions submitted in Parliament