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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Mercedes Villalba

Scottish Labour

MSP for North East Scotland (Region) 2021 - present day

About Mercedes Villalba

Contact details

Contact online

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 6390
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Mercedes is not a member of any committees

Cross-party groups

Mercedes is a member of 7 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Cuba

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Migration

Member

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

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Nuclear Disarmament

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Palestine

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Rural Policy

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Tibet

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Mercedes does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Mercedes has 2 party roles

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Biodiversity

Scottish Labour

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Environment

Scottish Labour

Previous roles

Mercedes has had 5 previous roles

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

25 April 2023 - 25 September 2024

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Substitute Member

25 April 2023 - 16 November 2023

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Member

01 February 2023 - 25 April 2023

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Member

22 September 2021 - 25 April 2023

Net Zero Energy and Transport Committee

Substitute Member

17 June 2021 - 01 February 2023

Rural Affairs Islands and Natural Environment Committee

Member

Register of interests

Mercedes'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 Mercedes Villalba. The date of their initial statement was 08 June 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

No registrable interests

Gifts

No registrable interests

Overseas visits

From 27 May to 2 June 2022 I took part in an international delegation to Colombia to monitor the current state of trade union rights, human rights and the peace deal signed between the Colombian state and the FARC-EP in November 2016. The delegation was organised by the British-Irish organisation, Justice for Colombia (75 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN), which campaigns in support of peace and human rights in Colombia. The costs, which were met by Justice for Colombia, were as follows: internal travel, hotels and food £900; logistical and organisational support £583; and international travel £862. [Registered 24 June 2022]

From 17 to 24 October 2023, I took part in the International Visitors Program for the 2023 General Elections of Argentina in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The program was organised by the Directorate for Electoral Cooperation and Assistance of the Ministry of the Interior of Argentina (Gascón 352 - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires) which manages issues pertaining to domestic politics such as immigration and co-ordination between the federal government and the governments of the provinces of Argentina. The costs, which were met by the Ministry, were as follows: internal travel, hotels and food £850; logistical and organisational support £600; and international travel £1,200. [Registered 14 November 2023]

From 10 to 12 June 2025 I visited Oslo to attend a roundtable discussion on the North Sea Energy Transition, with civil society representatives, union representatives and politicians from the UK and Norway. The costs of the visit, which were met by Oil Change UK (a research, communications and advocacy organisation working to end reliance on fossil fuels of 2nd Floor Regis House, 45 King William Street, London, United Kingdom, EC4R 9AN), were £300 for travel and £700 for accommodation and expenses. [Registered 2 July 2025]

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests

Heritable property

No registrable interests

Interest in shares

No registrable interests

Voluntary

As a funded PhD student prior to the election, I received a monthly stipend of £1,273.75. I received the last stipend on 28 May 2021, but returned this to the university on 8 June 2021.

Member of Living Rent tenants' union.

[Ceased interest removed from entry: 13 December 2023]

Member of Unite the Union.

Member of ACORN tenants' union.

Recent Activity

What was said

What Mercedes Villalba 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: 8 October 2025

Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Scottish Carbon Budgets) Amendment Regulations 2025

Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Lab): "On our current trajectory, the planet is heading for life-threatening temperature increases of 2.6°C to 3.1°C by the end of this century…

Chamber meeting date: 1 October 2025

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Lab): "Thanks to the campaigning efforts of the local community, the sale of Kinloch castle on the Isle of Rum by NatureScot will be subject to a public interest test that will be applied to potential buyers…

Chamber meeting date: 1 October 2025

Protecting Scotland’s Fire Service

Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Lab): "I commend my comrade Katy Clark for introducing Labour’s motion on protecting Scotland’s fire service…

Chamber meeting date: 25 September 2025

Asylum Accommodation (Protests)

Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Lab): "We have brought in legislation to create boundaries—buffer zones—around clinics to prevent people who are accessing services from being harassed…

Chamber meeting date: 25 September 2025

Biodiversity Strategy (Riparian Woodland Planting)

Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Lab): "Invasive non-native species are one of the key drivers of biodiversity loss in Scotland, including through the spread of invasive tree seed to adjoining land such as peatland…

Votes

How Mercedes Villalba has voted in Parliament

Find out how Mercedes Villalba has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-19275

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill - UK Legislation

Submitted by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dunfermline, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Supported by: Kaukab Stewart
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, October 9, 2025

Result 81 for, 10 against, 23 abstained, 15 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19276

Planning and Infrastructure Bill - UK Legislation

Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Supported by: Graeme Dey
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, October 9, 2025

Result 87 for, 23 against, 1 abstained, 18 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19128

Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill

Submitted by: Douglas Ross, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, October 9, 2025

Result 52 for, 63 against, 0 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-19269

Approval of SSI

Submitted by: Graeme Dey, Angus South, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Result 51 for, 25 against, 33 abstained, 20 did not vote

MSP abstained

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19268

Suspension of Standing Orders

Submitted by: Graeme Dey, Angus South, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 8, 2025

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

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motions

Questions

Questions Mercedes Villalba has asked

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

Question reference: S6W-41086

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:7 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to increase community (a) ownership of (i) land and (ii) energy, and (b) wealth building."

Question reference: S6W-41083

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:7 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the diversification of land ownership."

Question reference: S6W-41089

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:7 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to (a) improve sustainable development and (b) increase levels of rural (i) employment, (ii) housing provision, and (iii) repopulation."

Question reference: S6W-41090

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:7 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to (a) increase the number of new (i) crofts, (ii) land tenancies and (iii) agriculture tenancies and (b) improve food (i) security and (ii) system resilience."

Question reference: S6W-41087

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:7 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to improve (a) community engagement and (b) local democracy regarding land ownership decisions."

Question reference: S6W-41084

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:7 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to (a) increase adherence to the terms of the Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement, (b) protect relevant human rights and (c) support animal welfare."

Question reference: S6W-41085

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:7 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to support (a) environmental, (b) biodiversity and (c) natural processes (i) protection and (ii) restoration."

Question reference: S6W-41088

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:7 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to support a just transition to a net zero (a) energy system and (b) economy."

Question reference: S6W-41082

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:7 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the inclusion of a (a) public interest test assessment of potential buyers, (b) fit and proper person test of potential buyers, and (c) presumed limit against large-scale land ownership unless in the public interest, in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill."

Question reference: S6W-40896

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:1 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the sale of charitable assets by the Clan Donald Lands Trust under section 33 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, and what its response is to the findings of the investigation by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) into the sale, which concluded that the…

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