Skip to main content
Loading…

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

Image description

Paul McLennan

Scottish National Party

MSP for East Lothian (Constituency) 2021 - present day

About Paul McLennan

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @paulmclennan7

Facebook: Paul's facebook

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 5083
Text relay calls welcome.

Contact at local office

5a Mitchell's Close
Haddington
EH41 3NB

Phone: 01620 849240
Text relay calls welcome.

Find out when the MSP's surgery times are on their website.

Committees

Cross-party groups

Paul is a member of 1 cross-party group

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Towns and Town Centres

Deputy Convener

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Paul does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Paul does not have any party roles

Previous roles

Paul has had 4 previous roles

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

30 March 2023 - 11 June 2025

Minister for Housing

Scottish Government

17 June 2021 - 11 April 2023

Local Government Housing and Planning Committee

Member

31 March 2022 - 11 April 2023

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Member

17 June 2021 - 25 November 2021

Standards Procedures and Public Appointments 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.

Here is the register for Paul McLennan. The date of their initial statement was 08 June 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

Until 7 May 2021, when I resigned, I was an Associate DIrector at Playfair Scotland, a public affairs company (of 10 South St Andrew Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2AZ). I worked 35 hours per week and received remuneration of between £25,001 and £30,000 per annum. I received a final salary payment of £390.43 on 28 May 2021.

I am a Councillor for East Lothian Council (of John Muir House, Brewery Park, Haddington, EH41 3HA). I work 10-15 hours per week and receive salary and use of a mobile phone and laptop. I estimate that the total combined value of this remuneration is between £15,001 and £20,000 per annum and I will donate this remuneration to charities from June 2021 onwards.

Gifts

No registrable interests

Overseas visits

No registrable interests

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests

Heritable property

I own a house in Dunbar, East Lothian with a market value of between £150,001 and £200,000. I rent this house to my parents-in-law and receive gross rental income of up to £5,000 per annum.

Interest in shares

No registrable interests

Voluntary

No registrable interests

Recent Activity

What was said

What Paul McLennan 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: 4 December 2025

Local Housing Allowance (Impact of Freeze on Poverty Levels)

4. Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP): "To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s latest engagement with the United Kingdom Government regarding any impact on poverty levels in Scotland of the freeze to local housing allowance. (S6F-04511)"

Chamber meeting date: 3 December 2025

Bereavement Support and Awareness

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP): "On that point, I have a meeting coming up with Sands, too, and I have also had the pleasure of engaging with the Held In Our Hearts charity, which works with families who have lost young children, had late miscarriages and so on…

Chamber meeting date: 2 December 2025

Violence against Women and Girls

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP): "I am glad to speak in this debate. Normally, these debates are consensual, and I am a bit concerned about how this one has been politicised by Tory speakers—I really am. There is absolutely no doubt that toxic masculinity is on the increase…

Chamber meeting date: 26 November 2025

Economy

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP): "I thank the Tories for bringing forward this debate on the day of the UK Government’s budget. Thanks to the OBR, we all knew what was in the budget before it was presented—the whole process has been shambolic. Some measures are welcome…

Chamber meeting date: 26 November 2025

Gender Identity Clinics (Waiting Times)

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP): "I thank Patrick Harvie for bringing the debate to the chamber. I also thank Scottish Trans for its briefing. I have met with constituents on this matter, as I am sure that other members have…

Votes

How Paul McLennan has voted in Parliament

Find out how Paul McLennan has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-19980.1

Transparency in Tackling Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Submitted by: Russell Findlay, West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 50 for, 73 against, 0 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-19980

Transparency in Tackling Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Submitted by: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, December 1, 2025

Supported by: Paul Sweeney
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 95 for, 27 against, 1 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19977.1

Crisis in Social Care

Submitted by: Neil Gray, Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Supported by: Tom Arthur, Jenni Minto, Maree Todd
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 68 for, 55 against, 0 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19980.2

Transparency in Tackling Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Submitted by: Jenny Gilruth, Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Supported by: Angela Constance
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 67 for, 55 against, 1 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19977

Crisis in Social Care

Submitted by: Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, December 1, 2025

Supported by: Paul Sweeney
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 67 for, 51 against, 5 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motions

Questions

Questions Paul McLennan has asked

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

Question reference: S6F-04511

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 1 December 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2025

"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government's latest engagement with the UK Government regarding any impact on poverty levels in Scotland of the freeze to Local Housing Allowance."

Question reference: S6W-42017

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 19 November 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 20 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government when it will lay the proposal for the first Children’s Rights Scheme before the Scottish Parliament."

Question reference: S6W-38923

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 23 June 2025

Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 July 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline its plans for ensuring that island biosecurity, which is a commitment under the National Islands Plan and Goal 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, continues to be addressed throughout the island network when the current Biosecurity for Scotland project draws to a close in March 2026."

Question reference: S6W-15916

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 13 March 2023

Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 27 March 2023

"To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that any bids that it receives for National Park status cover contiguous or overlapping areas, whether the Scottish Ministers will be able to consider combining those bids into one larger National Park."

Question reference: S6W-15991

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 16 March 2023

Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 March 2023

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been advised by the UK Government of any Barnett consequential funding regarding the announcement in the Spring Budget of a one-year fund made up of £40 million to make swimming pools more energy efficient in the long term and £23 million in grants to leisure centres with swimming pools that…

Question reference: S6W-16167

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 23 March 2023

Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 March 2023

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) decarbonisation seabed leasing round, and what the next steps are for INTOG."

Question reference: S6W-15824

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 10 March 2023

Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2023

"To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with the Ministry of Defence regarding objections to wind farm projects within the 50km safeguarding zone at Eskdalemuir."

Question reference: S6O-02036

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 15 March 2023

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2023

"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to celebrate and mark St Andrew's Day 2023."

Question reference: S6O-01929

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 15 February 2023

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2023

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Hydrogen Action Plan, including regarding the role that local authorities can play in defining demand."

Question reference: S6W-14698

Asked by: Paul McLennan, East Lothian, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 6 February 2023

Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 February 2023

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much funding has been allocated for the construction of Changing Places toilets in the current parliamentary session, and by what date it expects this will be made available."

Share this page