Rachael Hamilton
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Constituency) 2017 - present day
Former MSP for South Scotland (Region) 2016 - 2017
About Rachael Hamilton
Contact details
Contact online
Email: [email protected]
Website: rachaelhamilton.co.uk
Twitter: @Rachael2Win
Facebook: Rachael's facebook
Contact at the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Phone: 0131 348 6972
Text relay calls welcome.
Contact at their Constituency
7 Abbey Court
Kelso
TD5 7JA
Phone: 01573 224862
Text relay calls welcome.
Find out when the MSP's surgery times are on their website.
Committees
Rachael is a member of 2 committees
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Substitute Member
Cross-party groups
Rachael is a member of 13 cross-party groups
Parliamentary and Government Roles
Rachael does not have any parliamentary or government roles
Party Roles
Rachael has 2 party roles
Party Spokesperson on Islands
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Party Spokesperson on Rural Affairs
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Previous roles
Rachael has had 9 previous roles
Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.
25 February 2020 - 04 May 2021
Culture Tourism Europe and External Affairs Committee
Substitute Member
20 August 2020 - 04 May 2021
Social Security Committee
Member
25 February 2020 - 20 August 2020
Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee
Member
10 September 2019 - 25 February 2020
Environment Climate Change and Land Reform Committee
Member
17 May 2018 - 10 September 2019
Public Petitions Committee
Member
21 June 2017 - 17 May 2018
Culture Tourism Europe and External Relations Committee
Member
29 September 2016 - 02 May 2017
Culture Tourism Europe and External Relations Committee
Member
08 June 2016 - 17 November 2016
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Member
08 June 2016 - 29 September 2016
European and External Relations Committee
Member
Register of interests
Rachael'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 Rachael Hamilton. The date of their initial statement was 14 May 2021.
Remuneration and related undertaking
I am a director of Borders Hotels Ltd, a hospitality firm of the Green, St Boswells, Melrose, Roxburghshire, TD6 0EW. I received £2,000 in the form of dividends in the year end accounts which I then paid directly into the company.
Gifts
No registrable interests.
Overseas visits
No registrable interests.
Controlled transactions
No registrable interests.
Heritable property
No registrable interests.
Interest in shares
I own 49% of the issued share capital in Borders Hotels Ltd. of the Green, St Boswells, Melrose, Roxburghshire, TD6 0EW. These are ordinary shares with a market value of £120,518. The company is a privately owned limited company therefore market value is difficult to determine. The value given is the net asset value based on the latest accounts filed with Companies House.
Voluntary
No registrable interests.
Recent Activity
What was said
What Rachael Hamilton 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: 13 January 2022
Small Rural Businesses (Support)
Rachael Hamilton: "With its introduction of a licensing scheme, the Scottish National Party is about to put a wrecking ball through the rural short-term letting industry. Some organisations have quit the SNP Government’s working group…
Chamber meeting date: 13 January 2022
Carbon-neutral Islands
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): "The Scottish National Party Government is failing to deliver carbon-neutral islands, with a £20 million cut to the agricultural transformation fund for crofters, peatland restoration targets not achieved and a falling proportion of low-emission ferries—they have not been delivered. With net zero targets to meet, why is the Government failing to…
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee meeting date: 12 January 2022
Budget Scrutiny 2022-23
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): "I know that this session is focused on environmental questions, but I would like to take you back to a point that you made earlier, cabinet secretary. We know that future farm support is guaranteed until 2024…
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee meeting date: 12 January 2022
Impact of European Union Exit
Rachael Hamilton: "I want to pick up some of the conversations that the committee has had about depopulation of the islands…
Chamber meeting date: 11 January 2022
Covid-19 Update
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): "Presiding Officer, “Do not run the risk of later regretting—or of leaving your family to regret—that you did not get the protection against illness and death that vaccination gives you.” Those are not my words, but the words of the First Minister…
Votes
How Rachael Hamilton has voted in Parliament
Find out how Rachael Hamilton has voted recently.
Approval of SSI
Submitted by: George Adam, Paisley, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Result 87 for, 33 against, 0 abstained, 9 no vote
MSP voted against
Vote Passed
Education Failures and Guaranteeing the 2022 Exam Diet
Submitted by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dunfermline, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Supported by: Clare Haughey, Jamie Hepburn
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Result 67 for, 54 against, 0 abstained, 8 no vote
MSP voted against
Vote Passed
Education Failures and Guaranteeing the 2022 Exam Diet
Submitted by: Meghan Gallacher, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Monday, January 17, 2022
Supported by: Sharon Dowey
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Result 67 for, 53 against, 1 abstained, 8 no vote
MSP voted against
Vote Passed
Approval of SSI
Submitted by: George Adam, Paisley, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Result 68 for, 53 against, 0 abstained, 8 no vote
MSP voted against
Vote Passed
Protecting Local Government Funding in Scotland
Submitted by: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Monday, January 17, 2022
Supported by: Sharon Dowey
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Result 65 for, 56 against, 0 abstained, 8 no vote
MSP voted against
Vote Passed
Motions
Motions made by Rachael Hamilton in Parliament
Find out what motions Rachael Hamilton has submitted recently.
Written questions
Written questions Rachael Hamilton 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: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 19 January 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to funding available through Forestry and Land Scotland for starter farms, how much (a) is available in 2022-23, (b) was available in each financial year since 2007-08 and (c) will be available in future years."
Awaiting answer
Asked by: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 14 December 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Storm Arwen, whether it plans to make any revisions to its targets for the (a) number and (b) species of trees to be planted, and what its position is on the suitability of particular land uses."
Answered by: Mairi McAllan on 10 January 2022
Asked by: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 10 December 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost of upgrading Scotland's agricultural slurry storage facilities."
Answered by: Mairi McAllan on 7 January 2022
Asked by: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 13 December 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government by what date a review into the response to Storm Arwen will commence."
Answered by: John Swinney on 22 December 2021
Asked by: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 14 December 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government what points in its Programme for Government are addressed by the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill."
Awaiting answer
Asked by: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 19 November 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to establishing a gamekeeping taskforce."
Answered by: Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2021
Asked by: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 30 November 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the amount of affordable housing in rural communities, in light of reports that the projects that it is funding have only been able to build 131 homes up to November 2021."
Answered by: Shona Robison on 14 December 2021
Asked by: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 13 December 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of hedgerow have been (a) reinstated or (b) planted through agri-environment climate schemes."
Awaiting answer
Asked by: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 13 December 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will carry out an assessment of the scale of tree damage caused by Storm Arwen."
Awaiting answer
Asked by: Hamilton, Rachael, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 9 December 2021
"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) on short-term let licensing, on what evidence it considers that the tourism sector will have recovered adequately by 31 March 2023 to ensure that the licensing scheme does not add to any burden currently being experienced by the…
Awaiting answer
See all of Rachael Hamilton's written questions submitted in Parliament