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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)
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Sanne Dijkstra-Downie

Scottish Liberal Democrats

MSP for Edinburgh Northern (Constituency)

About Sanne Dijkstra-Downie

Contact details

Contact online

Career as MSP

Career as MSP

Scottish Liberal Democrats
MSP for Edinburgh Northern (Constituency)
07 May 2026 to present

Committees

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie is a member of 1 committee

Climate Action Committee

Member

Cross-party groups

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie is not a member of any cross-party groups

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has 1 party role

Spokesperson for Climate, Environment & Energy

Scottish Liberal Democrats

Previous roles

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie does not have any previous roles

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

Register of interests

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie'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 Sanne Dijkstra-Downie. The date of their initial statement was 04 June 2026.

Remuneration and related undertaking

I am a self-employed professional face painter at Flair Face Painting. I spend occasional days on this role, typically during school holidays. I earn between £1,001 and £2,000 gross per annum.

I am a Councillor for the City of Edinburgh Council (of City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ). Following my election, I spend approximately 30 hours per month on this role, which varies widely from week to week. I receive a salary and use of a mobile phone, laptop and tablet. I estimate the total combined value of this remuneration is between £25,001 and £30,000 per annum. The basic annual councillor salary is deducted from my MSP salary.

Gifts

No registrable interests.

Overseas visits

No registrable interests.

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests.

Heritable property

No registrable interests.

Interest in shares

No registrable interests.

Voluntary

No registrable interests.

Recent Activity

Official Report

What Sanne Dijkstra-Downie 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.

Interests

Climate Action Committee meeting date: 25 June 2026

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "My entry in the register of members’ interests says that I am a councillor at City of Edinburgh Council. I also declare that my husband is employed as a principal engineer by Sweco, which is an Edinburgh-based engineering consultancy firm."

Violence in Schools

Chamber meeting date: 23 June 2026

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "A recent report to City of Edinburgh Council’s education, children and families committee showed that there were more than 2,000 violent incidents in Edinburgh schools last year, which was a 43 per cent increase on figures from the previous year…

Climate Change

Chamber meeting date: 23 June 2026

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "In 2021, I spent a week at the 26th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP26—in Glasgow…

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statistics 2024

Chamber meeting date: 9 June 2026

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement, and I welcome her to her role.I very much share the cabinet secretary’s ambition in relation to climate change requiring sensible and practical solutions, not ideological blockages…

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statistics 2024

Chamber meeting date: 9 June 2026

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement, and I welcome her to her role.I very much share the cabinet secretary’s ambition in relation to climate change requiring sensible and practical solutions, not ideological blockages…

Votes

How Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has voted in Parliament

Find out how Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has voted recently.

Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population

Motion ref. S7M-00469

Submitted by: Neil Gray, Airdrie, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Supported by: Kirsten Oswald
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 25, 2026

Result 89 for, 31 against, 0 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population

Motion ref. S7M-00469.5

Submitted by: Stephen Kerr, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Supported by: James Adams
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 25, 2026

Result 26 for, 78 against, 15 abstained, 10 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population

Motion ref. S7M-00469.3

Submitted by: Maggie Chapman, North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Supported by: Kate Nevens
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 25, 2026

Result 16 for, 104 against, 0 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population

Motion ref. S7M-00469.1

Submitted by: Amanda Bland, Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK . Date lodged: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 25, 2026

Result 26 for, 94 against, 0 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population

Motion ref. S7M-00469.2

Submitted by: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 25, 2026

Result 65 for, 53 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motions

Motions made by Sanne Dijkstra-Downie in Parliament

Find out what motions Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has submitted recently.

Questions

Questions Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has asked

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

Question reference: S7W-01755

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 16 July 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 13 August 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make teplizumab available through NHS Scotland and, if so, what is the anticipated timescale for its introduction."

Question reference: S7W-01097

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 17 June 2026

Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 July 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decentralisation of funding for diabetes technologies in April 2026, whether it will legislate to ensure that the SIGN guideline 170, Optimising glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes, is adhered to."

Question reference: S7W-01636

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 10 July 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether the forthcoming Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill will include a requirement for public buildings to connect to heat networks where these are available, and what assessment it has made of the potential impact of such a requirement."

Question reference: S7W-01635

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 10 July 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce the revised Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill, and what its key provisions will be compared to the version of the Bill that was previously considered…

Question reference: S7W-01634

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 10 July 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to Scotland's Heat Network Fund for the current financial year, and whether it will commit to maintaining this fund across the full current parliamentary session, with flexible timelines to account for rising delivery costs."

Question reference: S7W-01637

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 10 July 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution that heat networks can make to tackling fuel poverty in Scotland, and how this is reflected in its current and planned policy and funding commitments."

Question reference: S7W-01640

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 10 July 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a statutory obligation or financial incentives to ensure that heat network zone delivery is more effectively driven through Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, and, if so, what timeline it is working to."

Question reference: S7W-01639

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 10 July 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent to which local authorities are effectively incorporating heat network zones into their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, and what action it is taking where progress is insufficient."

Question reference: S7W-01641

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 10 July 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the introduction of utilities-based statutory undertaker rights for heat network developers, and when it plans to bring forward the necessary legislation."

Question reference: S7W-01638

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 10 July 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has made available or plans to make available for key enabling infrastructure to support heat network delivery, and how it is working with industry to develop a strategic approach to the rollout of heat networks."