Shirley-Anne Somerville
Scottish National Party
MSP for Dunfermline (Constituency) 2016 - present day
Former MSP for Lothians (Region) 2007 - 2011
About Shirley-Anne Somerville
Contact details
Contact online
Email: [email protected]
Contact at the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Contact at local office
Unit 2
15 Pitreavie Court
Dunfermline
Fife
KY11 8UU
Phone: 01383 871 986
Text relay calls welcome.
Committees
Shirley-Anne is not a member of any committees
Cross-party groups
Shirley-Anne is not a member of any cross-party groups
Parliamentary and Government Roles
Shirley-Anne has 1 parliamentary and government role
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
Scottish Government
Find out more about the Cabinet and Ministers at the Scottish Government website.
Party Roles
Shirley-Anne does not have any party roles
Previous roles
Shirley-Anne has had 10 previous roles
Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.
19 May 2021 - 29 March 2023
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
Scottish Government
28 June 2018 - 19 May 2021
Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People
Scottish Government
19 May 2016 - 28 June 2018
Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science
Scottish Government
27 March 2008 - 22 March 2011
Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
Scottish Government
06 September 2007 - 22 March 2011
Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee
Member
13 April 2010 - 27 July 2010
William Simpsons Home Transfer of Property etc Scotland Bill Committee
Convener
26 February 2009 - 03 June 2010
Equal Opportunities Committee
Substitute Member
18 March 2010 - 13 April 2010
William Simpsons Home Transfer of Property etc Scotland Bill Committee
Member
26 November 2009 - 09 April 2010
Ure Elder Fund Transfer and Dissolution Bill Committee
Member
06 September 2007 - 26 June 2008
Education Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee
Substitute Member
Register of interests
Shirley-Anne'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 Shirley-Anne Somerville. The date of their initial statement was 10 June 2021.
Remuneration and related undertaking
No registrable interests
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
I am a member of the RSPB.
I am a member of the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Recent Activity
What was said
What Shirley-Anne Somerville 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: 26 March 2024
Child Poverty
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville): "The Scottish Government continues to do all that it can within its powers to tackle child poverty…
Chamber meeting date: 26 March 2024
Women’s State Pension Age (Poverty Rate)
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville): "The Scottish Government welcomes the findings of the report, which recognise the communication failures by the United Kingdom Government…
Chamber meeting date: 26 March 2024
Gender Representation on Public Boards (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville): "The Gender Representation on Public Boards (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill seeks to remove the section 2 definition of “woman” from the original Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018…
Chamber meeting date: 14 March 2024
Deafblindness Definition (Social Security Scotland)
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville): "Social Security Scotland works with individuals and disability organisations to design services, and every stage of the application process has been tested…
Chamber meeting date: 14 March 2024
Scottish Child Payment (Uptake)
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville): "Our game-changing Scottish child payment is putting money into the pockets of the families of more than 327,000 children, with £573 million having been paid since launch…
See all of Shirley-Anne Somerville's contributions in the chamber
See all of Shirley-Anne Somerville's contributions in committees
Votes
How Shirley-Anne Somerville has voted in Parliament
Find out how Shirley-Anne Somerville has voted recently.
Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill: Financial Resolution
Submitted by: Shona Robison, Dundee City East, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, February 12, 2024
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Result 89 for, 0 against, 31 abstained, 9 did not vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
Widening Access - Equality of Access to Higher Education
Submitted by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, Glasgow, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, March 25, 2024
Supported by: Clare Adamson, Paul Sweeney
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Result 22 for, 97 against, 1 abstained, 9 did not vote
MSP voted against
Vote Defeated
Widening Access - Equality of Access to Higher Education
Submitted by: Graeme Dey, Angus South, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, March 25, 2024
Supported by: Natalie Don, Jenny Gilruth
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Result 69 for, 49 against, 1 abstained, 10 did not vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
Widening Access - Equality of Access to Higher Education
Submitted by: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Monday, March 25, 2024
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Result 31 for, 69 against, 20 abstained, 9 did not vote
MSP voted against
Vote Defeated
Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill
Submitted by: Jim Fairlie, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, March 18, 2024
Supported by: Mairi Gougeon
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, March 21, 2024
Result 85 for, 30 against, 0 abstained, 14 did not vote
MSP not voted
Vote Passed
Motions
Motions made by Shirley-Anne Somerville in Parliament
Find out what motions Shirley-Anne Somerville has submitted recently.
Questions
Questions Shirley-Anne Somerville has asked
These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 17 March 2011
"To ask the Scottish Executive whether it continues to support the introduction of minimum pricing as a means of tackling problems with alcohol."
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 March 2011
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 24 February 2011
"To ask the Scottish Executive how much it and its agencies invested in the renewables and community renewables industry between (a) 2003 and 2007 and (b) 2007 and 2011."
Answered by Jim Mather on 9 March 2011
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 22 February 2011
"To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it estimates will be created under its plans for a low-carbon economy by 2014-15."
Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2011
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 16 November 2010
"To ask the Scottish Executive when it will fulfil the requirement of section 35 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to set out a report on proposals and policies for meeting annual emissions targets for 2010 to 2022."
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 November 2010
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 30 April 2010
"To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Edinburgh Napier University’s decision to discontinue its Communication, Advertising and PR undergraduate degree (a) how many applicants will be affected by this decision and (b) what recourse applicants who are negatively affected will have to ensure they can begin their chosen area of study."
Answered by Michael Russell on 13 May 2010
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21 April 2010
"To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs in the renewables and low-carbon sector expected to be created over the next 20 years will be (a) low, (b) semi and (c) highly skilled."
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 May 2010
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21 April 2010
"To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has regarding the geographical spread of potential future jobs in the renewables and low-carbon sector."
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 May 2010
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21 April 2010
"To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding the potential impact of jobs in the renewables and low-carbon sector on tackling long-term unemployment."
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 May 2010
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21 April 2010
"To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs in the renewables and low-carbon sector are expected to be created in the next (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 20 years."
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 May 2010
Asked by: Somerville, Shirley-Anne, Lothians, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21 April 2010
"To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures it has in place, or plans to put in place, to assist small businesses to take advantage of future opportunities in the renewables and low-carbon sector."
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 May 2010
See all of Shirley-Anne Somerville's questions submitted in Parliament