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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)
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Finlay Carson

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries (Constituency)

About Finlay Carson

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @fincarson

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

Phone: 01556 504991
Text relay calls welcome.

Contact at local office

107 King Street
Castle Douglas
DG7 1LZ

Phone: 01556 504991
Text relay calls welcome.

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

Career as MSP

Career as MSP

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries (Constituency)
05 May 2016 to present

Committees

Finlay Carson is a member of 2 committees

Climate Action Committee

Substitute Member

Rural Affairs Committee

Member

Cross-party groups

Finlay Carson is a member of 1 cross-party group

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Beer and Pubs

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Finlay Carson does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Finlay Carson has 1 party role

Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural & Environment

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Previous roles

Finlay Carson has had the following roles in Parliament

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

01 February 2023 to 08 April 2026

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Convener

22 June 2021 to 08 April 2026

conveners group

Member

22 June 2021 to 01 February 2023

Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee

Convener

17 June 2021 to 22 June 2021

Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee

Member

11 August 2020 to 04 May 2021

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Natural Environment

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

11 August 2020 to 04 May 2021

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Rural Affairs

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

17 September 2019 to 04 May 2021

Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee

Deputy Convener

18 February 2020 to 11 August 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Land Reform

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

18 February 2020 to 11 August 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on the Environment

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

18 February 2020 to 11 August 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Climate Change

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

29 June 2017 to 25 February 2020

Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee

Substitute Member

18 September 2019 to 25 February 2020

Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee

Substitute Member

28 June 2017 to 18 February 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Biodiversity

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2017 to 18 February 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Animal Welfare

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2017 to 18 February 2020

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Digital Economy

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

08 June 2016 to 17 September 2019

Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee

Member

26 May 2016 to 28 June 2017

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Fisheries

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

26 May 2016 to 28 June 2017

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Rural Development

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Register of interests

Finlay Carson'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 Finlay Carson. The date of their initial statement was 03 June 2026.

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

No registrable interests.

Recent Activity

Official Report

What Finlay Carson 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.

Maternity Services (Stranraer and Wigtownshire

Chamber meeting date: 10 September 2026

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con): "The minister should be embarrassed standing up to deliver that pre-scripted answer. She visited Stranraer years ago and gave a commitment that the women in Stranraer would be looked after…

Town Centres (Local Authority Funding)

Chamber meeting date: 9 September 2026

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con): "To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that local authorities have sufficient resources to support town centres. (S7O-00188)"

Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3

Chamber meeting date: 9 September 2026

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con): "Given the minister’s acknowledgement that vaccination is the only viable long-term strategy against bluetongue, will the Scottish Government consider committing to a fully supported national vaccination programme, including assistance to secure a reliable vaccine supply?Will that include exploration of the use of student vets to maximise uptake…

Programme for Government (An Economy Fit for the Future)

Chamber meeting date: 8 September 2026

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con): "There is no doubt about the importance of energy and so on to creating jobs, so why has the Government completely failed over the past 20 years to take communities in rural Scotland with it and bring them on board…

House Building (Rural Areas)

Chamber meeting date: 2 September 2026

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con): "To ask the Scottish Government what further action it will take to increase house building, particularly in rural areas. (S7O-00153)"

Votes

How Finlay Carson has voted in Parliament

Find out how Finlay Carson has voted recently.

Building Stronger, Safer and Inclusive Communities, Together

Motion ref. S7M-01084.1

Submitted by: Thomas Kerr, Glasgow, Reform UK . Date lodged: Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Result 17 for, 102 against, 0 abstained, 10 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Building Stronger, Safer and Inclusive Communities, Together

Motion ref. S7M-01084.4

Submitted by: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Supported by: Carol Mochan
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Result 24 for, 95 against, 0 abstained, 10 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Building Stronger, Safer and Inclusive Communities, Together

Motion ref. S7M-01084.3

Submitted by: Kate Nevens, Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Supported by: Maggie Chapman
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Result 92 for, 27 against, 0 abstained, 10 did not vote

MSP voted against

Agreed

Building Stronger, Safer and Inclusive Communities, Together

Motion ref. S7M-01084

Submitted by: Simita Kumar, Edinburgh South Western, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, September 7, 2026

Supported by: Neil Gray, Kirsten Oswald, Shirley-Anne Somerville
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Result 92 for, 26 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted against

Agreed

Building Stronger, Safer and Inclusive Communities, Together

Motion ref. S7M-01084.2

Submitted by: Meghan Gallacher, Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Result 27 for, 90 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motions

Motions made by Finlay Carson in Parliament

Find out what motions Finlay Carson has submitted recently.

Questions

Questions Finlay Carson has asked

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

Question reference: S7O-00226

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 9 September 2026

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that waiting times for High Court trials are expected to almost triple by 2028."

Question reference: S7W-02439

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 11 August 2026

Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any increase in average consultation times, administrative processing times or task completion times following migration to the Vision 3 GP clinical system."

Question reference: S7W-02447

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 12 August 2026

Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its answer to question S7W-01392 by Angela Constance on 23 July 2026, which indicated that the Vision 3 GP clinical system is currently the only GP clinical system available through the national framework for the replacement of EMIS PCS in Scotland, what work is being undertaken to identify alternative…

Question reference: S7W-02438

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 11 August 2026

Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any assessment of the impact of the Vision 3 GP clinical system on GP appointment capacity and, if so, what the findings were."

Question reference: S7W-03010

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 7 September 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how many helicopters it plans to have on standby in advance of the next wildfire season."

Question reference: S7W-03006

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 7 September 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that a 24/7 thrombectomy service is available and reasonably accessible to people living in Dumfries and Galloway."

Question reference: S7W-03009

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 7 September 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether its new Public Procurement Taskforce will include consideration of how to reduce barriers to venison being used more widely in public sector catering menus."

Question reference: S7W-03007

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 7 September 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason more than 1,200 Basic Payment Scheme claimants are reportedly still waiting on verification of their Future Farm Investment Scheme claims."

Question reference: S7W-03008

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 7 September 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to complete the verification process for Future Farm Investment Scheme claims."

Question reference: S7W-02474

Asked by: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 14 August 2026

Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of travel distances on access to cancer treatment for children and young people living in rural and remote areas, including those served by NHS Dumfries and Galloway."