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Members of the Scottish Parliament (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ)

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Paul O'Kane

Scottish Labour

MSP for West Scotland (Region) 2021 - present day

About Paul O'Kane

Contact details

Contact online

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 5942
Text relay calls welcome.

Contact at local office

Phone: 0141 887 5111
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Cross-party groups

Paul is a member of 14 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Building Bridges with Israel

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Co-Operatives

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Deafness

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Diabetes

Co-Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Dyslexia

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on India

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Learning Disability

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on LGBTI+

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Long Covid

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Poverty

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Science and Technology

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Social Work

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Ukraine

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Volunteering

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Paul does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Paul has 3 party roles

Party Spokesperson on Equalities

Scottish Labour

Party Spokesperson on Social Justice

Scottish Labour

Party Spokesperson on Social Security

Scottish Labour

Previous roles

Paul has had 5 previous roles

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

22 June 2021 - 25 April 2023

Health Social Care and Sport Committee

Deputy Convener

22 September 2021 - 25 April 2023

Equalities Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Substitute Member

31 May 2021 - 10 April 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Public Health

Scottish Labour

31 May 2021 - 10 April 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Social Care

Scottish Labour

17 June 2021 - 22 June 2021

Health Social Care and Sport Committee

Member

Register of interests

Paul's register of interests

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 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 O'Kane. The date of their initial statement was 07 June 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

Until 10 June 2021, I will be Chair of the Transport and Mechanical Advisory Group Association of Public Sector Excellence (APSE) (a not for profit unincorporated association of 300 Councils across the UK promoting excellence in public services of Scottish Office, Brandon House, 23-25 Brandon Street, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, ML3 6DA). I work 4 hours per month and receive remuneration of between £1,001 and £2,000 per annum. I resigned from this role with effect from 10 June 2021.

Until 4 May 2022, I was a councillor for East Renfrewshire Council (of Rouken Glen Road, Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, G46 6UH) and additionally, until 10 June 2021, I was Depute Leader of the Council and Convener for Education and Equalities. I worked approximately 21 hours per week and, until 10 June 2021, received remuneration of between £20,001 and £25,000 per annum. I had resigned as Depute Leader of the Council and Convener for Education and Equalities with effect from 10 June 2021 but remained as a councillor. From 10 June 2021 to 4 May 2022, I received remuneration of between £15,001 to £20,000 per annum. My councillor salary was donated to local community groups in my Ward. [Amended interest 5 October 2022]

Until 10 May 2021, I was a Policy and Participation Manager at ENABLE Scotland (a Learning Disability Charity and Social Care Provider of Inspire House, 3 Renshaw Place, Eurocentral, North Lanarkshire, ML14UF). I worked 21 hours per week and the remuneration I received was between £30,001 and £35,000 (pro-rata) per annum.

Gifts

On 18th September 2022, I received two Group D Finals tickets for my husband and I for the Davis Cup in Glasgow from the Lawn Tennis Association (National Tennis Centre, 100 Priory Lane, Roehampton, London, SW15 5JQ). The value of these tickets was £492. [Registered 3 October 2022]

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 Scottish Co-operative Party.

I was paid £100 by You Gov on 25 September 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 25 September 2024]

I was paid £70 by You Gov on 25 July 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 16 September 2024]

I am a member of LGBT Labour Scotland.

I was paid £75 by Savanta on 26 June 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 16 September 2024]

I am a member of Community Union.

I was paid £30 by You Gov on 25 April 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 16 September 2024]

I received two complimentary tickets from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland of Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB for my husband and I to attend the Royal Highland Show on Sunday 23 June 2024, the estimated value of the tickets was £68.00. [Registered 16 September 2024]

I was paid £100 by You Gov on 10 July 2024 for completing a survey. [Registered 16 September 2024]

I am the Chair of Trustees of Neilston War Memorial Association.

I am a patron of LGBT Labour.

I am a member of GMB Union.

I received two complimentary tickets from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland of Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB for my husband and I to attend the Royal Highland Show on Sunday 25 June 2023, the estimated value of the tickets was £68.00. [Registered 16 September 2024]

I am a member of ENABLE Scotland.

Recent Activity

What was said

What Paul O'Kane 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: 24 April 2025

Framework Legislation and Henry VIII Powers

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "I am pleased to contribute to the debate. It is an important debate, because it allows members to express their views and opinions about how we operate in this Parliament and how we pass legislation…

Chamber meeting date: 23 April 2025

United Kingdom Government Welfare Reforms

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "During the debate, we have already acknowledged the complexity of social security and the complexities of having a devolved system and a reserved system that interact and interlock…

Chamber meeting date: 22 April 2025

Supreme Court Judgment

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "It is important that the court’s ruling and the court itself are respected. We should also reflect, as the cabinet secretary did, on the words of Lord Hodge: the judgment must not be read as “a triumph of one or more groups ..…

Chamber meeting date: 22 April 2025

International Situation

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "As we come together this afternoon to discuss the international situation, it is clear that we live in very uncertain times…

Chamber meeting date: 3 April 2025

Social Security Scotland (Effectiveness)

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "An important part of the effectiveness of Social Security Scotland is the uptake of Scottish benefits…

Votes

How Paul O'Kane has voted in Parliament

Find out how Paul O'Kane has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-17242

UK Government Welfare Reforms

Submitted by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dunfermline, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Thursday, April 17, 2025

Supported by: Paul McLennan, Kaukab Stewart
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Result 73 for, 40 against, 0 abstained, 15 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-17242.1

UK Government Welfare Reforms

Submitted by: Paul O'Kane, West Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Result 14 for, 100 against, 0 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-17242.3

UK Government Welfare Reforms

Submitted by: Liz Smith, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Supported by: Roz McCall
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Result 27 for, 82 against, 5 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-17267

Substitution on Committees

Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Result 108 for, 1 against, 0 abstained, 19 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-17266

Committee Membership

Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Result 109 for, 1 against, 0 abstained, 18 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Passed

Motions

Questions

Questions Paul O'Kane has asked

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

Question ref. S6W-36669

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 8 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many people currently in receipt of Adult Disability Payment have been granted an indefinite award."

Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 April 2025

Question ref. S6W-36943

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 17 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards operate their own shingles vaccination programme, and how it is ensuring equitable access to the vaccine across all NHS boards."

Answer expected on 15 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-36942

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 17 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for eligible NHS patients to receive the shingles vaccine."

Answer expected on 15 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-36944

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 17 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent research suggesting that the shingles vaccine might reduce the risk of dementia by up to 20%, whether it plans to (a) expand or (b) accelerate the rollout of the vaccine."

Answer expected on 15 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-36732

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 9 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on 5 December 2024, on what date and at what time the official ministerial decision to mitigate the two-child limit was recorded in its electronic Records and Document Management system, and who…

Answer expected on 7 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-36670

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 8 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met officials from the Department for Work and Pensions regarding work to progress the delivery of automatic split payments of universal credit, as set out in part 6, section 94 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018."

Answer expected on 6 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-36672

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 8 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the steps that it has taken to share the necessary information with the Department for Work and Pensions to support the progress of the Scottish Government’s 2017 policy commitment to introduce automatic split payments of universal credit in Scotland."

Answer expected on 6 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-36671

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 8 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that automatic split payments of universal credit in Scotland, as it committed to in 2017, will be delivered by the end of the current parliamentary session, and, if so, by what date."

Answer expected on 6 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-36514

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 3 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has allocated any funding to support the Scottish Assembly for the financial year 2025-26."

Answer expected on 1 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-36512

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 3 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it provides support to the Scottish Assembly, and if this is the case, what kind of support it provides."

Answer expected on 1 May 2025

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