Skip to main content

Language: English / Gàidhlig

Loading…

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

Image description

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

Paul is a member of 2 committees

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Member

Cross-party groups

Paul is a member of 17 cross-party groups

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

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Care Leavers

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Carers

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Changing Places Toilets

Convener

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 September 2021 - 25 April 2023

Equalities Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Substitute Member

22 June 2021 - 25 April 2023

Health Social Care and Sport Committee

Deputy Convener

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

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.

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.

Criminal Justice Committee meeting date: 14 November 2024

Tackling Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "Good morning to the cabinet secretary and his officials. The committee has been very interested in the progress of medication-assisted treatment standards and the cross-cutting nature of implementing those in healthcare settings and beyond…

Chamber meeting date: 13 November 2024

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?"

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee meeting date: 12 November 2024

Aarhus Convention

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "Good morning. I will elaborate on some of the questions that we have explored in terms of the potential for reform of legal aid…

Chamber meeting date: 7 November 2024

Carer Support Payment

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "I am sure that the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice will join me in welcoming the announcement from the United Kingdom Government about the increase in the earnings threshold for carers allowance to £45 a week, which will benefit people elsewhere in the UK by 2029. That will mean a block grant adjustment to Scotland, and I am keen to understand…

Social Justice and Social Security Committee meeting date: 7 November 2024

Funeral Expense Assistance (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2024 [Draft]

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab): "Good morning. In your opening remarks, cabinet secretary, you mentioned the alkaline hydrolysis procedure and the payment being available to cover it—I think that you talked about being ready for that eventuality…

Votes

How Paul O'Kane has voted in Parliament

Find out how Paul O'Kane has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-15423.2

Business Programme

Submitted by: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Result 48 for, 70 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-15423.1

Business Programme

Submitted by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Neil Bibby, Katy Clark, Rhoda Grant, Mark Griffin, Daniel Johnson, Michael Marra, Pauline McNeill, Paul O'Kane, Colin Smyth
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Result 51 for, 67 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-15401

Scotland’s Housing Emergency

Submitted by: Meghan Gallacher, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Monday, November 11, 2024

Supported by: Tess White
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Result 66 for, 52 against, 1 abstained, 10 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-15425

Approval of SSI

Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Result 61 for, 0 against, 57 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP abstained

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-15401.3

Scotland’s Housing Emergency

Submitted by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dunfermline, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Supported by: Paul McLennan, Kaukab Stewart
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Result 60 for, 57 against, 1 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted against

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. S6O-03988

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 13 November 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what ongoing discussions the finance secretary is having with ministerial colleagues and officials regarding the planning of portfolio budgets in the lead up to the publication of its Budget for 2025-26."

Taken in the Chamber on 20 November 2024

Question ref. S6W-30964

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 30 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that emergency care is maintained for patients requiring air ambulance services, in light of any issues created by the issuance of CAP1264 by the Civil Aviation Authority."

Answered by Neil Gray on 7 November 2024

Question ref. S6W-29825

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 12 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its proposed Adults with Incapacity Bill as outlined in its Programme for Government 2024-25, whether it plans to consult on each of the recommendations contained under Recommendation 13…

Answered by Maree Todd on 27 September 2024

Question ref. S6O-03797

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 25 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to bring down processing times for the Adult Disability Payment, in light of the most recent high level statistics from Social Security Scotland indicating a reversal in the previous reduction to processing times."

Taken in the Chamber on 3 October 2024

Question ref. S6W-29669

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 6 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to open the £10 million Changing Places toilet fund, in light of the reprofiling of the commencement of the fund, as detailed in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee, published on 3 September 2024."

Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29668

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 6 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still committed to investing £10 million in Changing Places toilets by the end of the current parliamentary session, in light of the reprofiling of the commencement of the Changing Places toilet fund, as detailed in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the…

Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29670

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 6 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government, prior to the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, in her letter to the Convener of Finance and Public Administration Committee, that the Changing Places toilet fund would be reprofiled, what work it had undertaken to prepare for the fund to open at the start of 2025, as previously…

Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2024

Question ref. S6O-03747

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 11 September 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report from the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit, which highlights that "core outcomes related to inequalities and health are not improving significantly and some are getting worse"."

Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29141

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 16 August 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to continued support through Transport Scotland of SUSTRANS’ Places for Everyone programme, as part of its commitment to supporting active travel."

Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 September 2024

Question ref. S6W-29113

Asked by: O'Kane, Paul, West Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 15 August 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the public sector equality duty and any new human rights framework are compatible and adequately linked."

Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 September 2024

Share this page