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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

Image description

Alasdair Allan

Scottish National Party

MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Constituency) 2011 - present day

Former MSP for Western Isles (Constituency) 2007 - 2011

About Alasdair Allan

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @alasdairallan

Bluesky: @

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 01851 700357
Text relay calls welcome.

Contact at local office

20 Kenneth Street
Stornoway
HS1 2DR

Phone: 01851 700357
Text relay calls welcome.

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

Committees

Alasdair is a member of 2 committees

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Substitute Member

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Member

Cross-party groups

Alasdair is a member of 2 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Crofting

Co-Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Malawi

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Alasdair does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Alasdair does not have any party roles

Previous roles

Alasdair has had the following roles in Parliament

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

27 June 2024 - 13 June 2025

Acting Minister for Climate Action

Scottish Government

29 June 2023 - 17 June 2024

Standards Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Substitute Member

01 February 2023 - 17 June 2024

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Member

17 June 2021 - 29 June 2023

Constitution Europe External Affairs and Culture Committee

Member

17 June 2021 - 01 February 2023

Rural Affairs Islands and Natural Environment Committee

Member

08 September 2021 - 31 March 2022

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Substitute Member

06 February 2019 - 04 May 2021

Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints

Member

06 October 2020 - 04 May 2021

Finance and Constitution Committee

Member

06 September 2018 - 06 October 2020

Education and Skills Committee

Member

25 February 2020 - 01 September 2020

Justice Committee

Member

06 September 2018 - 25 February 2020

Social Security Committee

Member

18 May 2016 - 28 June 2018

Minister for International Development and Europe

Scottish Government

06 December 2011 - 18 May 2016

Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages

Scottish Government

25 May 2011 - 06 December 2011

Minister for Learning and Skills

Scottish Government

27 March 2008 - 22 March 2011

parliamentaryLiaisonOfficerToTheOffice of the First Minister

Scottish Government

20 May 2010 - 22 March 2011

Education Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee

Member

14 June 2007 - 22 March 2011

Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee

Substitute Member

02 September 2008 - 20 May 2010

Local Government and Communities Committee

Deputy Convener

13 June 2007 - 02 September 2008

Local Government and Communities Committee

Member

Register of interests

Alasdair'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 Alasdair Allan 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.

Lost Boys Campaign

Chamber meeting date: 12 January 2026

1. Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP): "To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Centre for Social Justice’s lost boys campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the issues that boys and young men are facing, including in Scotland. (S6O-05344)"

Lost Boys Campaign

Chamber meeting date: 12 January 2026

1. Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP): "To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Centre for Social Justice’s lost boys campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the issues that boys and young men are facing, including in Scotland. (S6O-05344)"

Lost Boys Campaign

Chamber meeting date: 12 January 2026

1. Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP): "To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Centre for Social Justice’s lost boys campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the issues that boys and young men are facing, including in Scotland. (S6O-05344)"

Lost Boys Campaign

Chamber meeting date: 12 January 2026

1. Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP): "To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Centre for Social Justice’s lost boys campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the issues that boys and young men are facing, including in Scotland. (S6O-05344)"

Lost Boys Campaign

Chamber meeting date: 12 January 2026

1. Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP): "To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Centre for Social Justice’s lost boys campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the issues that boys and young men are facing, including in Scotland. (S6O-05344)"

Votes

How Alasdair Allan has voted in Parliament

Find out how Alasdair Allan has voted recently.

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill

Motion ref. S6M-16789

Submitted by: Liz Smith, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, March 27, 2025

Result 64 for, 1 against, 53 abstained, 10 did not vote

MSP abstained

Agreed

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Motion ref. S6M-16892

Submitted by: Mairi Gougeon, Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, March 24, 2025

Supported by: Jim Fairlie
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Result 91 for, 29 against, 0 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Financial Resolution

Motion ref. S6M-16960

Submitted by: Shona Robison, Dundee City East, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Result 90 for, 30 against, 0 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Approval of SSI

Motion ref. S6M-16942

Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Result 70 for, 0 against, 50 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Scotland – A Fair Trade Nation

Motion ref. S6M-16923

Submitted by: Angus Robertson, Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, March 24, 2025

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Result 108 for, 7 against, 1 abstained, 13 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motions

Questions

Questions Alasdair Allan has asked

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

Question reference: S6W-42973

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 12 January 2026

Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 2 February 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how many students from Scotland have received free university tuition since 2007-08."

Question reference: S6W-42972

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 12 January 2026

Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of school leavers in each local authority area have gone on to a positive destination in each year since 2007."

Question reference: S6O-05399

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 14 January 2026

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting dental practices in island communities to provide sufficient levels of service to ensure that islanders can access the dental care that they are entitled to."

Question reference: S6W-42684

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 18 December 2025

Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support Scotland’s pelagic processing factories, following significant mackerel and herring quota cuts and the reduced volume of product available to them next year."

Question reference: S6O-05331

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 17 December 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to ensure that rural and island communities have access to legal aid."

Question reference: S6W-42566

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 12 December 2025

Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in setting out how it will restore 400,000 hectares of degraded peatland by 2040."

Question reference: S6W-41565

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 28 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill after 31 December 2025."

Question reference: S6O-04621

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 12 November 2024

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government test"

Question reference: S6O-04129

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 28 October 2024

Question reference: S6O-04074

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 12 October 2024

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in reforming the female custodial estate"