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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Miles Briggs

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

MSP for Lothian (Region) 2016 - present day

About Miles Briggs

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @Miles4Lothian

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 5944
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Cross-party groups

Miles is a member of 24 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Accident Prevention and Safety Awareness

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Bangladesh

Deputy Convener

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

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Cancer

Co-Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Care Leavers

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Carers

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Chronic Pain

Co-Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Credit Unions

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Health Inequalities

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Housing

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on India

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Life Sciences

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on MS

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Palliative Care

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Poverty

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Rare, Genetic and Undiagnosed Conditions

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Scottish Gypsy/Traveller Community

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Scottish Horseracing and Bloodstock Industries

Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Taiwan

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Ukraine

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Visual Impairment

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Volunteering

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Women, Families and Justice

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Miles does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Miles has 2 party roles

Party Spokesperson on Education

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Party Spokesperson on Skills

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Previous roles

Miles has had 18 previous roles

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

05 September 2023 - 06 November 2024

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Substitute Member

17 June 2021 - 10 October 2024

Local Government Housing and Planning Committee

Member

21 May 2021 - 08 October 2024

Party Spokesperson on Housing

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2023 - 08 October 2024

Party Spokesperson on Social Security

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2023 - 08 October 2024

Party Spokesperson on Equalities

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

17 June 2021 - 29 June 2023

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Member

21 May 2021 - 28 June 2023

Party Spokesperson on Social Justice

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

21 May 2021 - 28 June 2023

Party Spokesperson on Local Government

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

11 August 2020 - 04 May 2021

Chief Whip

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

20 August 2020 - 04 May 2021

Health and Sport Committee

Substitute Member

14 August 2020 - 04 May 2021

parliamentary bureau

Member

25 February 2020 - 20 August 2020

Equalities and Human Rights Committee

Substitute Member

08 June 2016 - 20 August 2020

Health and Sport Committee

Member

28 June 2017 - 11 August 2020

Party Spokesperson on Health

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2017 - 11 August 2020

Party Spokesperson on Sport

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

28 June 2016 - 29 June 2017

Education and Skills Committee

Substitute Member

26 May 2016 - 28 June 2017

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Public Health

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

26 May 2016 - 28 June 2017

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Health

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Register of interests

Miles'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 Miles Briggs. The date of their initial statement was 03 June 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

No registrable interests

Gifts

On 22 September 2018 I and a guest attended the Ayr Gold Cup at Ayr Racecourse as guests of William Hill (a betting and gambling company of Greenside House, 50 Station Road, Wood Green, London, N22 7TP). The value of the gift was £325 per person, the total was £650 for myself and my guest.

On 23 September 2023, in my capacity as the Convener of the Cross Party Group on Horseracing and Bloodstock Industries, I attended the Ayr Gold Cup at Ayr Racecourse as a guest of Scottish Racing (an organisation promoting and supporting the sport of horseracing throughout Scotland; c/o Hamilton Park Racecourse, Bothwell Road, Hamilton, ML3 0DW). The value of the gift was £378. [Registered 19 October 2023]

On 22 April 2017, I attended the Scottish Grand National as a guest of Ladbrokes Coral Group plc (a betting and gambling company of 5th Floor, The Zig Zag Building, 70 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6SQ). The value of the gift, which comprised two tickets and hospitality, was £590.

Overseas visits

From 17 to 26 November 2023 I was part of a cross-party delegation of MSPs who visited the People’s Republic of Bangladesh at the invitation of the High Commission of Bangladesh to the UK based in London (28 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5JA) and Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. The purpose of the visit was to engage with senior politicians within the Bangladeshi government, organisations, academics and business leaders to strengthen relationships between Bangladesh and Scotland, especially on issues of joint importance such as climate change, education, support for refugees and, fair pay and conditions for garment workers, and to build skill and knowledge sharing opportunities which will benefit both our nations. The delegation held meetings with Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh; A.K. Abdul Momen MP, Foreign Affairs Minister; Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury MP, Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament; Md. Shahab Uddin MP, Minister of Environment Forest & Climate Change; Professor Dr AKM Zakir Hossain, Vice-Chancellor of Kurigram Agricultural University; Md. Atiqul Islam, The Mayor of Dhaka North City; Dinner with Mahbub Ali MP, Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism; and breakfast with Matt Cannell, British Deputy High Commissioner and Development Director to Bangladesh. The Delegation visited the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar; Sylhet Women’s Medical College Hospital; Nabiganj and Habiganj; the medical camp in Biswanath’s Amtoil Village, and NRB Hospital in Sylhet. In the course of these visits, the delegation held meetings with Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, Mayor of Sylhet; Chamber of Commerce of Sylhet and other business leaders from the region; university academic and administrative heads, and Ataur Rahman Selim, Mayor of Habiganj. The total cost of the visit was £3,683.57. Of the total costs, £2,300 for return flights from Edinburgh to Dhaka and a one-way internal flight from Sylhet to Dhaka was met by Workpermitcloud Limited (legal recruitment experts; of the Gherkin Level 28, 30 Street Mary Axe, London, England, EC3A, Company Registration: 12909694) and £1,082.92 for hotel accommodation, £240.65 for food and transport, £60 for internal return flights Dhaka to Cox Bazar were met by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh (State Ministry which oversees foreign relations of Bangladesh; of Segunbagicha, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh) and Sylhet City Corporation (Sylhet City Council; of Nagar Bhaban, 3100, Bangladesh). I also received gifts, which including welcome crests, posters and books. The values of the items are below the threshold for registration in the gifts category. [Registered 14 December 2023]

From 5 to 12 October 2019 I was part of a cross-party delegation of MSPs who visited the Republic of China (Taiwan) at the invitation of the Director General, Taipei Representative Office (Edinburgh Office) in the UK, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China Department (of 1 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7PE). The delegation held meetings with a number of Government departments, trade and cultural organisations including; Meeting with Deputy Mayor of Tainan City Government, Sue Wang, Visit to Tainan Sin-Lau Hospital, Meeting with Kwo-tsai Wang, Deputy Minister for Ministry of Transportation and Communication, Meeting with Cheng-Hua Lee, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Lunch with Kelly Wu-Chiao Hsieh, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and brief engagement with the President of Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-Wen. The cost of the visit was; air ticket £4,055, accommodation £551, high speed rail £100, food £225, tickets for Chikan Tower, Fort Zeelandia, Anping Tree House and Taipei 101 £16. The total cost was £4,947 met in its entirety by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). I also received gifts, which included a USB Drive. The values of the items are below the threshold for registration in the gifts category.

From 9 February to 13 February 2024 I visited California, USA, as part of a cross-party delegation of MSPs, meeting health professionals, family members of individuals who had used the state’s End of Life Options Act, Senators and representatives of organisations who provide information about the provisions of the Act. The costs of the visit, including travel, accommodation and meals amounted to £2,694 and were paid by the permissible donor Dignity in Dying (a not-for-profit organisation that campaigns for a change in the law on assisted dying, of 181 Oxford Street, London, W1D 2JT). [Registered 7 March 2024]

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests

Heritable property

No registrable interests

Interest in shares

No registrable interests

Voluntary

I have received support from Marie Curie (14 Links Place, Edinburgh, EH6 7EB) to assist with the analysis and preparation for publication of responses to the consultation on my proposed Members Bill on a Right to Palliative Care. The value of this support to date is £295. [Registered 16 September 2024]

Recent Activity

What was said

What Miles Briggs 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: 20 November 2024

Improving Transitions for Young Disabled People

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con): "I apologise again for arriving late in the chamber. I ask the minister to be honest with the chamber. A year on, we do not seem to have seen any progress whatsoever…

Chamber meeting date: 14 November 2024

Education (Additional Support Needs)

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con): "Despite the fact that twice as many pupils now need support, the number of ASN teachers has decreased by 12 per cent. In the capital, there are 166 ASN teachers, which gives a pupil to teacher ratio of 145 pupils per ASN teacher…

Chamber meeting date: 13 November 2024

Housing Emergency

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con): "Presiding Officer, “Edinburgh is at the epicentre of the housing and homelessness crisis”.—Official Report, 23 April 2023; c 29. I spoke those words during my time as shadow housing spokesperson for the Conservatives…

Education, Children and Young People Committee meeting date: 13 November 2024

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con): "Good morning, and thank you for joining us. Tara Lillis touched on the fact that 90 per cent of teachers have said that the bill will be a good thing…

Chamber meeting date: 6 November 2024

Keeping the Promise

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con): "I thank the organisations that have provided helpful briefings for us ahead of the debate and I welcome to the public gallery representatives from them…

Votes

How Miles Briggs has voted in Parliament

Find out how Miles Briggs has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-15545

Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill: Timetable and Procedures for Consideration

Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Result 92 for, 31 against, 0 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-15529.2

Impact of National Insurance Increase on Public Services

Submitted by: Craig Hoy, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Result 29 for, 90 against, 3 abstained, 7 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-15529

Impact of National Insurance Increase on Public Services

Submitted by: Neil Gray, Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, November 18, 2024

Supported by: Ivan McKee, Jenni Minto, Maree Todd
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Result 73 for, 50 against, 0 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-15530

Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill

Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, November 18, 2024

Supported by: Siobhian Brown, Angela Constance, John Swinney
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Result 67 for, 50 against, 4 abstained, 8 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-15529.3

Impact of National Insurance Increase on Public Services

Submitted by: Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Result 21 for, 102 against, 0 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Defeated

Motions

Questions

Questions Miles Briggs has asked

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

Question ref. S6W-30870

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 25 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government how many new skilled workers the renewables industry estimates will be needed for renewable energy and grid upgrade projects."

Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 November 2024

Question ref. S6O-03972

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 6 November 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what support it will make available to fully fund and protect hospice care services, in light of the increase in national insurance contributions in the UK Budget and any impact of the Agenda for Change on hospice budgets."

Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 November 2024

Question ref. S6O-04001

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 13 November 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people who are not aware of a Do Not Resuscitate order being placed on their medical notes, including in relation to next of kin and power of attorney holders."

Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2024

Question ref. S6W-30641

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 17 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government how it notifies public sector bodies of the centrally funded eCommerce shared service for procurement and finance systems; what measures it has in place to encourage uptake, and what steps it will take to reduce the overlap in spending on external IT systems and consultancies when a centralised option is available at…

Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 November 2024

Question ref. S6W-30640

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 17 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the number of public sector bodies that have chosen to use their own procurement and finance IT systems or consultancies instead of the centrally funded eCommerce shared service, and how much each body has spent annually since 2020 on these alternative systems and consultancy…

Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 November 2024

Question ref. S6W-30639

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 17 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what the total amount spent by the public sector has been on IT systems and consultancy services, specifically in the areas of procurement and finance, in each year since 2020, also broken down by public sector body, and how this expenditure compares with the availability of the centrally-funded eCommerce shared…

Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 November 2024

Question ref. S6W-30943

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the reported decline in the reading age of pupils in schools."

Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 12 November 2024

Question ref. S6W-30945

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what digital solutions are being explored to improve the reading age in schools."

Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 12 November 2024

Question ref. S6W-30944

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what specific actions have been taken in the current parliamentary session to improve the average reading age in schools."

Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 12 November 2024

Question ref. S6W-30875

Asked by: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 25 October 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to increase the digitisation of patient records for young people with cancer, and whether it will consider creating a Scottish equivalent of the NHS England app to make accessing medical records and NHS services easier for young cancer patients and their families."

Answered by Neil Gray on 11 November 2024

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