In and around Parliament

The following is a sample of the Westminster work I have recently been involved with.  As well as holding the government to account by posing questions in the House of Commons and contributing to parliamentary debates, I currently hold the role of SNP spokesperson on Health and Social Care and serve on this Committee.  I am also a Member of the Petitions Committee, which allows me to lead debates on important issues.  I also sit on several All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) that focus on specific policies.

Recent Parliamentary Questions ​

Asking Parliamentary Questions is a key part of holding the government to account on many issues and aspects of its policies.  There are various types of Questions and rules that must be followed; most familiar is Prime Minister's Questions, but also Orals, Business, Urgent, and Written.  Here's a selection of the latter that I have tabled this year.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of political prisoners being held in Egypt.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many tonnes of CO2 will be emitted each year by the (a) transportation and (b) burning of wood pellets imported to the UK for use in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) energy schemes.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate his Department has made of the strength of (a) Pakistan's and (b) Israel's nuclear arsenal.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the number of deductions of earnings orders, rather than deductions of earnings requests, being issued by the Child Maintenance Service to the Ministry of Defence's Defence Business Services.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether military equipment supplied by the UK has been used by Turkey in Syria.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of child, early and forced marriage in Pakistan in the context of that country's commitment to goal 5.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making insurance a legal requirement for cyclists.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of potential merits of introducing additional regulations for the parcel delivery sector to ensure a minimum of standard of service.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2021 to Question 87844 on Child Benefit: Taxation, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of eligible claimants who have opted out of High Income Child Benefit in each year from 2013 to 2020; and what assessment he has made of the effect of maintaining the adjusted net income threshold for that benefit at £50,000 on tax revenues in (a) 2013 and (b) 2020.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many taxpayers had opted out of receiving the Child Benefit payment as of August 2021.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the statutory regulation of clinical technologists following publication of the IPEM briefing paper entitled A new regulatory framework for clinical technologists in October 2021.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to replace real bearskins with faux fur in attire worn by service personnel.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress is being made on the approval of Novavax for use in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Recent Business and Debates

On 10th of February "Contracts: Randox Laboratories" was debated in the Commons Chamber following an Urgent Question request.  Remember Owen Paterson? This former MP was a paid advocate for Randox who were handed contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds by this Tory government.  So I asked... 
Can the Minister explain to me how that is not institutional corruption?  Nobody trusts this Government.  They are rule breakers and system cheaters.  Does this whole case with Randox not just prove that the Government are interested only in helping their friends?
On 9th of February I debated on the UK Government Integration White Paper, which sets out measures to make integrated health and social care a reality for everyone across England.  I pointed out that...
England is late to the integration game; Scotland and Wales have been legislating and moving in that direction for 20 years.  The Scottish Government are pushing forward plans for a national care service to ensure that social care is fit for the 21st century, and have developed the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland scheme to spread the burden of frontline care and make pharmacies the first port of call for patients when GP and hospital visits are not necessary.

What lessons have been learned from the devolved nations?  Any new plan for the NHS will not change the reality of the challenges facing the NHS organisation across all four of our nations, including that of vacancies.  While Scotland’s workforce has grown by 20% under the SNP, Brexit is still hampering our ability to recruit from EU nations. Will the Minister discuss loosening Brexit and immigration controls with his fellow Ministers to help alleviate that situation?
On 8th February I took part in the Westminster Hall debate "Yazidi Genocide" that my SNP colleague Brendan O'Hara secured.  The treatment of the Yazidi people is an atrocity and something we can unite in calling out.  However, what can be done about it?  I suggested that recognising the atrocities as genocide and crimes against humanity is a first key step. Therefore, I asked the Minister to step up to the mark and show willing for the UK to take the lead in rectifying the wrongs done to this religious minority.
A good starting point is with the recognition of the crimes as genocide.  Then, perhaps, the UK Government could press for the use of universal jurisdiction to be replicated by Governments around the world in such cases.  We need to improve legislation globally and avoid loopholes through which perpetrators can escape justice.  More support from the UK Government must be provided to Kurdish and Iraqi authorities to help them improve their judicial systems.  We also need to tackle questions of immunity of senior Syrian officials to make sure that nobody stands above the law.  In short, we need firm action—not lip service.​
On 7th of February I led the Westminster Hall debate "Laboratory Animals: Animal Welfare Act" that came about from an e-petition that exceeded 110,000 signatures, including 139 from my constituency.  Shockingly, laboratory animals are not protected by the 2006 Act.  Thus, they are victims of unnecessary suffering.  The government response to the petition said the use of animals in scientific research is crucial for the development of new medicines and cutting-edge medical technologies for both humans and animals, and for the protection of our environment.  I let my feelings be known...
I disagree with that, as there is nigh on 20 years of scientific evidence demonstrating the medical failures of animal testing.  It is evidence that comes from The BMJ, the National Cancer Institute and ScienceDirect, which is said to be the world-leading source for scientific, technical and medical research. Indeed, when ScienceDirect asked if it was time to rethink our current approach, over two years ago, it cited the questioning of animal models’ reliability in predicting human responses as far back as 1962.  Yes - 60 years ago.  Are the Government just not listening?  Perhaps the Minister will explain to us why that long-standing, peer reviewed and reputable scientific research is being ignored.

The Petitions Committee

This committee considers petitions that have been submitted to the House of Commons and is made up of eleven backbench MPs from government and opposition parties.  Who sits on this committee is determined by the number of party MPs that have been elected to Parliament so that it reflects the overall membership.  Currently, I am the sole serving SNP MP, and therefore the only member representing specifically Scottish interests on this committee.  I recognise the importance of my role in bringing a Scottish perspective to this Committee's decision-making and deliberations. 

The Health and Social Care Committee

This committee also has eleven Members and it scrutinises the work of the Department for Health and Social Care, and its associated public bodies, and examines government policy, spending, and administration.  Again, I am the only SNP Member.  Although Health and Social Care is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, my SNP colleagues and I voted against the Third Reading of the Health and Social Care Bill on 23rd November 2021 because it gives the UK Health Secretary enormous power over the English NHS’ structure, functions, and budget.  Consequently, this gives him a freer hand during trade negotiations - with risks from American healthcare interests.  This is concerning as major changes there will have longer-term implications for Scotland’s NHS, particularly in terms of funding and what is included in Free Trade Agreements.  Many of these powers will be exercised through regulation and secondary legislation, thus lacking full accountability.   ​

All Party Parliamentary Groups

All-Party Parliamentary Groups focus on specific issues.  These groups are set up by members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords to address particular policy areas with a non-partisan and bicameral approach.  They are informal groups that are not recognised in the same way as official parliamentary committees, but their method of tackling specific policies is nonetheless influential.

Martyn Day MP takes the oath of allegiance in Scottish form

House of Commons Votes and Proceedings: Martyn Day on Wednesday the 20th of May 2015.
The swearing in of MPs for the 2015 Parliament took place from Tuesday the 19th of May to Wednesday the 27th of May 2015.  At the start of a new Parliament all MPs (whether or not they have been MPs in the past) must take the oath of allegiance or make a solemn affirmation before they can take their seat in Parliament.  This is known as swearing in.  Until the oath or affirmation is taken, an MP may not receive a salary, take their seat, speak in debates or vote.  The initial period of swearing in lasts for about two hours.  Most MPs are sworn in on the first day, although the House of Commons also meet for swearing in on following days.  The names of MPs who have taken the oath, or made the affirmation, are recorded in Votes and Proceedings - the formal record of the proceedings of the House of Commons.
Read Votes and Proceedings 20 May 2015
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Published Responses

I receive many campaign emails from constituents concerned about a huge variety of issues.  Some are similar in content, therefore, I am publishing my response on this website so you can see my position on each of them. 
You may also like to look at the relevant government departmental website where there is more information on the many issues that are raised.
Please do get in touch if you have not received a response or cannot find what you’re looking for HERE.

I work for you

As your elected representative in Westminster I have included a link to the website TheyWorkForYou.com where you will find a record of my votes, attendance, written questions and other contributions.

VOTING RECORD
VOTES
APPEARANCES
EARLY DAY MOTIONS
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