Photo © Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Michael Marra
Scottish Labour · Member for North East Scotland (region)
At a glance Michael Marra is a Scottish Labour regional Member of the Scottish Parliament for North East Scotland (region).
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 2,903 Holyrood divisions on record; Michael Marra did not vote in 265. A rebellion is a vote against the way most of their own party voted; free votes, where no party line applies, are left out. At Holyrood an abstention is a deliberate recorded vote, distinct from not voting at all.
Party-loyalty figures are our own analysis of the official voting records (recorded votes only; they do not describe the formal whip). How we work this out.
Committees
Voting record
The most recent divisions Michael Marra voted in. For, Against and Abstain are as recorded.
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | Against |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | For |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | Against |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | For |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population | Abstain |
| 24 Jun 2026 | National Security (State Threats) Bill – UK Legislation | For |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Scotland Needs Reform: Five Years to 2031 | For |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Scotland Needs Reform: Five Years to 2031 | Abstain |
| 23 Jun 2026 | Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change | Against |
| 23 Jun 2026 | Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill - UK Legislation | For |
| 23 Jun 2026 | Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change | Against |
| 23 Jun 2026 | Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change | For |
| 23 Jun 2026 | Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change | Against |
| 23 Jun 2026 | Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change | For |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Affordable Bus Fares | For |
Register of interests
From the Scottish Parliament's Register of Interests. Shown as registered; nothing is added or interpreted.
Controlled transactions1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 10 Jun 2026)
Gifts1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 10 Jun 2026)
Heritable property1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 10 Jun 2026)
Interest in shares1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 10 Jun 2026)
Overseas visits1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 10 Jun 2026)
Remuneration and related undertaking1
- No registrable interests. (lodged 10 Jun 2026)
Voluntary3
- I am a member of Amnesty International. (lodged 10 Jun 2026)
- I am a member of Community the Union. (lodged 10 Jun 2026)
- I am a member of GMB Trade Union. (lodged 10 Jun 2026)
Questions
Michael Marra has tabled 205 questions in the Scottish Parliament.
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the contractual remedies available to NHS boards where…
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the contractual remedies available to NHS boards where hearing aid batteries supplied through the national procurement framework do not meet the required standards, and whether it holds information on any such remedies having been exercised since the commencement of the current contract.
Awaiting an answer.
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that patients can access diagnosis or treatment…
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that patients can access diagnosis or treatment where no NHS board is able to accept a referral to the required specialist service due to capacity or workforce pressures.
Answer · Angela Constance · 20 Jul 2026
As set out in the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011, where a Health Board is unable to meet the Treatment Time Guarantee within its own area, it must take all reasonably practicable steps to arrange for the provision of the agreed treatment by—(a) another Health Board;(b) the National Health Service in England, Wales or Northern Ireland;(c) an authorised provider; or(d) another suitable alternative provider in the United Kingdom.When pursuing the above options, a Health Board must have regard to the importance of securing the effective and efficient use of the health service organisation and resources.Health Boards also have the option to agree national or regional provision for diagnostic and specialist services.
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the funding of private specialist assessment or treatment in cir…
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the funding of private specialist assessment or treatment in circumstances where an NHS board is unable to provide the required service and is unable to secure an onward NHS referral within a clinically appropriate timescale.
Answer · Angela Constance · 20 Jul 2026
Service delivery and patient care are the responsibility of NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally. Clinical decisions on the care and treatment of individual patients are always matters of professional judgement for the responsible practitioner.In certain circumstances, NHS Boards may make limited use of alternative providers, including independent sector providers, in response to capacity constraints and to improve access to patient care.
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether current cross-board referral arrangements provide…
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether current cross-board referral arrangements provide equitable access to specialist services across NHS Scotland, particularly in specialties where service provision is limited by workforce shortages.
Answer · Angela Constance · 20 Jul 2026
The Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework and Population Health Framework, published in 2025, set out an ambitious vision for transforming Scotland’s public services.To support this vision, NHS Boards are introducing a new collaborative, sub-national planning approach through Subnational Planning and Delivery Committees (SPDCs) East and West, which will drive a renewed focus on population-based planning across NHS Scotland.This approach will shift health service planning beyond organisational boundaries and strengthen accountability for meeting the needs of local populations.SPDCs East and West will work collaboratively to optimise capacity and ensure equitable access to services based on population need. By doing so, they will place the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s population at the heart of service design and delivery.
To ask the Scottish Government what public funding has been provided to Dundee Airport, broken down by (a) amount and (…
To ask the Scottish Government what public funding has been provided to Dundee Airport, broken down by (a) amount and (b) purpose, in each of the last seven years.
Answer · Tom Arthur · 17 Jul 2026
Funding from Transport Scotland to Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) for Dundee Airport in each of the last seven years is:YearResource (£)Capital (£)2019-202,183,000184,3172020-212,557,0001,394,0472021-222,505,000965,6802022-232,185,00055,6102023-242,512,000377,7292024-252,696,000479,5302025-262,853,000148,371Transport Scotland provides subsidy to HIAL as a whole and it’s for HIAL to split this amongst individual airports and its Head Office as needed. The resource figures are calculated by taking the income from the airport and deducting the costs of the airport. HIAL provides corporate functions for all its airports from its Head Office which enables economies of scale for the Group as a whole. No allowance is made here for Head Office costs relating to Dundee Airport.
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the funding it has provided to support the provis…
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the funding it has provided to support the provision of a landing slot for flights from Dundee Airport at (a) London Heathrow Airport and (b) London City Airport, including in which financial years such funding was provided.
Answer · Tom Arthur · 17 Jul 2026
The Scottish Government has not provided any funding for the provision of a landing slot from Dundee Airport to any London airport.
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the changes in the slots at London airports for flights from Dundee Airp…
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the changes in the slots at London airports for flights from Dundee Airport, (a) what its response is, (b) whether it was consulted and (c) whether any revenue has been generated as a result of those changes.
Answer · Tom Arthur · 17 Jul 2026
Any changes in slot provision at slot constrained airports are a matter for the airlines involved. The Scottish Government was not consulted about any changes and has no information on whether any revenue was generated as a result of any changes.
To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost of employing special advisers was in 2025-26.
To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost of employing special advisers was in 2025-26.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn · 17 Jul 2026
In line with the requirements of Section 16 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Scottish Government discloses to the Scottish Parliament the number and total cost of employing special advisers on an annual basis. The latest report, pertaining to the financial year 2025-26, was published on 7 July 2026. I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01557 on 7 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
Motions lodged
| 25 Jun 2026 | Big Noise Scotland is Delivering Change in Communities | 15 sig. |
| 23 Jun 2026 | Completion of Kanzen for Life Centre in Dundee | 12 sig. |
| 22 Jun 2026 | NHS Tayside Birth Reflections Service | 15 sig. |
| 10 Jun 2026 | Public Service Reform: Empowering Staff, Service Users and Local Communities | 0 sig. |
| 3 Jun 2026 | Wealth Taxation for Public Services | 0 sig. |
| 2 Jun 2026 | University of Dundee Ranked 25th in the UK | 11 sig. |
Speeches
Recent things Michael Marra has said in the chamber and in committee, from the Official Report.
23 Jun 2026 STV North News (draft)
I thank Jack Middleton for bringing the debate to the chamber. Its subject is of widespread concern, and will impact significantly on communities across the north of Scotland and in my North East Scotland region.The ongoing situation at ST…
18 Jun 2026 Universities (draft)
I will, Presiding Officer.I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the debate. It is right that we get some answers from the minister on what steps will be taken next. I look forward to hearing the rest of the contributions.16:34
18 Jun 2026 Universities (draft)
Yes—my apologies, Presiding Officer.I thank Maggie Chapman for securing the debate, which is very timely for my constituents in Dundee. This week has been yet another shocking one for people who are employed at the University of Dundee, as…
18 Jun 2026 Universities (draft)
I apologise for the fact that I am having to take part in the debate online. I thank Maggie Chapman for securing the debate—
16 Jun 2026 Jo Cox’s Death (10th Anniversary) (draft)
I thank the member for giving way—she is giving a very fine speech and tribute to Jo Cox.Has she been struck, in recent days, by what has been revealed by the BBC about the firebomb attacks that were made on the UK Prime Minister by anothe…
16 Jun 2026 Aberdeen’s Union Street and Glasgow’s People’s Palace (Investment) (draft)
I welcome the hard work that Our Union Street is doing to re-energise Union Street and the centre of Aberdeen. The project is working along with partners to bring together a shared vision of the future of the city centre.Can the minister s…
11 Jun 2026 Public Service Reform (Staff, Service Users and Local Communities) (draft)
I point gently to the fact that Alyn Smith’s party had an outright majority in the Parliament for one of those parliamentary sessions, so not having had the numbers is not a foolproof excuse.Alyn Smith will find common ground across differ…
11 Jun 2026 Public Service Reform (Staff, Service Users and Local Communities) (draft)
It strikes me that that is precisely what Scottish Labour’s amendment describes. We must understand the shape of those public bodies, decide where there is duplication and stop having some of them. Given that the committee that the member …
11 Jun 2026 Public Service Reform (Staff, Service Users and Local Communities) (draft)
I will say two things in response to that. First, I am sure that the cabinet secretary is a keen advocate for that, but I would believe him a bit more if we had not gone for 20 years without the Scottish National Party substantially reform…
11 Jun 2026 Public Service Reform (Staff, Service Users and Local Communities) (draft)
If the cabinet secretary wants to tell me that vision, I will gladly hear it right now.
11 Jun 2026 Public Service Reform (Staff, Service Users and Local Communities) (draft)
I am pleased to speak to the amendment in my name, in which we set out very clearly, as we did in the election campaign just a few short weeks ago, that Labour believes that our public services are in need of widespread, root-and-branch re…
11 Jun 2026 General Question Time (draft)
I find deeply disappointing the idea that the Government does not have any position on a recruitment freeze in NHS Tayside for critical posts involved in care. The cabinet secretary should know that there are significant delays—for instanc…
11 Jun 2026 General Question Time (draft)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of NHS Tayside’s recruitment freeze on patient care and waiting times across Dundee and the wider Tayside region. (S7O-00051)
10 Jun 2026 Screen Sector (draft)
I absolutely agree with Mr Melville, and he is right to highlight the cinema in Arbroath. I also point to the independent cinema in Montrose, which is supported by the local port authority on a sponsorship model; it helps to provide the fa…
10 Jun 2026 Screen Sector (draft)
I absolutely agree with Mr Melville, and he is right to highlight the cinema in Arbroath. I also point to the independent cinema in Montrose, which is supported by the local port authority on a sponsorship model; it helps to provide the fa…
10 Jun 2026 Screen Sector (draft)
I thank Alyn Smith for bringing the debate to the chamber; it is very welcome. As he outlined, the screen sector is very important for the whole of Scotland, and he rightly highlighted his own constituency’s particular assets in that respe…
10 Jun 2026 Screen Sector (draft)
I thank Alyn Smith for bringing the debate to the chamber; it is very welcome. As he outlined, the screen sector is very important for the whole of Scotland, and he rightly highlighted his own constituency’s particular assets in that respe…
10 Jun 2026 Public Trust in Scottish Politics (draft)
That is not true.
10 Jun 2026 Public Trust in Scottish Politics (draft)
That is not true.
10 Jun 2026 Public Trust in Scottish Politics (draft)
I appreciate the minister giving way. Would he not recognise that there is a question of public money paid in Short money to the SNP? There are questions of public policy that must be addressed, where it is not just the SNP that is the vic…
Seat & career
- North East Scotland (region) Regional MSP 7 May 2026 – present
- North East Scotland (region) Regional MSP · Dissolution 6 May 2021 – 8 Apr 2026
Allowances
2025 (latest published)
Source: Scottish Parliament (published ~1 year in arrears)
Contact & offices
Source: this MSP's official Scottish Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.