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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

Image description

Sharon Dowey

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

MSP for South Scotland (Region) 2021 - present day

About Sharon Dowey

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @SharonDowey_

Facebook: Sharon's facebook

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 6980
Text relay calls welcome.

Contact at local office

18 Wellington Square
Ayr
KA7 1EZ

Phone: 01292 839130
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Sharon is a member of 1 committee

Criminal Justice Committee

Member

Cross-party groups

Sharon is a member of 15 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Aviation

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Cancer

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Construction

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Culture and Communities

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Gardening and Horticulture

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on India

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Men's Violence Against Women and Children

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Music

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Recreational Boating and Marine Tourism

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

Member

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

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Skills

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Space

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Towns and Town Centres

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Wood Panel Industry

Deputy Convener

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Sharon does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Sharon has 3 party roles

Deputy Chief Whip

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Community Safety

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Victims

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Previous roles

Sharon has had the following roles in Parliament

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

28 June 2023 - 08 October 2024

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Justice

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

01 September 2021 - 21 March 2024

Scottish Commission for Public Audit

Deputy Chair

23 June 2021 - 08 February 2024

Public Audit Committee

Deputy Convener

08 September 2021 - 29 June 2023

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Substitute Member

20 May 2022 - 28 June 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Culture

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

20 May 2022 - 28 June 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Europe

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

20 May 2022 - 28 June 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on International Development

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

24 June 2021 - 01 September 2021

Scottish Commission for Public Audit

Member

17 June 2021 - 23 June 2021

Public Audit Committee

Member

Register of interests

Sharon'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 Sharon Dowey. The date of their initial statement was 26 May 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

Until the election I was employed by William Morrison Supermarkets plc (a retailer of Kilwinning Road, Stevenston, KA20 3DE). I worked full time and received remuneration of between £45,001 and £50,000 a year. I handed in my notice on my election and am no longer employed by the company.

Gifts

On 20 September 2025, in my capacity as a member of the Cross Party Group on Horseracing and Bloodstock Industries, I attended the Ayr Gold Cup at Ayr Racecourse 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 a ticket and hospitality, was £375+vat. [Registered 23 September 2025]

Overseas visits

From 7 October to 13 October 2023 I visited Delhi, India, as part of a delegation of the Cross Party Group on India. The purpose of the visit was to engage with FinTech and Culture organisations and senior politicians within the Indian government. The total costs of the visit, including flights, hotel accommodation, food and transport, amounted to £2,402.16 and were paid by Amit Shah, Director of Flight Path Travel (a tour and travel agency which sells, flights, hotels and tour packages; Office No. 1, Jubilee Business Centre, 211 Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury, London, NW9 8AQ). [Registered 3 November 2023]

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests

Heritable property

I own a house in South Ayrshire with a market value of between £250,001 and £300,000. [Amended interest 5 April 2023]

Interest in shares

No registrable interests

Voluntary

No registrable interests

Recent Activity

What was said

What Sharon Dowey 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.

Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Criminal Justice Committee meeting date: 10 December 2025

Sharon Dowey (South Scotland) (Con): "I want to ask about the reporting requirements under section 1, on which there are differing opinions…

Youth Violence Summit

Chamber meeting date: 25 June 2025

Sharon Dowey (South Scotland) (Con): "Youth violence, crime and antisocial behaviour are all on the increase, as was confirmed by the figures that were released yesterday. At that summit, the First Minister said that we need effective punishment for offences…

Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Criminal Justice Committee meeting date: 25 June 2025

Sharon Dowey (South Scotland) (Con): "The Minister for Victims and Community Safety has recently written to the committee to give the Government’s views on the bill. In her letter, she states that the proposal requires “further discussion and engagement with justice partners”…

Community Payback Orders (Breaches)

Chamber meeting date: 24 June 2025

2. Sharon Dowey (South Scotland) (Con): "To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that there were almost 30,000 breaches of community payback orders in the last 11 years. (S6T-02606)"

Youth Violence

Chamber meeting date: 19 June 2025

Sharon Dowey (South Scotland) (Con): "This is the third summit on youth violence in two years. The first was to stop violence in our schools—that did not work. The second was to stop youth violence among young people—that did not work…

Votes

How Sharon Dowey has voted in Parliament

Find out how Sharon Dowey 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 voted for

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 against

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 against

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 abstained

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

Motions made by Sharon Dowey in Parliament

Find out what motions Sharon Dowey has submitted recently.

Questions

Questions Sharon Dowey has asked

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

Question reference: S6W-43537

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 3 February 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 17 February 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) regarding the Matthews (Second Options) Case for retained firefighters, and whether a calculation and statement will be sent by the SPPA to all eligible members by the March 2026 deadline."

Question reference: S6W-43539

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 3 February 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 17 February 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent (FTE) Scottish Public Pensions Agency staff are currently working on matters related to the Matthews (Second Options) Case for retained firefighters."

Question reference: S6O-05454

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 28 January 2026

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales showing that business confidence in Scotland has fallen for the sixth consecutive quarter and is lower than the UK average."

Question reference: S6W-42887

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 8 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 22 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how it has been working with NHS boards to reduce A&E waiting times in order to meet the standard for 95% of all patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours of arrival, in light of recent Public Health Scotland statistics for the month ending 30 November 2025, which state that only 66.7%…

Question reference: S6W-42884

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 7 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 21 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 63,867 domestic abuse incidents reported to the police in 2023-24 involved a repeat offender, and, if there are no available statistics on this, for what reason this information is not recorded."

Question reference: S6W-42886

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 7 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 21 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the 8% increase in suspected drug deaths from January to September 2025, compared with the same period in 2024, as set out in its quarterly report, Suspected drug deaths in Scotland: July to September 2025."

Question reference: S6W-42885

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 7 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 21 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent it considers that any increases in NHS waiting times contributed to the 8% increase in suspected drug deaths from January to September 2025, compared with the same period in 2024, as set out in its quarterly report, Suspected drug deaths in Scotland: July to September 2025."

Question reference: S6W-42562

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 16 December 2025

Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of material relating to Freedom of Information request 202500493769, which states that "a delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has visited prisons in Scotland and picked up on issues around drugs and the impact…

Question reference: S6W-42798

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 5 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 19 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether its ministers were advised during 2025 that some police officers were unable to retire, despite meeting age or service thresholds, due to pension scheme interaction issues."

Question reference: S6W-42797

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Date lodged: 5 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 19 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether issues relating to police officers being unable to retire due to pension buyback or pension scheme interaction issues were discussed at any governance, oversight or management group to which the Police Workforce, Diversity and Inquiry Sponsorship team reports during 2025."