Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has criticised the UK Government’s spend on Discretionary Housing Payments, highlighting that the total spend in England and Wales is only slightly more than what is spent in Scotland, where it is estimated over £71 million is being spent annually to mitigate the Tories’ Bedroom Tax. The SNP MSP [...]

SNP MSP for the Highlands & Islands, Emma Roddick, has urged the UK Conservative Chancellor to introduce an emergency budget to support families in the face of the rising cost of living. The MSP argued that an emergency budget should include the delivery of a Real Living Wage, a reversal to the Universal Credit cut [...]

SNP MSP for the Highlands & Islands, Emma Roddick, has lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament which recognises the efforts of the Crocus Group in supporting children and young people living with the grief of having lost a loved one. It comes as the Crocus Group mark four years since the beginning of their [...]

During an evidence-gathering session by the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on Thursday 3rd March, SNP MSP Emma Roddick questioned witnesses on the disparity in sexual crime faced by disabled women compared to non-disabled women. She later called for more specialised work to be done in supporting multiply-marginalised women who are victims of abuse. [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has questioned the Scottish Government on when her party’s manifesto commitment to devolve powers to local authorities to manage high numbers of second homes would be progressed. Commenting on the importance of this policy, she said: “I was elected last year on the strength of an SNP manifesto which promised a [...]

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, SNP MSP Emma Roddick highlighted the concerns of Scottish ports not in the running to become ‘green freeports’ under joint Scottish-UK Government plans and insisted on the importance of continuing to scrutinise the plans going forward. Commenting, Roddick said: “It is crucial that none of our ports are forgotten as [...]

Emma Roddick has today raised the issue of mental health services in the Highlands and Islands by asking the Scottish Government to provide an update on the Distress Brief Intervention programme, highlighting the need for island and rural communities to have equal access to crisis services. The pilot project, which was launched in the Highlands [...]

SNP MSP for the Highlands & Islands, Emma Roddick, has spoken of her concern at figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request which show that hate crimes recorded against LGBT+ people in the Highlands rose by 46% between 2020-2021.  Roddick, who is the first out MSP to represent the region in the Scottish Parliament [...]

Emma Roddick has spoken out about her last City of Inverness Area Committee meeting as a councillor, having been elected to the Scottish Parliament last year, during which a Road Traffic Order was agreed for the active travel measures at Riverside Way. The now-MSP, who spoke in favour of the recommendations, highlighted the need for [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has welcomed the opening of Wasps’ Inverness Creative Academy.  The former Inverness Royal Academy building on Midmills Road will now host the first creative hub in the Highlands. The Highlands and Islands MSP has highlighted the partnership working which brought the project to this stage, including money from the Highland Council [...]