Over my 10 years in Parliament - 9 as a Government Minister - my team and I have accomplished so much for the region. But I've got more to give, and more to do.

PAUL WHEELHOUSE

MY RECORD

BILLS PASSED

BY PARLIAMENT

10,000+

CONSTITUENT ENQUIRIES SINCE 2016

NATIONAL AWARDS

MY RESUME

SOUTH SCOTLAND MSP SINCE 2011

MINISTER FOR ENERGY, CONNECTIVITY & THE ISLANDS

FROM JUNE 2018

MINISTER FOR BUSINESS, INNOVATION & ENERGY

MAY 2016 - JUNE 2018

MINISTER FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY & LEGAL AFFAIRS

NOVEMBER 2014 - MAY 2016

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

SEPTEMBER 2012 - NOVEMBER 2014

POLITICIAN OF THE YEAR

2015 NATURE OF SCOTLAND AWARDS

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION

2019 GREEN ENERGY AWARDS

19 YEARS AS A PROFESSIONAL ECONOMIST BEFORE ENTERING PARLIAMENT

I, too, must praise the Minister for his approach. I do not want to embarrass him too much, but I have to say that he has given something of a masterclass in cross-party co-operation. The process has been driven by the Minister. He has managed to get people virtually round the table and to agree on pretty much everything [...]. Anyway, I say to the Minister, 'well done - really well done'.

GRAHAM SIMPSON, CONSERVATIVE

I again pay tribute to the Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, for the way in which he has engaged with other parties across the Parliament. That is the right way to make legislation, as was evidenced by all the amendments being dealt with in record time.

ALEX ROWLEY, LABOUR

I thank the Minister again for the way he has sought to take on board proposals from Opposition members. [...] I thank all those who have played their part in a productive and genuinely collaborative process.

LIAM McARTHUR, LIB DEM

EVEN MY OPPONENTS SAY THAT I'M AN EFFECTIVE MINISTER

SEVEN BILLS PASSED BY THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

HEAT NETWORKS (SCOTLAND) ACT 2021

The bill introduced a licensing system for district and communal heating networks.

These networks, which can run solely from renewable sources, deliver heat from a central source through insulated pipes to homes and other buildings. The Bill, which has now passed Stage 3 unanimously 119 votes to nil, puts in place statutory targets for the delivery of heat networks in Scotland for 2027 and 2030 - the upshot of this is that Scotland will connect up to the equivalent of 650,000 homes on to heat networks by 2030. This will create significant new job opportunities across Scotland.

The benefits of heat networks are not only environmental - they can save space, remove combustion risk, and been shown to save householders and businesses up to 36% in fuel costs.

SOUTH OF SCOTLAND ENTERPRISE

Alongside my party colleagues in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway, we successfully campaigned for a new enterprise agency - in recognition of the unique economic challenges in the south and following engagement with the South of Scotland alliance.

Following an interim period where a 'shadow' organisation, the South of Scotland Economic Partnership, was established, the new South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) agency was officially launched on the 1st April 2020, by Act of Parliament, and has much more flexibility to deal with socio-economic drivers of growth locally. SOSE has been established along similar lines to the Highlands & Islands Enterprise agency, which has had a strong track record in supporting community level economic development in the Highlands and Islands.

SOSE has already invested over £22m of support in 400 businesses and organisations across the region, and is playing a key role in supporting economic development and enterprise across the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway.