The most effective way to make contact with me about specific problems or difficulties you may be having is by post. If I take up a problem on your behalf it is easier for me to make sure your circumstances are understood and investigated quickly if you have set out the background to the situation in your own words. I can also take copies of any original documents and send them back to you while retaining a complete set of copy documents on file.

If the matter is urgent please phone. I have a constituency office in Galashiels and an office in the Parliament in Edinburgh.

If you would prefer a meeting, I hold regular advice surgeries. The surgeries are held in rotation in Galashiels, Penicuik, Selkirk and Peebles. Each year we hold a rural tour around the villages of the constituency. Meetings are easily arranged either in the constituency or in Parliament.

If you live in Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale please feel free to use the e-mail contact. If you do, I need your address and postcode to make sure that I do not take up personal cases from outside my own area. There are strict Parliamentary rules about taking up individual complaints from other constituencies. I can only undertake to respond to messages that come from local addresses and will do it by post.

If you need to contact your own MSP and you are not sure who your member may be, then please check on the Scottish Parliament website.

There are special leaflets available from Jeremy which explain the work of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament and the powers of the Parliament. Jeremy holds regular advice surgeries across the constituency. Call the Parliamentary Office on 01896 663656 for information on the next surgery near you. Each Friday between 4.30 and 6.00 Jeremy is available to meet constituents to discuss their problems.

He normally rotates the advice surgeries around Galashiels (CAB office), Selkirk (Victoria Hall), Peebles (CAB office) and Penicuik (Town Hall).

During the summer months Jeremy holds additional advice surgeries across the constituency and these are advertised in the local press.

Since his re-election in 2007 Jeremy held advice surgeries in Galashiels, Penicuik, Peebles, Selkirk, Earlston, West Linton and Fountainhall, Heriot, Oxton, Lauder, Stow, Clovenfords/Caddonfoot, Melrose, Ashkirk, Ettrickbridge, Cappercleuch, Stobo, Tweedsmuir, Broughton, Skirling, Netherurd, Newstead, Tweedbank, Yarrow, Yarrowfeus, Walkerburn, Innerleithen and Carlops. You do not need to make an appointment to see Jeremy at his advice surgeries but he is available at other times if constituents are not able to get to a surgery. Since his election in 2003 there has never been a missed advertised surgery and he has had nearly 5,000 visits by constituents at them.

You can contact the constituency parliamentary office to find out the next advice surgery nearest to you, or you can write to them at: 

Jeremy Purvis MSP
Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Constituency Office
11 Island Street
Galashiels
TD1 1NZ

Tel: 01896 663656
Fax: 01896 663655

Jeremy’s typical week during the parliamentary session sees him in the constituency meeting constituents or attending local events on Mondays, Friday’s and Saturdays. He travels up to the Parliament on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. During recess he is based in Galashiels.

Here, Jeremy explains what happens when you get in touch with him:

"When you contact me, it will be by e-mail, telephone, post or in person. I receive about 100-150 emails a day. These can be from constituents, parliamentary colleagues, clerking staff in the Parliament or numerous external lobby groups. I access my own emails so if you contact me by this I will try and ackowledge it as soon as I can. I access them remotely from home as well as from the office in Galashiels and the Parliament.

I recieve about 4 or 5 new casework cases from constituents though my online advice surgery a day. More information on this is below and increasingly constituents are finding it easy to contact me this way.

When I receive an email or online case note then I treat them in the same way as when I see a letter. I try and see my mail each morning and my assistant, Megan, and Secretary, Sheila, prepare my daily tray with mail prioritised, constituency first, then parliamentary, diary and other.

I read every letter and email that is sent to me and I write a reply in long hand and this is then typed up and more often than not I will write to a local public body, such as SBHA, the council or the health board or I will take up in Parliament with a minister. Often my office or I will make contact by phone to confirm what I am doing and when I receive a reply to any letters I send it straight to the constituent.

I treat all correspondence with strict confidentiality and I am bound by the rules under Data Protection legislation also.
You can be assured that I will deal with your case professionally, and as speedily as I can. I have been very lucky to have the outstanding support of Sheila in my office and I hope we will be able to help."