Deputy presiding officers elected

Ms Graham, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, was born in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire on 9 September 1944. She was brought up in Edinburgh and attended the University of Edinburgh.

After graduating, she worked as a teacher before returning to the university as a mature student where she earned a law degree, and afterwards practised as a solicitor.

She has been an MSP since 1999, initially as a South Of Scotland list MSP but, since 2011, MSP for the constituency of Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale.

Ms Grahame was convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committeeand also the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing. She chairs the Cross Party Group on Animal Welfare.

Ms Grahame said: “I am pleased to have received the support of my colleagues for this important position. I feel privileged to be working with Ken and Linda in the coming session.”

MSP for East Kilbride, Ms Fabiani was born in Glasgow on 14 December 1956 and educated at Hyndland Secondary School. Upon leaving school she worked in various secretarial roles before starting a career within the housing associations sector. After gaining a diploma in housing at Glasgow Universityshe went on to become development manager at Bute Housing Associationand then director of East Kilbride Housing Association.

First elected to the Scottish Parliament in May 1999, she was an MSP for Central Scotland until 2011, when she became MSP for East Kilbride.

She is a fellow the Chartered Institute of Housing and an honorary fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

In 2007 she was awarded the Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella della Solidarieta’ Italia (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity) by the Italian government for working to promote Scots/Italian links.

She has been a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Corporate Body and the Devolution Committee.

Ms Fabiani said: “It is an honour to have been elected to this exciting and challenging role. I am very much looking forward to playing my part in the work of the fifth Parliament and I pledge to work hard with my counterparts to make the next Parliament a success.”