Married Elizabeth Anna Hope 1970 (2 sons 1 daughter)
Son of late George Foulkes, engineer and Jessie Foulkes.

Keith Grammar School, Banff
Haberdashers' Aske's School
Edinburgh University (BSc psychology 1964).

President, Scottish Union of Students 1964-6
Director, ELEC 1966-68
Scottish organiser, European Movement 1968-69
Director, Enterprise Youth 1969-73
Director, Age Concern Scotland 1973-79.

Contested Edinburgh West 1970 and Edinburgh Pentlands October 1974 general elections. Member for South Ayrshire 1979-83 and for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley since June 1983.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of International Development 1997-2001
Minister of State, Scotland Office 2001-present. Spokesman: Opposition Frontbench Spokesperson on: Europe 1983-85
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 1985-92
Defence, Disarmament and Arms Control 1992-93
Overseas Development 1994-97.