Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
7 July 2026
Small Modular Reactors: Jobs
While I am very fond of the hon. Member for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey (Graham Leadbitter), the House will not be surprised to hear that I do not hang on his every word. My constituents are cock-a-hoop and absolutely delighted that Dounreay, in my constituency, has been identified as suitable …
Commons
Westminster Hall
6 July 2026
Ceramics Industry
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate the hon. Member for Lichfield (Dave Robertson), my good friend and colleague on the Petitions Committee, on his excellent introduction to this debate. He talks about the wares of Armitage Shanks; I would venture to sugges…
Commons
Debate
6 July 2026
Payment Scheme
Just to be absolutely tidy, could I make a plea on behalf of those families where the member is deceased but the estate still has a claim? There is sometimes, possibly wrongly, an impression that these people are put to the back of the queue. Could I have an assurance that that would not be the case…
Commons
Statutory Instrument
17 June 2026
2 contributions
Draft Nuclear Safeguards (EU Exit and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris.
My party supports this statutory instrument updating our nuclear safeguards regime. Removing outdated Euratom transitional provisions and aligning our reporting framework with the International Atomic Energy Agency is diligent housekeep…
Would the Minister be kind enough to use what influence she can on the Scottish Government to make them see the error of their ways?
Commons
Statutory Instrument
17 June 2026
2 contributions
Delegated Legislation Committee
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris.
My party supports this statutory instrument updating our nuclear safeguards regime. Removing outdated Euratom transitional provisions and aligning our reporting framework with the International Atomic Energy Agency is diligent housekeep…
Would the Minister be kind enough to use what influence she can on the Scottish Government to make them see the error of their ways?
Commons
Statutory Instrument
17 June 2026
2 contributions
General Committees
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris.
My party supports this statutory instrument updating our nuclear safeguards regime. Removing outdated Euratom transitional provisions and aligning our reporting framework with the International Atomic Energy Agency is diligent housekeep…
Would the Minister be kind enough to use what influence she can on the Scottish Government to make them see the error of their ways?
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
10 June 2026
Promoting Scottish Interests Abroad
When it comes to representing Scotland’s interests abroad, football is right up there. My constituent, Mr Kenny Smith, has shelled out well over £10,000 on booking his tickets to go to the States. He had visa clearance—he actually had UK security clearance, which is pretty high powered—yet last Wedn…
Commons
Westminster Hall
1 June 2026
12 contributions
Child Sexual Offender Data
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 730605 relating to collection and publication of child sexual offender data.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Siobhain.
Goodness me!
+10 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
20 May 2026
Banking Hubs
I know that this is an issue that the hon. Member cares about passionately. I am sure that like me, he has had issues with people, particularly elderly people, who fear that they have been scammed. It is all very well saying, “Get online and we’ll see if we can sort this out,” but there is nothing l…
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 April 2026
Animal Testing
The whole Petitions Committee, including me, is grateful to the hon. Lady, who is making a very good speech. Although we all care about this matter hugely, I have found from the emails I have received that the younger generation is increasingly unwilling to tolerate this testing at all. I welcome th…
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 April 2026
2 contributions
Army Reserve
There are two points that could reinforce the right hon. Member’s argument. First, I served in the Territorial Army, and it taught me to read a map; the reserves can teach people skills that will be useful in their lives. Secondly, many peoples’ lives are disorganised, but being in the reserves, the…
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way a second time; he is being more than generous. I should declare an interest: my son-in-law is a serving officer in the Royal Air Force and my daughter was, until recently, the same. One of the things that hits morale in all three services is being belo…
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 April 2026
2 contributions
Junior Doctors’ Foundation Programme
No!
It is great to hear a qualified doctor talking about this matter. Health is devolved in Scotland—I must put that on the record—but in my constituency one finds that an awful lot of social care workers are calling it a day and walking away, with all sorts of unfortunate ramifications such as delayed …
Commons
Westminster Hall
20 April 2026
Maternity Commissioner
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. I want to share a cautionary tale with everyone, and I will just set out the geography. I have the biggest constituency in the UK; it stretches from John O’Groats, way down to just north of Inverness—I invite Members to think about th…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 April 2026
North Atlantic Submarine Activity
I am delighted that the Minister has made this statement, because I have raised this issue a number of times in this place. My constituency looks directly at the High North, and it is off the coast of my constituency that this Russian activity took place—let us make no mistake about it. My constitue…
Commons
Proceedings
24 March 2026
2 contributions
Defence
One thing that we need to get right, and which we got wrong in the past, is this. When I was first elected in 2017, there were not Russian spy ships off the coast of my constituency, but now there are, and we detected a submarine before Christmas. I raised this issue with the Leader of the House las…
The hon. Member is making a powerful speech. Whatever side one takes in the argument that he presents to us, does he agree that in the hopefully unlikely event of Scottish independence being achieved, two things would happen? First, Scotland, on forming its own navy, would have the greatest difficul…
Commons
Oral Questions
24 March 2026
Fusion Energy: Private Sector Investment
The Treasury Bench would be particularly disappointed if I did not once again showcase what we have at Dounreay: a licensed site, a skilled workforce and a population who would greatly support playing a role in the development of fusion for the future. May I suggest that the Scottish Enterprise netw…
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 March 2026
6 contributions
Puberty Blockers Clinical Trial
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 751839 relating to the clinical trial into puberty blockers.
It is always a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. I sincerely thank everyone I met in preparation for this debate: the legal and medical professionals who share…
I thank the hon. Member for her intervention, but she will understand that it is my job as Chairman of the Petitions Committee to present a fair description of both sides of the discussion, which is what I hope to do.
James Esses, who started the petition, is a psychotherapist, and he impressed on …
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
19 March 2026
Business of the House
I note what the Leader of the House said about the forthcoming consultation exercise. I urge right hon. and hon. Members to take part.
The shadow Leader of the House has touched on the activities in recent months of Russian spy ships and submarines off the coast of my constituency, taking a peer at…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 March 2026
Rural Roads
A few days ago, I had a clinic in Aultbea, and a gentleman came to see me about the state of the potholes. As I drove home between Dundonnell and Corrieshalloch, bang—I had a flat tyre, and I put on record my gratitude to Mr Nigel Shaddick for helping me change my wheel. I know all about potholes. I…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 March 2026
3 contributions
Power to Cancel Local Elections
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 747234 relating to the Secretary of State’s power to cancel local elections.
It is a great pleasure to serve under your Caledonian chairmanship, Mr Mundell. We are old friends from the past.
As Chair of the Petitions Committee, I believe I …
I thank the right hon. Member for his customarily incisive intervention.
Local elections surely ensure that decisions are subject to scrutiny and renewal. The expectation that electors will have an opportunity to choose their representatives at predictable intervals is surely fundamental to public …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 February 2026
4 contributions
Firearms Licensing
As Chair of the Petitions Committee, I can say that the hon. Gentleman is doing a damn good job of opening the debate. The Father of the House referred to farmers needing shotguns to control vermin. The crofters in my constituency have huge trouble with hooded crows, who come to peck out the eyes of…
I think it is only fair that I offer an abject apology to the hon. Member, and a large refreshment will be his later today.
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 February 2026
Place-based Employment Support Programmes
The hon. Gentleman is making a very sincere speech, and I am listening to it with great interest. He talks about youngsters’ confidence. One of the great industries that was run down during the Conservatives’ years of rule was the nuclear industry, but I believe it will be great again one day. Dounr…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 February 2026
3 contributions
Russian Influence on UK Politics and Democracy
The hon. Member is making a good speech. The Russian ship he mentioned was off the coast of my constituency among others, which caused grave local concern. It strikes me that to defend our democracy, be it Welsh, Scottish or national, protections should be extended to local authorities, because a co…
The right hon. Lady is making an excellent speech. Only yesterday, Sven Sakkov, the Estonian ambassador, spoke in Aberdeen. Similar to what the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Luke Myer) said about Moldova, he said, “Look, we’re a border country with Russia. You may think you…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 February 2026
Postal Services: Rural Areas
It is an absolute pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. Representing the biggest and most remote mainland British constituency, I know that my constituents understand the challenges faced by Royal Mail, including inclement weather and huge distances. I want to give one example of a…