Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
21 January 2026
Clean Energy Projects
When it comes to clean energy, I think we are all delighted to see that a new nuclear power plant will be constructed in Wales. Does the Minister agree that it is worse than a crying shame—in fact, it is a disgrace—that the Scottish Government set their face totally against any nuclear developments …
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
14 January 2026
Economic Growth
Tonight, millions of people will tune into “The Traitors”, which was filmed at Ardross castle in my constituency. I really should have put on my Claudia Winkleman eyeliner for this one. The programme has brought millions of pounds and jobs to the highlands. What plans has the Secretary of State to e…
Commons
Proceedings
13 January 2026
Storm Goretti
Despite the best efforts of people on the ground, during the storm an entire county in the United Kingdom, namely Caithness, was completely cut off—no road access, no rail access, and flying a chopper in that blizzard weather was unthinkable. The House knows how appalled I am that pregnant women hav…
Commons
Debate
12 January 2026
Finance (No. 2) Bill
I thank the Minister for giving way; he is very courteous. As Members will understand, I represent a very remote constituency in the north of Scotland where crofting—very marginal farming and hill farming—is fundamental not just to the economy of the highlands, but to the social structure. The great…
Commons
Debate
10 December 2025
Seasonal Work
As you would expect, Madam Deputy Speaker, I shall talk about my faraway and far-flung constituency, but I will first say that what the hon. Member for Shipley (Anna Dixon), who is no longer in her place, said about carers rang a bell with me, because I am a carer for my wife.
The hon. Member for F…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 December 2025
2 contributions
Digital ID
As the Chair of the Petitions Committee, I thank the hon. Member for his excellent speech. Three million signatures! I want to apologise to hon. Members for the fact that there is not enough space in this Chamber for everyone who has turned up. I thank them for turning up, and I think it poses a que…
As Chair of the Petitions Committee, I must of course be fair minded and impartial at all times, but the hon. and learned Member might be acquainted with the fact that I represent the most remote mainland constituency in the whole of the UK. Let me just put this point: we do know what digital exclus…
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
3 December 2025
Job Creation: Wales
We have heard about the benefits that small modular reactors can bring to Wales and, indeed, to England. Does the Secretary of State agree that it would be a very good idea if she and I invited Mr John Swinney to come to Dounreay to hear from the workforce how badly they want one up there?
Commons
Proceedings
2 December 2025
2 contributions
Budget Resolutions
Further to the remarks of the hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry (Stephen Gethins) about Scotland, where pregnant mothers in my constituency have to make a 200-mile round trip to give birth, would it not be great if some of this money was spent to make the maternity service fair for mums?
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting a very remote part of Wester Ross—a new part of my constituency—with the intrepid Olivia and Susie from my office. We went first to Badluarach on the south side of Little Loch Broom. There, I spoke with a crofter, Lisa Stewart, across the wall of her croft. S…
Commons
Westminster Hall
1 December 2025
6 contributions
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 722377 relating to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
It is always a pleasure to serve under your authority, Ms Barker. As Chair of the Petitions Committee, it is a privilege to open these petitions debates. I do find it extraordinar…
I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. That point was made in the consultation I had before this debate.
To continue, the Bill proposes wellbeing co-ordinators, structured mental health assessments and greater collaboration with community health services to embed wellbeing alongside literacy…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
26 November 2025
Driving Test Availability: South-east
My hon. Friend mentioned Berwick-upon-Tweed. Might I tempt him further north to the most remote part of the British mainland—my constituency? We have exactly the same problem. When my hon. Friend looks for solutions, does he agree that some form of statistical analysis and a map showing where the pr…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 November 2025
Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations
This issue has a huge reach. Here we are in London discussing it, but I know that since I was re-elected in the summer of last year, every week a vigil has been held for the people of Gaza by concerned, decent people in Ullapool in Wester Ross, very far from here. The milk of human kindness still fl…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
19 November 2025
Engagements
Q12. Mr Speaker, you and the Chamber will be well aware that I represent the biggest and most remote constituency in the UK, and I am bound to say that bank branches there are becoming rarer than sightings of the Loch Ness monster. We have no banks at all in the huge county of Sutherland. We have le…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 November 2025
2 contributions
Social Media Posts: Penalties for Offences
I beg to move,
That this House has considered e-petition 728715 relating to penalties for offences arising from social media posts.
It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. As Chair of the Petitions Committee, let me say that it is always encouraging to witness public p…
As colleagues are aware, the Chair of any Select Committee is elected by the House. Therefore, this evening I am rather more the servant of the House than of my party. I therefore speak, I hope, impartially— as I should as Chair of the Petitions Committee. We have heard some verbal jousting in this …
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 November 2025
2 contributions
Cross-border Healthcare
I can bring a Scottish context to the subject. A doctor in my constituency had a cataract problem and was told that the waiting list was ages. In the end, because she knew how to do it, she found out about an operation that was available in the north of England. She paid for the travel and paid to g…
The hon. Gentleman may know that I have family living in the north, in Armagh and Antrim, and a daughter living in Donegal. What he says is absolutely correct—I can vouch for that, and it is an example for us all. When somebody is sick and we are worried about what will happen next, we do not care a…
Commons
Debate
22 October 2025
5 contributions
Devolution in Scotland
I beg to move,
That this House has considered devolution in Scotland.
I am jolly glad I came to the Chamber when I did. [ Laughter. ]
I thank the Backbench Business Committee for making time available for this debate and for recognising that it is a debate that holds great significance for the wh…
I thank the hon. Member, who, like me, was an MSP all those years ago. Why, to take up his point, is the Scottish Parliament not working the way it is intended to? I think part of the answer lies in the fact that making someone the Chair of a Committee in the Scottish Parliament is in the gift of th…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 October 2025
Financial Inclusion
I hope that the hon. Member agrees that the Financial Conduct Authority’s work on access to cash is a useful step in the right direction. Does he also agree that provision should be widened to include face-to-face services, whereby people can see someone across the counter and receive advice?
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 October 2025
2 contributions
Electricity Infrastructure: Rural Communities
Does the hon. Member agree that it seems strange that the proposed grid upgrade in Scotland does not take into account the future of nuclear power which we understand will be developed right across the UK?
Is that not ridiculous, given that at Dounreay we have a skilled workforce, a fully licensed site and a local population that would warmly support new nuclear?
Commons
Debate
16 September 2025
Ambassador to the United States
I have talked to my constituents, and it is a fact that in the last few days they have talked about little else. Like the leader of the SNP in this place, the right hon. Member for Aberdeen South (Stephen Flynn), said, this issue is not going to go away. I hope politicians realise that. It will get …
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
10 September 2025
2 contributions
Digital Exclusion: Na h-Eileanan an Iar
rose—
On behalf of my party, I welcome the Secretary of State to her place.
On the other side of the highlands in the royal burgh of Cromarty—it is an adjacent seat, Mr Speaker—we have an appalling situation. I have in my constituency an old lady with a heart condition who had no means of communication w…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 September 2025
5 contributions
Hydrogen Supply Chains
The hon. Member is making an excellent speech on a very important subject. He mentioned the production of ammonia. The fact is that fertiliser is made from ammonia and right now our farmers are facing increasing prices for a number of world reasons. Does the hon. Member agree that one of the strateg…
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I congratulate the hon. Member for Worcester (Tom Collins) on a very timely debate indeed; he knows his subject, and that is to the benefit of us all. Touching on the contribution made by my hon. Friend the Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse),…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 September 2025
2 contributions
Indefinite Leave to Remain
On behalf of the Petitions Committee, I thank the hon. Member for her thanks. Far away from London in the highlands of Scotland, the same is true: we have refugees who have fitted in and been greatly welcomed. May I make the point to the Minister that involving the devolved institutions, such as the…
The hon. Lady mentions, quite correctly, the role of these wonderful people caring for the elderly. Let me give one example. I have cases in my constituency in the far north of Scotland where the care package has fallen through for lack of care workers, and those poor old people have been readmitted…
Commons
Proceedings
4 September 2025
Business of the House
As I have said many times in this place, at Dounreay we have a highly skilled workforce, a licensed nuclear site and a local population who support the nuclear industry. Rolls-Royce has told me that it is very interested in placing its prototype advanced modular reactor at Dounreay, and yet we know …