Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
15 January 2026
2 contributions
Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
5. What support the Church of England is providing to Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Caritas Internationalis is just one of the 37 international aid organisations that Israel has sought to ban or deregister. This will have a severe impact on humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza. At midnight mass, Christ the Redeemer church in the west bank adorned its Christmas tree not with baubles, b…
Commons
Westminster Hall
12 January 2026
Call for General Election
In preparing for this e-petition debate, I clicked on the House of Commons Library service, which invites Members to look at a Government tracker produced by the registered charity and independent fact-checking organisation Full Fact. Did the hon. Member click on that and look at its findings in rel…
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Middle East and North Africa
The Minister advised in his statement that consular cases of British citizens detained abroad are at the heart of the work of the Foreign Office, and he provided an update on some of those cases. My West Dunbartonshire constituent Jagtar Singh Johal has remained arbitrarily detained in India for mor…
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
Last month, I visited Portnellan farm in my West Dunbartonshire constituency. I received a very warm and courteous welcome from husband and wife farmers David and Freda and their son Chris. The Scott-Parks run their family farm and were keen for me to hear and see at first hand the challenges that t…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
17 December 2025
INEOS Chemicals: Grangemouth
This is such welcome news for Grangemouth and Scotland just prior to Christmas. My thanks go to the Minister and all Departments that worked jointly to secure the deal. It is a pity that the SNP could not bring itself to mention the Grangemouth investment earlier today at PMQs—perhaps after decades …
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 December 2025
Oil Refining Sector
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Western. I thank the hon. Member for Brigg and Immingham (Martin Vickers) for securing this important debate. I speak in my capacity as a member of the Scottish Affairs Committee, which has recently published a report, “The future of Scotland’s o…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 November 2025
Business of the House
Will the Leader of the House join me in again congratulating the Scotland men’s national football team on qualifying for the 2026 world cup? The entire team are heroes, not least John McGinn from my West Dunbartonshire constituency, who is a former pupil of my old school, St Columba’s in Clydebank. …
Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
Topical Questions
T2. In June this year, the average wait time for a driving test in the UK was over 22 weeks. That backlog is holding back learners in my constituency. Can the Secretary of State outline what action she is taking to deliver extra tests and remove those barriers for young people in West Dunbartonshire…
Commons
Westminster Hall
20 November 2025
Unpaid Carers: Inequalities
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. My contribution will be brief. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Anna Dixon) on securing this debate to consider inequalities faced by unpaid carers. It was also my great pleasure to attend the parliamentary reception last n…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 November 2025
Business of the House
Hundreds of my West Dunbartonshire constituents, and thousands more across the country, were served notice of the termination of their family protection funeral plan by CMutual and Maiden Life UK. All are members of credit unions, and they are elderly and vulnerable. They have paid in thousands of p…
Commons
Debate
3 November 2025
Public Office (Accountability) Bill
The Bill provides for parity of representation, and will expand non-means-tested legal aid so that bereaved family members can secure advocacy at inquests where a public authority is an interested person, but it does so, as I understand it, only in England and Wales. Of course, justice is a devolved…
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 October 2025
Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay
My constituents Stacy, Caitlin, Julia and Alison maintain that the current rates of maternity and paternity pay are woefully inadequate. One advised me that they delayed having children until they were financially secure, and it is unlikely that they will consider having a second child. Does my hon.…
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
22 October 2025
2 contributions
Pride in Place Programme: Regeneration
3. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support regeneration in Scotland through the pride in place programme.
The UK Government are investing more than £41 million of funding in my constituency, including the recently announced pride in place award. That will unlock the potential of my West Dunbartonshire constituency, matching the level of ambition I have to regenerate our town centres and communities and …
Commons
Debate
20 October 2025
Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy
We have new technical excellence colleges, new defence academies and new clean energy colleges, but not in Scotland, because further education and skills are devolved to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Auditor General’s report, published this month, showed that funding for Scottish colleges ha…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 October 2025
Middle East
The Prime Minister’s statement on the middle east included a celebration of our newly formed relationship and trade deal with India. Did his discussions with Prime Minister Modi last week also include raising the case of my West Dunbartonshire constituent Jagtar Singh Johal? If so, did the Prime Min…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 October 2025
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome
Health is obviously devolved to Scotland, but this is a UK-wide issue. My constituents Ewan, Robert and Louise are among a group living with PoTS and they too advise of unacceptably lengthy waiting times for a diagnosis—causing many years of untold suffering. Does my hon. Friend agree that greater s…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 October 2025
Glasgow Safer Drug Consumption Facility
Scotland has the worst drugs death figures of any nation in Europe, and they have increased again, with 607 suspected drug deaths in the first half of this year. Six years ago, the SNP Scottish Government declared a “drug death emergency”—just another example of soundbite announcements with no actua…
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
16 September 2025
2 contributions
Court Backlogs
11. What steps his Department is taking to reduce the Crown court backlog.
One of the most effective steps taken by this Government to help reduce the Crown court backlog is the record increases to criminal legal aid. Fewer criminal barristers and solicitors will not help to tackle case waiting times. Scotland is experiencing unacceptable delays in solemn cases coming to t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
9 September 2025
2 contributions
Infrastructure Strategy: Economic Growth
13. What steps she has taken to increase economic growth through the 10-year infrastructure strategy.
Thanks to Labour’s fiscal rules, the Government have unlocked private investment in UK infrastructure and strengthened investor confidence. The 10-year infrastructure strategy will revitalise all parts of the country’s economy, including in Scotland and in my constituency of West Dunbartonshire. Doe…
Commons
Debate
8 September 2025
Defence Industrial Strategy
I welcome the Minister’s statement. The defence industrial strategy will strengthen our security and grow our economy. These reforms will boost jobs in communities such as my West Dunbartonshire constituency, which is sandwiched between the £250 million investment in Faslane and the £10 billion cont…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2025
Defibrillators
I agree with the hon. Member that this is a UK-wide issue. However, my concern is the potential for inequality and the need to ensure that poorer communities such as my constituency, where 63% of postcodes are out of direct reach of these lifesaving machines, are not left behind. The hon. Member ref…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 September 2025
Ukraine
My West Dunbartonshire constituents know the importance of standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in this fight. Does the Minister agree that investments such as the £250 million to His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde and the landmark £10 billion deal with Norway—both of which secure thousands of job…
Commons
Debate
21 July 2025
Extending the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme
I congratulate the hon. Member on securing tonight’s debate. Last month, I had the great honour and privilege of meeting the Ukrainian families who have made their home in my constituency. It now is their home, and they are so very welcome. I had a personal private conversation with each and every o…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
21 July 2025
Independent Water Commission
I commend the Secretary of State on the action in his statement to hold water companies to account, not least with the new regulator and ombudsman. Scotland’s widespread water pollution challenges are far greater than England’s, particularly the sewage-related pollution in our rivers and on our beac…
Commons
Proceedings
17 July 2025
Business of the House
May I thank the Leader of the House for her courtesy and generosity over the past year during business question sessions? She deserves a well-earned rest and holiday during recess—for which I suggest no better place than my constituency. There, she can enjoy a round of golf at Dalmuir golf course, r…