Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2025
Glastonbury Festival: BBC Coverage
I thank my right hon. Friend for her statement. I share her concern that although freedom of expression must be protected, this incident raises serious concerns about the editorial standards and judgments exercised. As a long-standing supporter of the BBC, I am deeply disappointed in it. What conver…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2025
Welfare Reform
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement, the additional £300 million for employment support and that the PIP review will be co-produced with disabled people and their representatives, but many of my constituents are relying on the Scottish Government for employment support and for getting waiting…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 June 2025
G7 and NATO Summits
The forced deportation of children is illegal under international law, yet Russia continues to steal Ukraine’s future, one child at a time. Was the issue of Ukraine’s stolen children discussed with our allies? What more is being done to return those children to their homes and families?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 June 2025
Business of the House
In the autumn statement, the Chancellor announced the largest devolution settlement in the history of the United Kingdom. It is deeply concerning that despite the Government giving Scotland the funding that it needs to deliver vital public services, the SNP-run East Renfrewshire integration joint bo…
Commons
Proceedings
24 June 2025
National Security Strategy
It is vital that the UK has robust defences against biological incidents, accidents and attacks. What steps are the Government taking to invest in our biosecurity, and how that will help to protect our country from the range of bio-threats that we face?
Commons
Oral Questions
24 June 2025
Frozen Russian Assets
Will the Foreign Secretary consider further sanctions on the Russian regime for the forced deportation of Ukrainian children? In recent peace talks, the Russian delegation proposed an exchange of prisoners of war for Ukrainian children who had been stolen from their homes, thereby equating combatant…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 June 2025
UK Modern Industrial Strategy
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement and the doubling of business investment by 2035. I particularly welcome the £4.3 billion of funding for the advanced manufacturing sector, which will directly benefit the AMIDS—advanced manufacturing innovation district Scotland—factory in Renfrewshire, whi…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
23 June 2025
Unemployment Levels
Paisley jobcentre runs a “Take a job to work” day, where work coaches look for local employment opportunities and take those suggestions into the jobcentre to match jobseekers with local jobs. Does my hon. Friend agree that that is a good example of local innovation in jobcentres, and would the Gove…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 June 2025
Warm Home Discount
I warmly welcome my hon. Friend’s statement today on the expansion of the warm home discount. It will mean that 240,000 people across Scotland, including many thousands in Paisley and Renfrewshire South, will receive £150 directly off their energy bills from this UK Government. Will my hon. Friend s…
Commons
Proceedings
19 June 2025
Business of the House
Earlier this month, Johnstone Burgh football club in my constituency brought home the Scottish junior cup, its first such win since 1968. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Johnstone Burgh football club, its manager Murdo MacKinnon, the players and everyone in our community who s…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 June 2025
3 contributions
Disabled People in Poverty
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
Talking of cruelty, does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is cruel that the number of people from working households living in poverty more than doubled under the Conservatives’ watch, from 600,000 to 1.3 million? Is that not cruel?
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 June 2025
Iran-Israel Conflict
My constituents will be extremely concerned by the developments in the region, so I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement and the efforts he is making to encourage de-escalation. Will he assure me that this escalating conflict will not undermine the UK’s efforts to end the war in Gaza, free t…
Commons
Debate
12 June 2025
Covid: Fifth Anniversary
I declare my interest in this debate as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on vulnerable groups to pandemics.
“Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.” It is almost surreal, five years on, to say those words aloud today. Most of us had never heard of social distancing or imagined a Brita…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
11 June 2025
Spending Review 2025
Fourteen years of the Tories and 18 years of the SNP have left many Scottish high streets in desperate need of investment, including those in my constituency of Paisley and Renfrewshire South. I welcome the Chancellor’s announcement today of investing in new community funds, bringing the total UK Go…
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
11 June 2025
2 contributions
Employment: Wales
6. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to create new jobs in Wales.
This Labour Government are creating good, well-paid jobs across the whole of the UK, including in my Paisley and Renfrewshire South constituency. Will the Secretary of State explain what she is doing, in collaboration with Cabinet colleagues, to ensure that those new jobs are well paid and have good…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 June 2025
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
I thank my hon. Friend for his statement. I welcome the sanctions that have been taken today against Ben-Gvir and Smotrich because their rhetoric and actions towards the Palestinian people are dangerous and extremist. But this is the third set of sanctions imposed by our Government against violent s…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 June 2025
Nuclear Power: Investment
Happy birthday, Mr Speaker. New nuclear has the potential not only to power communities across our country, but to create jobs in every constituency. That is why it is particularly extraordinary to hear SNP representatives argue against those jobs. Will the Secretary of State confirm how many new jo…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 June 2025
Winter Fuel Payment
I welcome my hon. Friend’s announcement, because this news will not only bring more money to Scotland; it also demonstrates that this is a Government who listen. The winter fuel payment is devolved in Scotland, as it was at the time of the original announcement, and the Scottish National party’s cur…
Commons
Debate
2 June 2025
Strategic Defence Review
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his statement about this significant investment in the security of our nation. I was thrilled that the Prime Minister announced that there will be up to 12 new attack submarines, boosting growth in Scotland and keeping the UK safe for years to come. However, I …
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
2 June 2025
2 contributions
Illegal Working
11. What steps her Department is taking to tackle illegal working.
Good employers in my constituency of Paisley and Renfrewshire South—those who conduct employment checks and employ people on decent terms and conditions—are being undercut by unscrupulous firms that use exploitative practices and prey on the vulnerabilities of people seeking a better life here in th…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 May 2025
Business of the House
The Scottish National party pretends to be on the side of elderly people in our communities, but despite the rhetoric, the SNP-led Renfrewshire integration joint board has taken the heartless decision to slash funding to the Food Train—a vital volunteer initiative that supports our elderly residents…
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 May 2025
4 contributions
Ukraine: Forcibly Deported Children
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the matter of returning forcibly deported children to Ukraine.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart.
I start by welcoming a distinguished guest to the Chamber: Olena Kondratiuk, the Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine…
I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. Indeed, I will come later in my speech to what I hope the Minister will be able to set out.
The report also highlights that Ukrainian children in occupied areas are now being used to support Russia’s drone development and production efforts. Children ar…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 May 2025
UK-EU Summit
The new UK-EU agreement is a welcome and pragmatic step towards rebuilding a strong trading relationship with our closest economic partner:
“this deal will help reduce costs, cut red tape, and make it easier for Scottish businesses to compete and grow across European markets.”
Those are not my wor…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
19 May 2025
2 contributions
European Rearmament Fund
7. Whether he has had recent discussions with his EU counterparts on UK access to the European rearmament fund.
I am pleased that today the United Kingdom is hosting a summit in London to reset our relationship with Europe—yet another sign that this Labour Government are restoring our reputation as a global power after it was trashed by a decade of Tory incompetence. Will my right hon. Friend outline what ste…