Commons
Debate
11 July 2025
4 contributions
Rare Cancers Bill
I rise to oppose the amendments, but I thank the hon. Member for Christchurch (Sir Christopher Chope) for tabling them, for engaging with the Bill and for our conversation yesterday, which I really appreciated. I understand the stated intent of the proposals, although I am not minded to support them…
I thank the hon. Member for that question. Of course, the review will not start on day one after passing the Bill. It will take time to get up and running. The existing workload of those staff members will have to be reallocated, and I hope and expect there to be some initial engagement with the sec…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
9 July 2025
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill
I just want to make a gentle point to the hon. Member. He points out that the process feels rushed, but sitting here, I observe that there is not a lot of demand to speak from Members from any of the other parties on the Opposition Benches: just two Conservative MPs, no SNP MPs and no Reform MPs. Do…
Commons
Proceedings
2 July 2025
British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty
I have to admit that I am rather confused, because I am sure that the shadow Foreign Secretary was in the Cabinet when the decision was made to start these negotiations. Too often, we focus on the military aspects of this deal, but can the Minister confirm that it will also end a dangerous, irregula…
Commons
Committee Stage
2 July 2025
2 contributions
Rare Cancers Bill
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stuart. I was happy with the unanimous cross-party support that the Bill received on Second Reading and look forward to examining it in detail today.
The term “rare cancer” might imply that this is a relatively niche issue that is unlikely to have …
I am grateful for all the contributions to debate. The charity partners carefully picked the Committee members, given their interest in this subject, and we can see the benefit of that.
I thank the hon. Member for South Antrim for his efforts to make sure that the legislation works in Northern Irel…
Commons
Debate
1 July 2025
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill
Can the hon. Gentleman confirm what he thinks is the extent of the cut, because my understanding is that spending is still going to increase? Can he also confirm if the cut, as he sees it, is even bigger than the cut his party forced on the poorest in this country when in coalition?
Commons
Debate
30 June 2025
2 contributions
Road Safety Powers: Parish and Town Councils
On that point, why should they be like Wales, when they could be like Edinburgh? Will my hon. Friend join me in paying tribute to former councillor Lesley Hinds? One could never meet a more humble Labour councillor, but back in 2016, she rolled out Edinburgh’s city-wide 20 mile per hour zone. In 202…
Although she lives in Edinburgh South West, my constituent Amanda wrote to me about a power that English councils do not have when it comes to road safety, namely the power to deal with pavement parking. Is that something that the Minister has considered?
Commons
Proceedings
25 June 2025
Nuclear-certified Aircraft Procurement
Following on from the previous question, I have to declare that I have flown an F-35—[Hon. Members: “Ooh!”] It was a simulator. Dramatic pause there. There are companies in Edinburgh that are involved in the supply chain and I was keen to see what they were constructing.
I welcome the Minister’s le…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
24 June 2025
China Audit
I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I thank the Secretary of State for his pragmatic approach. Opposition is easy, but Opposition Members know that if they were in his shoes, they would be doing exactly the same thing. Huawei has been mentioned a couple of ti…
Commons
Proceedings
24 June 2025
National Security Strategy
I have Dreghorn and Redford barracks in my constituency, so I can only welcome the biggest uplift in defence spending since the cold war. However, many people will be concerned about the cost. I wonder whether there is an opportunity here: if our NATO allies are increasing spending along with us, is…
Commons
Debate
23 June 2025
UK Military Base Protection
I have a substantial military footprint in my constituency, not least Redford and Dreghorn barracks, so I welcome the statement. I have two questions. The first is on the situation overseas. I really welcome the comments about force protection, but it would be good to hear whether the families back …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 June 2025
UK Modern Industrial Strategy
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. The hon. Member and I must look alike.
I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Not that long ago, we had a Scottish Government in which some Cabinet members did not even believe in economic growth, so the contrast with what we ha…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 June 2025
Middle East
I thank the Foreign Secretary for the energy he has invested in de-escalation, because it is the only moral route out of this conflict. I thank him also for reassuring us that UK forces are not involved and that we have not given up on the plight facing ordinary Gazans. There are 90 million people i…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 June 2025
UK Infrastructure: 10-year Strategy
As a civil engineer, I absolutely welcome the Minister’s statement, but I want to respond to it within the context of my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. If he does not mind, I will start by giving him some advice. If he is going to meet his counterpart in the Scottish Governme…
Commons
Proceedings
19 June 2025
Business of the House
The very best thing about this job is the people we meet. Last Saturday, I met Lisa Fleming and her team at the opening of the House of Hope in Edinburgh South West. It is Scotland’s first breast cancer wellbeing and support centre, and it is absolutely amazing. It is a sanctuary for people facing a…
Commons
Westminster Hall
19 June 2025
Social Mobility: Careers Education
It is a privilege to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Andrew Ranger) for introducing this important debate, and I welcome the thoughtful contributions that we are about to hear from across the Chamber. I make my speech within the context of my ent…
Commons
Debate
18 June 2025
Crime and Policing Bill
The hon. Gentleman speaks with great passion about his constituent. Yesterday evening, I held a roundtable with parents in my constituency to talk about mobile phone use in schools. One of the parents was a GP and she spoke about how children who have been subject to such attacks have come to her su…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 June 2025
Iran-Israel Conflict
I thank the Foreign Secretary for his statement, his reassurance that Gaza will not be forgotten, and for having been really quick to come out and ask for de-escalation and a negotiated settlement. Nobody wants to see a nuclear Iran, not least the people of Iran, who are paying for this investment b…
Commons
Debate
12 June 2025
2 contributions
Covid: Fifth Anniversary
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham and Beckton (James Asser) for securing the debate and for his tribute to public service workers.
We should never forget that in places like Edinburgh, everyone—from bus drivers to bin lorry drivers— took huge risks at the start of the pandemic because …
Absolutely. I hope I will be able to expand on that in the time I have remaining, but that organisation sounds fantastic, so I thank my hon. Friend for mentioning it.
One of the most powerful things about being an MP is the people we meet, particularly in our constituencies. One of those people is …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 June 2025
Spending Review: Health and Social Care
I thank the Minister for supporting the launch of Sarcoma UK’s report yesterday. The recommendations in that report are really important for tackling that awful rare cancer.
I welcome the ambition in what has been presented, but the comparison with what my Edinburgh South West constituents face in …
Commons
Debate
10 June 2025
Grenfell Tower Fire: Eighth Anniversary
I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate. I hope we will continue to debate this matter in the years to come, and that we can start to talk about the positives that have come out of it in terms of the recommendations and the lives that will be saved and changed. Eight years on, in Scotland—my…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 June 2025
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
I thank the Minister for his leadership on this issue.
One of the most regular attenders at my surgeries is a Palestinian woman who has lost both friends and family in this conflict. Her cousin died recently. Each time she comes, it is harder for me to tell her that the Government are doing all tha…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 June 2025
Winter Fuel Payment
I thank the Minister for his leadership on this issue. If he is looking for examples of how to increase the uptake of pension credit, he is welcome to visit my constituency to see the work that the Community Help and Advice Initiative is doing with Gate55 to maximise benefits. If he comes along to o…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
4 June 2025
Engagements
Q12. During recess, I visited Scottish Action for Mental Health’s Redhall walled garden, which I am proud to say is in Edinburgh South West. It has operated for decades as a therapeutic horticultural centre, supporting adults with mental health problems. Like similar community mental health services…
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
4 June 2025
North Sea Oil and Gas Licences: Economic Growth
Labour’s windfall tax on North sea energy profits is designed to make us less reliant on people like Vladimir Putin. When I was campaigning in Hamilton last week, voters asked me why the SNP, the Tories and Reform were so against our windfall tax. I could not explain. Can the Secretary of State?