Contributions
638 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDOil and Gas SectorMy hon. Friend is right: we will continue to need oil and gas as we transition to net zero. Developing our own supplies reduces reliance on imports that are produced to less…15 Dec 2021HANSARDOil and Gas SectorMy ministerial colleagues and I regularly discuss oil and gas with fellow Government Ministers and stakeholders. The oil and gas industry is hugely important to north-east…15 Dec 2021HANSARDStandards Impropriety: The UnionYou are right, Mr Speaker. I would say again to the hon. Lady, if we are talking about majorities, that the First Minister failed to get a majority in May. Let us be clear that…15 Dec 2021HANSARDStandards Impropriety: The UnionIf the hon. Lady had been at the Scottish Affairs Committee last Monday, when I was one of the witnesses—or if she had read the briefing from that—she would know that I was asked…15 Dec 2021HANSARDStandards Impropriety: The UnionThe hon. Gentleman makes a very serious point. Hospitality is under a lot of pressure across the United Kingdom, not least in Scotland. The Treasury announced yesterday afternoon,…15 Dec 2021HANSARDStandards Impropriety: The UnionAbsolutely, without any difficulty, I can. The Prime Minister is a man of optimism, he is a man of vision and he is a man who delivered the trade deal running up to Christmas last…15 Dec 2021HANSARDStandards Impropriety: The UnionI will stick to the question, which is what we are doing to deliver for the people of Scotland, and I am delighted to answer that question. I will give the hon. Gentleman one…15 Dec 2021HANSARDStandards Impropriety: The UnionWe remain focused on delivering for Scotland within a strong United Kingdom. This can be seen by the scale of our investment, with more than £191 million of UK Government funding…15 Dec 2021HANSARDArmy RestructuringMy office and I have regular discussions with the Ministry of Defence on all matters relating to defence in Scotland, including the latest plans to modernise and restructure the…15 Dec 2021HANSARDArmy RestructuringUnder the future soldier review, the Army’s footprint in Scotland will be stronger than ever, recognising the immense contribution that Scottish servicemen and women make to the…15 Dec 2021HANSARDArmy RestructuringAbsolutely. Scotland plays a vital role in the defence of the UK. The Army’s future soldier restructuring programme is great news for Scotland. Not only will it deliver £355…15 Dec 2021HANSARDScottish Economy: SupportThe Budget and the spending review provide the largest annual block grant to the devolved Administration in Scotland since the Scotland Act 1998. Throughout the pandemic we have…15 Dec 2021HANSARDOil and Gas SectorI have discussed this matter with Sir Ian Wood, and I do not think the hon. Gentleman reflects his views fairly. Sir Ian Wood understands and agrees with us that the bid can be…15 Dec 2021HANSARDScotland’s Shipbuilding IndustryI absolutely agree: the shipbuilding industry makes a huge contribution to strengthening the Union. It directly supports UK security and prosperity, and it supports 25,200 jobs…03 Nov 2021HANSARDUK-EU Trade and Co-operation AgreementI simply do not recognise what the hon. Gentleman says. We have been through the pandemic and it is far too early to say what any impacts are to make predictions, but what we do…03 Nov 2021HANSARDUK-EU Trade and Co-operation AgreementMy hon. Friend makes a very good point. I know that there are over 40 distilleries in his constituency, so I understand why he feels very strongly about this issue. I agree with…03 Nov 2021HANSARDUK-EU Trade and Co-operation AgreementWe have just had a Budget where the Chancellor has given £41 billion in the block grant, up £4.6 billion and the largest ever block grant received by the Scottish Government since…03 Nov 2021HANSARDUK-EU Trade and Co-operation AgreementThe hon. Lady quotes the OBR. Actually, the OBR prediction was for economic growth to be 4% in March. The reality is that it has corrected that, and its prediction is now for…03 Nov 2021HANSARDUK-EU Trade and Co-operation AgreementMy right hon. Friend is spot on. Scotland’s trade with the rest of the UK is three times more than her trade with Europe. It is worth over £50 billion, it is worth over half a…03 Nov 2021HANSARDScotland’s Shipbuilding IndustryThe hon. Gentleman makes a very good point. The Scottish Government’s incompetence in this area has cost the taxpayer very, very heavily. Eleven organisations responded to the…03 Nov 2021