David Mundell MP: speeches

Speeches

• 21 May 2026 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  While the trade agreement with the GCC is obviously welcome, why does the Minister think it is possible to reach a trade agreement with the GCC but not to influence its members to play a more positive role in resolving the issues in Yemen, Sudan and elsewhere? They have a key role to play in these disputes. I know that he takes a very specific issue on Yemen. What more can he do to make the United Arab Emirates, for example, play a more positive role there and elsewhere?

• 21 May 2026 · Costs for Motorists · Hansard source

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  Will the Chief Secretary to the Treasury reassure me that the Treasury really understands that in rural areas the cost of fuel not only relates to what motorists pay for driving but affects everything—all the goods and services provided—on sale in the shops? Therefore, rather than trying to put caps on the things that are on sale in shops, the best way to help keep costs down in rural areas is to keep fuel costs down.

• 21 May 2026 · Middle East: Economic Response · Hansard source

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  Will the Chancellor expand on her discussions with the supermarkets and their role in keeping prices down? When the supermarkets make special offers or reduce prices, there is always a concern that rather than absorbing the costs themselves, they pass them on directly to farmers and their suppliers, who are not in a position to absorb them because of their fixed production costs.

• 21 May 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  May I begin by sending my commiserations to the family and friends of Scottish rugby legend Scott Hastings, who died recently aged only 61? Scott was an inspirational figure, both on and off the pitch. I am sure the Leader of the House shares my concern about the outbreak of Ebola that is affecting both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Hundreds of people have already died. Can we have an oral statement when the House returns to hear what the UK is doing to prevent the spread of the outbreak? The UK played a pivotal role in stopping the previous serious outbreak, in Sierra Leone, and must have much to offer by way of expertise in relation to this one.

• 14 May 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I begin by commending Craig Hoy on his election as MSP for Dumfriesshire, and on ensuring that the blue wall of Scottish Conservative and Unionist seats in the south of Scotland remains intact. Ahead of those elections, the leader of the SNP, John Swinney, asserted that if the SNP gained a majority in the Scottish Parliament, there should be another independence referendum, despite there being no constitutional or factual basis for that. Of course, the SNP fell well short of a majority; indeed, the majority of Scots who voted did so for parties that oppose independence. Will the Leader of the House convey to the Prime Minister—whoever that is—that he should make it absolutely clear to John Swinney that last week’s elections provide no basis for a section 30 order or another independence referendum?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Fuel Duty · Hansard source

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  Does my right hon. Friend agree that in large rural constituencies such as mine, it is not just about constituents having to pay additional fuel duty at the pump, because they also pay it through everything they buy? Everything has to be transported into these rural areas, and there are services that they require. They therefore pay twice, which makes this tax rise doubly regressive.

• 12 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I would like to associate myself with the earlier remarks about the Dunblane tragedy. Could the Leader of the House arrange for a statement on Government support for egg production in the UK, which is a vital part of the food chain? My constituency has some of the UK’s largest egg producers, such as Glenrath Farms, which is very concerned about a consultation on the phasing out of enriched colony cages. They point out that current UK trade policy allows the tariff-free import of eggs and egg products from lower-welfare systems, including conventional cages, which are still legal in many non-EU countries. A unilateral UK ban on cage egg production without equivalent import restrictions would accelerate imports of shell eggs and egg products from systems that would be illegal domestically and would undermine UK producers and processors who have invested heavily in enriched cages.

• 12 Mar 2026 · Marriage Regulations · Hansard source

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  I agree. The hon. Lady will be aware that many humanists come to Scotland, and indeed to Gretna Green, to get married for that very reason. That issue needs to be addressed in the context of modernising marriage regulations. Dumfries and Galloway council, one of the three councils in my Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale constituency, has indicated that it could complete all the necessary checks within five days, yet the law mandates a wait that effectively stretches to 29 days in real terms. In the United States, Minnesota and Massachusetts require a similar three to five days for checks, while New York and Las Vegas allow for marriages within minutes or 24 hours. The British overseas territory of Gibraltar requires only 24 hours, and Denmark, sometimes competing with Gretna Green to be the Las Vegas of Europe, requires just five days. In Denmark, a jurisdiction that the Home Secretary seems very keen to promote, the system protects against abuse and fraud while allowing couples to marry within days rather than weeks. Why can the UK not do the same? This debate is not about weakening safeguards or making marriage easy in a way that invites fraud; it is about asking whether our system reflects the realities of modern life. Under the Immigration Act 2014, the UK Home Office already has the power to extend the standard marriage notice period to 70 days. If the UK Government already have the power to identify, investigate and disrupt sham marriages, why does every couple need to have their wedding delayed? The public are clear. They want a system that is simpler, fairer and more flexible. A recent YouGov poll found that 88% of UK adults support the ability to fast-track the marriage process. With fewer than half of UK adults now married, we are witnessing an historic shift in the structure of our families. While shifting social ideas play a part, 61% of adults cite the rising cost and complexity of weddings as a key reason for the decision to decline the opportunity. Inaction also has an economic cost. The UK wedding sector is estimated to be worth £10 billion to £15 billion annually, supporting countless jobs and venues across the UK, as in Gretna Green. Such venues are spread across the breadth of the country, and I am sure Members present have venues in their own constituencies that come to mind. By maintaining a needlessly slow process, more flexible jurisdictions will come to benefit more than Britain from spending on weddings. Many visitors from the United States now come to Scotland to get married, having seen “Highlander”, “Outlander” and other such programmes on international television channels and realised the beauty of the country. I of course appreciate that the Government in Holyrood and the Scottish Parliament have responsibility for some of these issues in Scotland, and I would also be delighted to see the Scottish Government take forward proposals at the first opportunity, but in the absence of them doing so, the UK Government have the capacity to demonstrate a different way of doing things. I do not wish to pre-empt what the Minister may have to say, but she may reference the Law Commission’s 2022 report, “Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law”, and the announcement in October last year that the UK Government would reform wedding law. Although the Law Commission’s report was extensive and thoughtful, its focus was largely on where weddings can take place and who can conduct them. It suggested moving towards a system focused on authorised officiants, rather than on licensed buildings, which would allow for more outdoor and home ceremonies—reforms that I wholeheartedly support. The administrative notice period, however, received far less attention in that review. With the Government already having accepted that marriage law needs modernisation, why not tackle the waiting time, too? To be clear, this is not about deregulating marriage law, but about making it fit for the modern day through digital notice systems and more flexible waiting periods, the recognition of independent celebrants to allow personalised, but legally binding ceremonies—the hon. Member for Luton South and South Bedfordshire (Rachel Hopkins) has already referred to the opportunity for humanist weddings—and simplified documentation that reflects modern administrative capability. One suggestion has been the appointment of a marriage tsar to move forward the aforementioned modernisation. However, I am sure that if it is driven from within Government, it can take place. Administrative delays are not merely bureaucratic inconveniences; they carry a profound human and financial toll. For many, particularly in our armed forces, these administrative hurdles are not merely inconvenient; they can be fundamentally incompatible with the realities of service life. In recent days, we have all seen service personnel deployed at short notice. That is part of being in the services, as are unpredictable posting cycles that do not align with a rigid, 28-day delay, and the marriage system’s opaque exceptions are difficult to navigate at a time of high stress. Moreover, with the average UK wedding now costing more than £20,000, delays can lead to the loss of substantial venue deposits and the risk of escalating catering and other fees, which have also risen by about 24% due to inflation. This “cost of worry” creates uncertainty, where heartbreaking last-minute cancellations become a reality for those caught in an antiquated system. These hurdles, and the costs associated with them, effectively put marriage on the back burner for many who would otherwise want to marry. The history of Gretna Green shows that love cannot wait, love should not wait, and neither should we. I look forward to the Minister’s response and hope that she will agree that the time has come to review the administrative hurdles that stand in the way of love today.

• 12 Mar 2026 · Hospitality Sector · Hansard source

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  Energy costs are obviously a huge issue for hospitality businesses in a large rural constituency such as Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, but they are also an issue for hospitality business customers, because generally people travel to those businesses using their cars. Will the Minister and her colleagues in the Department lobby the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to ensure that the proposed rise in fuel duty does not go ahead in September?

• 5 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As the MP for Gretna Green, the wedding capital of Europe, I particularly welcome next week’s debate on modernising marriage laws. I encourage all colleagues to take part in that. The last few days have marked the 25th anniversary of the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak. That had devastating effects in my constituency: virtually every hoofed animal was slaughtered. As a Member of the Scottish Parliament at the time, I remember how the smoke lay over the Annan valley as animal carcases were burned on open pyres. The local economy took a long time to recover from that incident. Will the Leader of the House bring forward a debate to reflect properly on those events, praise the resilience of the communities involved, which have bounced back, and ensure that lessons have been learned?

• 4 Mar 2026 · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office · Hansard source

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  Let me begin with a very specific request to the Minister, which I hope he will be able to grant. My request is for a continuing commitment to Abercrombie House in East Kilbride as the FCDO’s second headquarters. The Government scrapped plans to build a new headquarters in Glasgow, and have so far confirmed that they are staying at Abercrombie House. However, as the International Development Committee has heard, that building requires significant investment, and at a time of such significant cuts in the FCDO budget and, obviously, staffing changes, there is concern about whether this will actually be done. As a member of the International Development Committee, I now want to turn to the issue of official development assistance and development finance. As the Financial Times has reported, recent analysis from the Centre for Global Development reveals a startling reality: that this Labour Government are presiding over cuts in our overseas aid budget that are not only deeper but faster than those being implemented by the Trump Administration across the water. I cannot believe that that was the objective of a Government who said that they wanted to achieve global leadership in these matters. I understand the necessity of financial discipline, and, of course, the funding pressures with which the Treasury is wrestling, even if some of them are self-inflicted. I have often argued in the House that we must be pragmatic and strategic with our development resources, looking for where we can make the best and most profound difference. I agree with the Chair of the International Development Committee, the hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion), that scrapping ICAI, which is monitoring how we obtain value, is the best way to achieve that. There have been some very significant ICAI reports, including the 2020 report that dealt with the extent of the value the Government obtained from investment in nutrition for every pound that was spent. As a champion of nutrition, I have long supported the Child Nutrition Fund. With a relatively modest investment from the UK Government, the fund can leverage philanthropic and private capital while mobilising domestic resources to dramatically improve the wellbeing of millions of women and children. In my view, the child nutrition fund meets the test of public expectations for ODA funding: it puts food in stomachs and jags in arms. Because I realise that we are in a changing world, I have also supported the IDC’s inquiry into the future shape of aid. We recognise that things will have to be different, but we want to see leadership from the UK Government in this regard, and we want to see a plan. When the UK Government are slashing development spending by some 27% by 2027—outpacing the reduction proposed in Washington, as I have said—one must ask: how does this stack up against other Government objectives, and where is the plan? Whereas the US Congress has acted as a vital check, I see little of the same approach here in the UK, despite the very best efforts of the International Development Committee. As I have said before, if cuts have to happen, they need to be thought through, and that thinking needs to come prior to the cutting. Sadly, that has not been the case. Unless the Minister pulls it out of the hat at the end of this debate, there is no evidence of a plan. Reductions in ODA were announced over a year ago, but the UK’s future of aid conference will not take place until May this year—if at all, I suspect. In the meantime, services that could be put on a sustainable footing through new and innovative approaches, or through being transferred to capable local partners, are falling over. The change in US policy has significant ramifications, which we should address now, particularly the withdrawal of funding for LGBT and family planning issues. This is most certainly not the time for the FCDO to cut its LGBT budget, as the Elton John AIDS Foundation, among others, has highlighted. We are told that the reductions are to fund our defence capabilities against Russian and, indeed, Iranian aggression. However, the Government must be careful not to create a vacuum of influence and allow malign actors to move in while we do this, as others have already highlighted. One need only look at the example of Russia’s Wagner Group and its operations in Africa, particularly around critical minerals. As co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on HIV/AIDS, I want my final remarks to focus specifically on the impact of the changes on the fight against HIV/AIDS. I particularly commend The Independent newspaper and its correspondent, Bel Trew, for highlighting some of these issues. Last November, I was pleased to welcome the Government’s pledge of £850 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. At a time of tight resources, it offers real value for money by dealing directly with devastating and widespread diseases, but also by building capacity in the health systems of partner countries. The fund can be a crucial pathway to ending dependency, but although £850 million was welcome, it was none the less a £150 million reduction from 2022, and it was also coupled with uncertainty for other organisations, such as the Robert Carr Fund, Unitaid and UNAIDS. The One Campaign expects the shortfall to result in a very tangible 250,000 additional deaths and 1 million new infections. Here in the UK, the Government’s ability to reach our own target of zero new transmissions by 2030 would be imperilled by rising rates of HIV elsewhere. The UK’s life sciences and pharmaceutical sector—for which the Global Fund, among other organisations, is such an important partner—will also suffer. What that tells us, as we have heard already, is that the reductions come at a cost, particularly if they are not thought through. They come at the cost of influence, the economy and, sadly, lives. At the end of this debate, I want to hear from the Minister what the Government’s plan is. Everybody understands that there will be reductions, but they must be on a planned basis.

• 5 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The father of one of my constituents died unexpectedly, which was itself shocking and distressing for his family, but that distress has been compounded by the difficulties they have faced in getting access to vital information held on his mobile phone, computer and via online services. Indeed, the only way they can open his phone is by returning it to the manufacturer’s settings, which would lose everything stored on it. Does the Leader of the House agree that our use of technology has moved on but the rules and regulations on access to online material when somebody dies have not developed at the same pace? Will he bring forward a debate on this important matter so that these issues can be fully explored?

• 29 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I do not know whether the Leader of the House is a keen cyclist or mountain biker, but I am sure that he will share my excitement, and that of my constituents, that after the grand départ in Edinburgh, the Tour de France will pass through Innerleithen, Walkerburn and Canonbie in my constituency. Along with the forthcoming opening of the mountain bike innovation centre in Innerleithen, does he agree that this will showcase the Tweed Valley as the best cycling venue not only in the United Kingdom but in the world?

• 29 Jan 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  As co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Latin America, I was interested to note that, after 25 years of negotiations, the EU has announced a trade deal with the Mercosur South American trading group. What is the position of the UK Government on a trading agreement with Mercosur?

• 22 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I echo the Leader of the House’s Burns night greetings for Sunday. Will he join me, in my position as co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on nuclear energy, in congratulating the Nuclear Industry Association and all those in the nuclear industry who ensured the success of the fifth Nuclear Week in Parliament this week, which has showcased all aspects of the industry, from new build and supply chain to decommissioning, and allowed numerous engagement opportunities for MPs? May we have a debate on the benefits that the nuclear industry brings to England and Wales in terms of jobs, economic growth and energy security, so that Scottish Members like myself can once again expose the shameful conduct of the Scottish Government in using their planning powers to block new nuclear development in Scotland to the detriment of my constituency and Scotland?

• 19 Jan 2026 · Arctic Security · Hansard source

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  In pushing back against the tariffs, will the Foreign Secretary and others make it clear to the US that it is not just the potential imposition of these tariffs, but the bandying about of the threat of tariffs, that is so disruptive and difficult for major British businesses that export to the US, such as those in the Scotch whisky industry? The tariffs might be just game-playing or tactics, but they are causing real damage right now.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  May I add my congratulations to my long-time Scottish Conservative and Unionist colleague, Lord Forsyth, on his election as Lord Speaker? In the pre-recess debate, I highlighted the exciting prospects for the redevelopment of the Chapelcross nuclear power station site in my constituency. For that redevelopment to go ahead, it will require an additional extensive connection to the grid, but at the moment the National Energy System Operator, which is in charge of managing the electricity network, is conducting a review, and no large-scale connections are going ahead. Could the Leader of the House ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to make a statement on when NESO’s review will be concluded and these important connections can proceed?

• 15 Jan 2026 · Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector · Hansard source

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  To obtain funding, most small organisations require a bank account. Is the Secretary of State aware that many organisations are struggling to get a bank account? Some banks do not offer those services to small and voluntary organisations, or a huge amount of bureaucracy needs to be entered into in order to get an account. Will the Secretary of State speak with her colleagues in the Treasury to get to the bottom of why it is so difficult for small and voluntary organisations to get a bank account?

• 14 Jan 2026 · Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  The Secretary of State will know that the Borderlands inclusive growth deal is an important factor in driving growth in the south of Scotland, and I am looking forward to speaking to the Minister next week about the deal. With such deals, the important thing is getting the money out the door. Over the years, a number of projects originally identified will not now go ahead. Does the Secretary of State agree that new projects should be brought on board, including replacing the bridges at Annan, which have been damaged in storms over recent years?

• 18 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish you, all Members and House staff a very merry Christmas and a guid new year, when it comes. I have the honour to represent one of the largest rural constituencies in the United Kingdom, where the ability to drive is essential for many, particularly at Christmas, when we want to get out and see family and friends. May we therefore have a debate in Government time on the operation of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and its associated agencies? Not only are there long delays for driving tests, and not only are rural test centres being overwhelmed by people from outside the area, but we now have significant delays for people with medical conditions who are applying to renew their driving licence.

• 18 Dec 2025 · Christmas Adjournment · Hansard source

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  My constituency is larger than any in England and has over 100 distinct communities, which I could not even list in three minutes, so I intend just to focus on the highlights. I am delighted that the Backbench Business Committee has granted a debate on modernising marriage laws, because Europe’s self-proclaimed marriage capital, Gretna Green, is in my constituency. In Annan, the main issue for the community remains the replacement of two footbridges swept away during flooding in 2021. There is still no plan to replace them, despite the community’s own efforts to bring forward plans. That is why I hope that project can come under the important Borderlands growth deal, which covers the south of Scotland. It has been a positive force, but, as I said in a recent debate about Scotland, it needs the Government to put a bit more oomph into it. Two very positive projects are unfolding. One is at Eastriggs, with the potential for a UK munitions factory on the site of HM Gretna, which was a munitions factory during the first world war. That would give a huge boost to not only my constituency but that of the hon. Member for Carlisle (Ms Minns). There is also a plan for a green energy hub on the Chapelcross site. Although I would have preferred to have seen a new nuclear plant on that site, I am happy to support the project. I can demonstrate that coming to business questions with the Leader of the House has an impact. On one Thursday in October, I called on the Bank of Scotland to sell its branch in Peebles to the Peebles Community Trust, and the very next day it announced that it was doing so. I take that intervention as having been helpful. The constituency covers not only a large rural area but former mining communities. I was pleased, along with many Government Members, to support constituents in their call to have the British Coal staff superannuation scheme extended to include them—that was one announcement in the Budget that I was able to welcome. As we approach the Scottish Parliament elections, two Members who overlap with my constituency are standing down. They are Christine Grahame, who has served for 27 years and my son Oliver Mundell, who has served for 10.

• 17 Dec 2025 · INEOS Chemicals: Grangemouth · Hansard source

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  It would be wrong not to commend the hon. Member for Alloa and Grangemouth (Brian Leishman) on this announcement as he has always been such a strong advocate for jobs at Grangemouth. Indeed, owing to his willingness to speak out against his Government, he lost the Labour Whip. I noted from the photographs issued around today’s launch that workers at Grangemouth did not seem overly happy to see the Chancellor. Perhaps that was because they know that her policies, which continue to attack the oil and gas industry—particularly through the windfall tax—are leading to the undermining of the oil and gas industry across Scotland.

• 11 Dec 2025 · St Andrew’s Day and Scottish Affairs · Hansard source

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  In her eloquent description of the importance of cross-border economic activity, the hon. Member for Carlisle (Julie Minns) referred to Borderlands, which in many ways was a precursor to Pride in Place. Like her, I feel that the Borderlands initiative needs a bit more oomph behind it, so will the Minister commit the Scotland Office to providing that oomph?

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The Leader of the House will share my disappointment at the Scottish Government’s illogical and wrong-headed approach to nuclear power, which means that the former Chapelcross site in my constituency cannot be considered for a new nuclear power station. I hope that, like me, he welcomes the announcement from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority that there is to be a strategic partnership with CX Power, with the hope of turning the site into a green energy hub producing hydrogen. While that might not be the nuclear power station that my constituents would wish to have, I hope that it will bring the skilled jobs that the power station did for over 60 years.

• 4 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I was pleased to welcome pupils from Annan academy in my constituency to Parliament last week and to hear directly from those young people that many of them had actively participated in a consultation by SNP-led Dumfries and Galloway council to voice their opposition to an ill-thought-out proposal to cut free musical instrument tuition in local schools. I am sure the Leader of the House will agree that not only are the Annan pupils right that music tuition should not be only for those who can pay for it, but that they are to be praised for speaking out on an issue that directly affects them and that we should encourage all young people to do the same.