Richard Baker MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 2 Jul 2025 · Spending Review 2025: Scotland · Hansard source

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  Is it not the reality that economic growth is increasing under this Labour Government, in rather sharp contrast to the experiences of hon. Members under Liz Truss, which I think were somewhat different for the whole country, including Scotland?

• 2 Jul 2025 · Spending Review 2025: Scotland · Hansard source

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  It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) on securing this important debate. His constituents could not have a more doughty and effective champion in this place. As a fellow Fife MP, I was particularly pleased to hear my hon. Friend address how the people of the kingdom will reap the rewards of the Government’s investment in Scotland and in their potential. That is in sharp contrast to the litany of failures they have had to endure under the barely managed decline, for which the Scottish National party is culpable, in Holyrood. I will return to these points later, while maintaining a laser focus on the spending review. But being in good spirits and savouring the cooler weather, for which we Scots are rather better equipped, let me focus first on the sunny uplands of the spending review and its great potential for Scotland. I know we will hear more from the Minister on its importance for our country and how it will support the excellent work that she is taking forward in Government for Scotland. She does this along with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, who has shown what a brilliant champion he is for Scotland in Cabinet. I will focus on the opportunities the spending review creates in my constituency. My hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar outlined the scale of the overall investment that the Chancellor announced in the spending review for Scotland and how vital that is for public services and growing our economy across the country. Specific areas of investment are of particular importance for Glenrothes and Mid Fife. We have a thriving and growing renewables sector in the constituency, and the confirmation of the full £8.3 billion for GB Energy is great news for renewable energy businesses in our area and will create opportunities and employment. At Earlseat wind farm, apprenticeships are being created in local renewables businesses through community benefit funding provided by its operator Renewable Energy Systems and a pioneering collaboration with Fife college. It was great to meet some of the apprentices at the wind farm, who will have great opportunities in the future as a result of that funding. Investing in renewables is also fantastic news for the Methil shipyard, which was saved by this Government. Its facilities and skilled workforce are ideally placed for contracts in renewables infrastructure and to deliver key programmes set out in the strategic defence review, which presents great opportunities for Scotland, as my hon. Friend said. I am also particularly delighted that the Chancellor has confirmed development funding for the Acorn project. I agree with the hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry (Stephen Gethins) that it is a very important scheme for Scotland, for which many of us across the Chamber campaigned. It will not only be vital for our renewables targets, but create and sustain thousands of jobs throughout Scotland. It is also a brilliant opportunity for two biomass plants in my constituency to maximise their contribution to carbon reduction in the future. All that comes along with additional funding for investment zones and in our communities. With an extra £9.1 billion for public services in Scotland over the next three years, there can no longer be any excuses for SNP Ministers failing to deliver the public services our constituents need and deserve. Unfortunately, where we need to see delivery and improvements, all we seem to see are excuses. We have record funding for housing provided by this Government, but a housing emergency has been declared in Fife after funding cuts by the Scottish Government. We have record funding provided for our NHS by this Government, and falling waiting lists in England for the first time in many years, but in Fife, my constituents face some of the longest waiting times for surgery anywhere in Scotland. In the NHS in England, we see investment in 700,000 additional urgent appointments for dental patients, but in Fife, we have a dental desert, where, too often, my constituents cannot find any dentist to register with, let alone an NHS one. We have record spending set out in the spending review for NHS infrastructure, yet after more than a decade of broken promises to the people of Lochgelly by SNP Ministers, they still do not have the new health centre that their community desperately needs. No wonder so many people in Scotland want a change of direction in Holyrood. This is the prospectus that Anas Sarwar will set out in the Scottish elections next year, and why our country desperately needs his leadership as our next First Minister. The spending review shows the ambition that Governments can and should have for Scotland. One of our Governments—this Government—is delivering for Scotland; it is time the other one stepped up to the plate and started delivering the effective leadership our country needs as well.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I declare an interest as a member of Unite. Will my right hon. Friend find an opportunity for the House to recognise the vital work of our elected trade union representatives across the country? In particular, following his funeral last week in Glenrothes, will she join me in paying tribute to John Gillespie, chair of Unite Scotland—a tireless and hugely respected campaigner for social justice who will be deeply missed, not only in Fife but throughout our labour and trade union movement?

• 19 Jun 2025 · Social Mobility: Careers Education · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under you as Chair, Ms Lewell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Andrew Ranger) for securing this vital debate. I want to stress how important it is for disabled young people that we have careers education that supports social mobility. Nearly half of families with a disabled child are living in poverty, and just this week we learned that the attainment gap for pupils from poorer backgrounds in Scotland is still widening. It is frustrating that the Scottish Government have not done more to address that. In Scotland, we know what works in terms of support for young people to make the often challenging transition from school to work or continuing education. Before I was elected to this place, I had the privilege of working for the charity Enable, which runs a programme called Stepping Up. The programme is delivered in 75 schools in Scotland, across 15 local authorities, to more than 1,000 young people every year. It builds confidence, life skills and employability through real-world experiences and personalised coaching. It ensures that young people are equipped not only to reach positive destinations but to sustain them. That leads to lasting change and improved educational and employment outcomes. Over the course of its work, Stepping Up has supported more than 5,000 young people, 98% of whom go to positive destination—either a job, a modern apprenticeship, training or college. Ensuring that all our young people can be supported to have confidence in themselves will be vital if we are to improve social mobility in this country. In Lochgelly, in my constituency, one in three children lives in poverty. Careers education is vital to their life chances. The developing the young workforce programme at Lochgelly high school is making that difference. Led by the co-ordinator of the programme, Pauline Abbie, it provides 100 work experience placements to pupils every year. It gives pupils a fantastic insight into the world of work in a whole range of industries, from hospitality to engineering, as well as into opportunities in education. The programme at Lochgelly high school has more than 50 DYW partners, including Shell, Purvis Group, Fife Fabrications and Fife college. Not only do pupils benefit, but employers do, by connecting with their next generation of workers and supporting our local community. The developing the young workforce programme at Lochgelly high school proves that a stronger community partnership between local businesses and our young people benefits the whole community. Over the past two decades we have not made nearly enough progress on social mobility, certainly not in Scotland, but given the investment this Government are making in education and the proven success of programmes such as Stepping Up and Developing the Young Workforce, we can be confident of far greater success for all our young people in the future, and they can have confidence in themselves.

• 12 Jun 2025 · SEND Funding · Hansard source

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  Decisions on SEND funding in this Parliament directly affect the availability of resources for additional support needs education in Scotland. One of the best experiences of my career was working with the pupils, parents and teachers at the Royal Blind school in Edinburgh when I was at the charity Sight Scotland. There we created a happy and supportive environment to help blind and partially sighted pupils to reach their goals in education, and to gain the vital life skills they need to manage their visual impairments throughout their lives. Such support should be available in every school—in every mainstream setting—but it simply is not. That is because the presumption of mainstreaming policy in Scotland has not been anything like adequately resourced. In February of this year, Audit Scotland concluded that the Scottish Government and councils must “fundamentally evaluate how education is funded, staffed and assessed to support all pupils”, including those with additional support needs, “to reach their full potential.” The right hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart)—we very much welcome his securing the debate—has mentioned the disparities in funding between local authorities. That is an issue in Scotland as well. Repeated poor funding settlements from Ministers for our councils have resulted in a number of local authorities cutting additional support needs budgets again and again. The impact on pupils, parents and local charities has been dramatic and, frankly, intolerable. The number of pupils who need such support has gone up by 32% since 2019, but the number of specialist teachers has increased by just 2%. Sight Scotland and RNIB Scotland have reported falling numbers of specialist teachers for visual impairment. The National Deaf Children’s Society in Scotland reports a 40% decrease in the number of specialist teachers for the deaf. The brilliant charity Autism Rocks, which is based in Buckhaven in my constituency but supports families throughout Scotland, told me that in one school, the number of support staff has been cut from nine to four. I have seen the huge difference that specialist educational support can make for disabled young people. Specialist teachers give pupils the time and skills they need to have a level playing field in the curriculum. The brilliant Stepping Up programme run by Enable, another charity that I have worked with, helps pupils to manage that difficult transition from school to further education or work. Because of the actions of this Government, we are finally seeing increases in funding for SEND, and therefore in Scotland for additional support needs, but for two decades SNP Ministers have presided over a crisis in additional support needs provision in Scotland. It is children, families and staff who are suffering as a result—a sorry decline in a Scottish education system of which we were so proud for so long. That is why we urgently need a new direction in Scotland’s schools to ensure that all our children have the support that they need—that is their right—to achieve their full potential.

• 9 Jun 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment · Hansard source

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  I used to work for Age Scotland, so may I say how welcome it is that the Government have listened to older people’s charities and made today’s announcement? I understand it will mean some £100 million additional funding for the payments in Scotland. Does my hon. Friend agree that SNP Ministers should now rethink their plans and instead endorse Scottish Labour’s plans, which were first proposed last November and would mean more generous payments for the pensioners who need them most?

• 4 Jun 2025 · School Standards · Hansard source

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  When my right hon. Friend discusses with SNP Ministers, through announcements made this week, the huge employment opportunities that this Government have created for young people in Scotland, will he impress on them the urgent need to finally tackle the persistent—and in some areas widening—attainment gap faced by pupils from poorer backgrounds, not only in Fife but in South Lanarkshire? These concerns are often raised by residents of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.

• 3 Jun 2025 · Inheritance Tax: Family-owned Businesses · Hansard source

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  I recognise the need for the Government to raise funds, given the economic context that they inherited, but, as my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) said, a number of family businesses have come forward with alternative proposals that would raise the funds in a different way. Would the Minister and his team be prepared to meet and consult with family businesses to ensure that they have input into the plans? That would enable those businesses to inform them of their experiences and raise alternative proposals that might raise funds differently.

• 3 Jun 2025 · Dementia Care · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech. I have worked in this area of policy and services, and I am aware that some of the most powerful advocates for change in dementia care are people with dementia themselves and their families. Does he agree that, when formulating new strategies for dementia care, people with dementia must be fully included in making those plans, based on their own experience?

• 21 May 2025 · Ukraine: Forcibly Deported Children · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stuart. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Johanna Baxter) on securing this vital debate, and particularly on her excellent work with the UK Friends of Ukraine on authoring this important but distressing report. I want to focus my remarks on the report’s findings in relation to disabled children. Almost unbelievably, it is disabled children in particular who have been targeted by Russian forces for forcible deportation. Through my last role with the disability charity Enable I was privileged to meet Raisa Kravchenko, the founder of the VGO Coalition and the mother of a young man with a learning disability in Kyiv, who even in the midst of the invasion has formed an amazing support network for people with learning disabilities and their families. Anyone would find the experience of being in a bomb shelter terrifying, but how much more so for an autistic young person who already struggles with their environment? Of course, for many of the families of disabled children, leaving Ukraine is simply not an option. I was in contact with Raisa again this week. She told me how the impacts of the invasion are frustrating the work in Ukraine, as they are across Europe, to move disabled children out of institutional care. The issue here is this: Russian forces have targeted care institutions. A disabled child will often be in a care institution and therefore they have been victims of kidnapping. I thought that powerful report brought out the tragic consequences of that. The consequences were laid bare in the report’s distressing story of Mykola and Anastasiya, two children with autism and cerebral palsy, among 46 children taken by Russian forces from Kherson children’s home and relocated 180 miles away in Simferopol, Crimea. Their parents found the location that their children were in six months later only as a result of an investigation by The New York Times . One can only imagine the trauma they went through. The children were issued with Russian birth certificates, their names were changed, and they were put up for adoption in Russia. Those children must have been under unimaginable stress over that period. Although they were finally reunited with their mother in 2024, Anastasiya, tragically, died from an epileptic seizure shortly after her sixth birthday. Such are the human consequences. These are the horrendous cases that lie behind the grim statistics that my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South shared with us so eloquently. It is important to recognise not only the level of trauma caused to disabled children by such terrifying ordeals, but that they will be affected by them for many years to come. I will close my remarks by stressing two points. First, there must be accountability. I was privileged to be a member of our delegation to the Council of Europe, which passed resolution 2529 in support of the ICC arrest warrants and calling for parties to the Council of Europe to acknowledge the deportations and transfers of children by Russia as genocide. Secondly, as an international community we need to stand by Ukraine and the children and their families to help them with rehabilitation support. That will not be an easy task, and for disabled children it will require particularly intensive and specialised support. I very much support the recommendation made by my hon. Friend in her vital report. Support from the UK, from our international partners, and indeed the resources from the Trust Fund for Victims, should be utilised for that vital work. I again congratulate my hon. Friend on all she is doing with the Friends of Ukraine in making a call for action on this horrific crime against Ukraine and its children. Yes, we look to the future for accountability and rehabilitation, but we must do all we can now as a nation, with international partners, to stop the horrendous action by the Russian Government and their forces.

• 19 May 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T7. Does the Minister agree that shipyards—such as Methil in my constituency, which has been saved by this Government—have fantastic opportunities to benefit from increased defence spending in the UK, and from initiatives such as Programme Euston? Will she continue to do all she can to identify opportunities for Scottish yards, including Methil?

• 19 May 2025 · Mental Health Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  Does the Secretary of State agree that that should be a case of “only when absolutely necessary”? In my previous role, I provided advocacy for the family of a young man who has been in a state hospital in Scotland for 17 years under a compulsory treatment order. His family live several hours away in north-east Scotland. That is, in my view, a horrendous infringement of his and their human rights. Will he share any learnings from the action the Government are taking, which is so welcome, on how community treatment can be placed effectively for people who are going through such horrific restrictions on their rights to family life?

• 15 May 2025 · Youth Services · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon East (Natasha Irons) on securing this debate and on her excellent speech. Youth services are fundamental in my constituency, where in some wards, one in three children are living in poverty. That is completely unacceptable and shows how important the work of the child poverty taskforce will be. Of course, funding for these vital services was cut by the Tories, but in Scotland, too, under the SNP there has been a 27% decrease in funding in real terms for youth work since 2015-16. This is failing the young people of Scotland who most need our support. Instead, the work of charities such as Fife Gingerbread and Includem should be supported with long-term funding arrangements. Includem’s “Keeping Connected” project, delivered with Our Minds Matter, supports young people in Fife to promote positive mental wellbeing and reduce stress. Such support is all the more important when I understand that in some health board areas in Scotland, children and adolescent mental health services are no longer offering a pathway to a diagnosis of autism, which can cost more than £4,000 to secure privately. That is shocking. The Scottish Government have been promising to deliver multi-year funding settlements for youth services for nearly 20 years but have failed to deliver beyond isolated examples—welcome as they are—including in Glasgow, and a national fair funding pilot. After 20 years, this should be the approach across the whole sector. Year-to-year funding is a barrier to recruitment and retention of staff, and their ability to build the trust and familiarity that is so vital to the young people they support. If we are to achieve a fairer, better society for all our young people, sustainable funding for these vital services will be essential at all levels of government throughout our country, and in particular those communities, including my own, where too many young people today still do not have the life chances that should be their right.

• 14 May 2025 · Ministerial Code: Compliance · Hansard source

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  Does the Minister agree that there is a certain irony in the SNP raising this matter, given the regularity with which SNP Ministers trail Scottish Government announcements in the press before coming to the Chamber in Holyrood? That was certainly the case when I served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament. It is vital that important announcements on key areas of policy are made in this House first, so is it not right that this Government have come forward with so many oral statements on key areas of policy, including the vital trade deal that we have recently secured with India, which is of such importance to the Scottish economy?

• 13 May 2025 · UK-EU Summit · Hansard source

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  I could not agree more. This will absolutely be in line with previous agreements. In our new relationship with Europe, we are doing far better than the previous Government, who agreed very poor deals, which resulted in economic decline; we could have achieved more with a different approach. I urge my right hon. Friend the Minister to go further, faster, on this policy area and Government priority. I urge him not to be deflected by Opposition Members who wish to fight the battles of the past. The Government are right to seek a better relationship with Europe, and to be ready for the opportunities, and indeed the tests, that lie ahead for our continent.

• 13 May 2025 · UK-EU Summit · Hansard source

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  This has been an interesting debate, but, to reflect on the unhappy nostalgia of my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow (Ms Creasy), it is quite clear that some people are having trouble moving on, as we need to. The summit is happening because of the process agreed by the Conservative party when it was in government. This is not a surrender summit; it is a summit for success for business and business people, and we can only achieve that if we move on in this debate. At one point, I thought Bill Cash was going to stand up and contribute. We are not moving forward as a Parliament, and thinking about the real priorities of the British people and our future relationship with Europe, but other people are prepared to move on and want to do so. Today, I was pleased to have the chance to meet representatives of the Scottish Advisory Forum on Europe, known as SAFE, at an event that I had the pleasure of co-hosting with the hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry (Stephen Gethins). It was an excellent event that reflected all their great work in collaborating with their colleagues and counterparts in Europe. They have been collaborating not just with Governments but with civil society, academia and a whole range of organisations, because that is in their interests. This is about growing the Scottish economy and furthering the interests of the Scottish people. I pay tribute to my good friend Dr Irene Oldfather, who, as chair of SAFE, has done so much to promote ongoing collaboration with colleagues in Europe. She is a happy constituent of my hon. Friend the Member for Central Ayrshire (Alan Gemmell) and is doing vital work. We should go into these negotiations in a spirit of collaboration, seeking mutual benefit, in order to build a better relationship between the UK and our European Union colleagues.

• 13 May 2025 · UK-EU Summit · Hansard source

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  I could not agree more. On the issue of learning, it is so important, good and welcome to hear that, ahead of this vital summit, the Minister for the constitution and European Union relations, my right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen (Nick Thomas-Symonds), attended a meeting with SAFE in Edinburgh yesterday. I understand that it was held at the Scotch Whisky Association, so I hope he enjoyed an excellent afternoon. This is a good point at which to mention that our trade deal with India is securing £1 billion for the Scottish whisky industry over the next five years, and 1,200 extra jobs. This fantastic deal is in no way frustrated by our pursuing a better deal with the European Union. At that event yesterday, the Minister met young people who look to our future in Europe, rather than seeking to debate the battles of the past. They asked the Minister to find ways to ensure that they have the opportunity to work and study in Europe. I hope he can think inventively about how that can be achieved within the policy framework that the Government have set out, because the previous Erasmus+ scheme was important not only for the young people who participated, but for Scotland’s economy. It was worth £340 million annually, delivering £7 in value for every £1 invested. Economic growth is rightly the priority for this Government. If they changed course in these negotiations in the way proposed by the Opposition, that would not be putting the national interests first. The Minister and his colleagues should proceed with the vital work that they have taken forward with their European counterparts ahead of the summit. That is the right thing to do for economic growth and in our national interests. The Government’s approach, which is absolutely essential, recognises the EU’s status as our biggest trading partner. It accounts for 41% of our exports and 51% of our imports. I am encouraged to hear from the Minister that issues that are vital to growth in my constituency of Glenrothes and Mid Fife—including closer co-operation on energy policy, which I hope may include increasing co-operation with the North Seas Energy Co-operation—are the issues on the agenda next week. I hope that there will be measures that benefit small businesses in my constituency, particularly in the creative sector. Rightly, at the election, our party committed to making it easier for musicians to tour in Europe. That is vital for the future of our brilliant creative sector in Scotland, and in the UK, and I hope that we can make progress in this area. Of course, we have to respect the decision of the Brexit referendum. However, while we should not simply repeat the debate on Brexit in this House, as we seem to, neither should we repeat the mistakes of the previous Government, who failed to ensure that our new relationship with the European Union created the right environment for trade and co-operation in key areas of policy. This Government have already made significant progress on resetting the UK’s relationship with the European Union in our national interests, and particularly in line with this Government’s policy on economic growth.

• 22 Apr 2025 · Coalfields Regeneration Trust · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the huge benefits of the trust has been its investment in projects supporting young people in our coalfield communities? Although the Scottish Government have provided continued support to the trust, that support has declined in monetary value over the past decade. That represents an opportunity cost for vital projects for coalfield communities, including in my constituency. As we are urging the Government here to ensure that support is adequate for the trust, does my hon. Friend agree that the same principle applies to Scotland as well?

• 1 Apr 2025 · Royal British Legion · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I, too, begin by congratulating the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) on securing this important debate. Representing a Scottish constituency, I will focus my remarks on the work of Poppyscotland, which is vital for 4,000 veterans living in Glenrothes and Mid Fife. The sizeable veterans community in Fife is testament to the strong and proud connections that the kingdom has to the famous Black Watch regiment. Fife is home to nearly 10% of Scotland’s 175,000-strong veterans population. We know how many veterans there are in Scotland and the distinct needs of that group in our society thanks to Poppyscotland and its successful Count Them In campaign ahead of the Scottish census in 2022. That is just one example of Poppyscotland’s effective advocacy and support for the veterans community. I was privileged to work alongside colleagues in Poppyscotland when I worked for the charity Sight Scotland Veterans, which supports veterans who are blind and partially sighted. From that experience, I learned just how invaluable the work of Poppyscotland is for our veterans. It ranges from advice services, support for veterans facing financial difficulties and advice and aids for those with mobility problems, to housing and mental health support. Poppyscotland also led the Unforgotten Forces consortium in Scotland. That brought together veterans charities, which were successfully collaborating to tackle the loneliness and isolation too often experienced by our veterans. Every day, the Royal British Legion, Poppyscotland and so many other veterans charities throughout the United Kingdom provide fantastic support to our veterans community, but they have rightly challenged us as a country to do better by our responsibility to our armed forces and veterans communities. Therefore I very much support the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill. It has been an important and successful role in Scotland, and I think there is much to learn from the work of the commissioner there, but we can go further. I agree very much with what the Royal British Legion has said about ensuring that the armed forces covenant is a duty not just for local authorities, but for central Government and for the devolved Administrations. Also, we could do more to provide guidance for local authorities to ensure that they know what in practice it looks like to work alongside our veterans charities to ensure that our veterans are properly supported and fully included in our communities, and that we as a nation live up to our duties and our role to ensure that we meet our responsibilities as a nation to our armed forces personnel and to our veterans.

• 24 Mar 2025 · European Union: UK Membership · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend mentioned the costs of EU membership. Of course, many businesses, including touring artists and those in the creative sector, have suffered additional costs because of our withdrawal from the European Union. Does he agree that an early priority in negotiations on a refreshed and rebuilt relationship with the EU should be ensuring that it is easier for our touring artists to go to Europe and promote their work there?

• 20 Mar 2025 · Knife Crime: Children and Young People · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty) and all those who have worked to secure this important debate on knife crime, which has been a deeply vexing issue in our society for decades. Today, we are once again at a point where further action is needed to save lives, as we have heard in so many powerful contributions from Members across the Chamber. I was pleased to see in the excellent briefing for the debate by the Safer Knives Group that Professor John Crichton of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland has brought his expertise to the work of that group. His study on knife crime reduction in Scotland showed that the Scottish violence reduction unit’s strategy of targeting young men carrying knives in public led to a 69% reduction in offensive weapon charges and a 50% drop in sharp instrument homicides between 2005 and 2016. These approaches show that restricting immediate access to knives reduces offences and saves lives, but crucially, as other Members have pointed out, they must be complemented by preventive approaches to knife crime focused on possession of knives among young people and on awareness. At the time of that important work being initiated, there was huge concern in Scotland about the levels of knife crime. In 2010-11, the police in Scotland caught someone with a knife every 90 minutes. In 2009, the Scottish Parliament held a knife crime summit following a petition brought to the Parliament by John Muir of Greenock, whose son Damian was murdered with a knife in 2007. It was a privilege for me to work alongside John in his campaign, in my role as shadow Justice Secretary in Holyrood at the time. Although John’s campaign did call for tougher penalties for knife crime in sentencing, it also focused on the need to raise awareness of the trauma that so often follows someone’s decision to carry a knife, for which there are often many complex reasons, as we have heard today. John went into schools to take his powerful personal message to young people, which really had an impact at the time. Today in Scotland, sadly, there is a worrying trend on knife crime in the wrong direction. The crime statistics for Scotland show that in 2023-24, there were nearly 11,000 offences of handling of an offensive weapon—an 11% increase from the previous year—and there has been an increase in homicides. In Methil in my constituency, the community has been particularly disturbed by social media posts of violent attacks in the community. In one post, a young person brandished a knife, and they were later attacked with a knife and slashed in the face. The fear is that if further action is not taken to address these incidents, more young people will be seriously injured and could lose their lives. Scottish Ministers must ensure that local police have the resources they need to deal with these incidents, alongside the other interventions in the community that are required to support these young people. We must have the right legislation in place to restrict the sale of knives, so I welcome the measures brought forward by Ministers, particularly in the aftermath of the horrific attacks in Southport, which my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr Foster) spoke powerfully about. We are once more at a point where further measures are urgently needed to protect our young people from knife crime in communities across the UK. The impassioned calls for action from those whose lives have been devastated by these crimes have been given voice by Members across the Chamber, and my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington (Paulette Hamilton) spoke powerfully about her personal experience. This must move us all. I am confident that these voices have been heard and that this Parliament will act and do more to protect our young people from knife crime.

• 18 Mar 2025 · Shipyards: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  Thank you for chairing this excellent debate so skilfully, Ms Jardine. I thank Members from across the House for their informed and important contributions. There has been great consensus about the exciting prospects for shipbuilding and shipyards in this country. There is the potential to invest in skills to ensure that they and the workforce are retained in our local communities, so we must build training and apprenticeship opportunities for our young people. That commitment has been reflected by the actions the Government have taken, including the intervention to save Harland and Wolff and our investment plans to ensure shipyards have a great role in the future. I could not agree more with the points that hon. Members made about the need to invest in shipbuilding in Scotland. I would say that as an MP for a Scottish constituency. Saving the Methil yard was absolutely essential for me. My hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow West (Patricia Ferguson) said that Clyde-built ships are synonymous with quality and reputation. We have that aspiration for shipbuilding right across the UK. Those qualities are represented by so many shipyards across our constituencies. That is why we should be passionate and confident about the future of our shipyards, and invest in them. It is hugely regrettable that the Scottish Government in the past few months and years have not shown that commitment, or evidence of support, but this Labour Government, in their first months in office, have done so. We have been through the experience of Harland and Wolff, which the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) knows well. He spoke passionately about how it affects his constituents; it is so important to have a Northern Irish voice in this debate. I recall all too well what the Government inherited. Regrettably, the previous Government had done nothing for over a year to save those yards. The prospect of investing in the company as it was then was not realistic, and would only have threatened the yards further in the future. What came forward was a clear strategy that succeeded in saving the yards. I take onboard fully the fact that there has been consensus across the Chamber that we want to invest in shipbuilding and shipyards; the hon. Member for Mid Buckinghamshire (Greg Smith) shared in that. The Government’s ambitions for shipbuilding and our shipyards are clearly shared across the Chamber. The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, and my erstwhile University Challenge teammate, the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone), spoke very well about that, drawing on his professional as well as his political background. The ambition set out across the Chamber for our shipyards in renewables and defence is very clear. It is an opportunity for us to grasp. The Government have made an excellent start, and indicated a clear plan for a bright future for our shipyards. I am pleased that the debate has reflected the commitment across the Chamber, from all the parties who were represented, to that ambition for our shipyards and our country. Apprentices, both female and male, will be looking forward to a long and bright future in our shipyards. I think we will all support that over the course of this Parliament. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered the role of shipyards in economic growth.

• 18 Mar 2025 · Shipyards: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  I could not agree more with my hon. Friend who, as always, is a doughty campaigner for his constituents. He has also put forward very practical proposals that offer a real way forward to ensure that those vessels are built by Scottish shipyards. We should all be working together to fight for the future of Scotland’s shipyards, so it is a matter of regret, particularly after the announcement yesterday, that we have no Members from the Scottish National party in Westminster Hall for this debate. The sad news yesterday was in stark contrast to the day of excitement and celebration when the Minister for Industry, who is here today, visited Methil to mark the formal handover of the yard to Navantia UK. Let us hope that in the future we will have joint working and effective collaboration between UK Ministers and Scottish Ministers, and that Scottish Ministers show some ambition for future investment in and contracts for shipyards in Scotland. Let us be clear that saving the yards is not an act of charity to their workers or the communities they support. The reason it is so important to save these yards is that they have an essential strategic role in promoting economic growth in this country. In 2024, the economic output of our shipyards was £2.7 billion. Between 2019 and 2024, the economic output of the sector increased by 72%, at a time when the overall value of the manufacturing sector declined by 2.4%. Today, there is so much potential for our shipyards to play an even greater role in growing our economy. The national shipbuilding strategy had already set out plans to deliver a pipeline of more than 150 new naval and civil vessels for the UK Government and the devolved Administrations over the next 30 years. Ports are now one of the five key sectors earmarked for £5.8 billion of investment through the National Wealth Fund. Those plans for investment are all the more important today, as the budget for defence spending increases to enable the UK to fulfil our responsibilities to Ukraine and in other arenas.

• 18 Mar 2025 · Shipyards: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the role of shipyards in economic growth. It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I thank all hon. Members for attending the debate, because shipyards and shipbuilding are iconic symbols of the industrial heritage of the United Kingdom. From the Belfast poetry of Carnduff and the folk songs of England, from the north-east to the south-west, to the words of Donald Dewar at the opening session of the re-established Scottish Parliament, evoking: “The shout of the welder in the din of the great Clyde shipyards”, they are part of the economic and social history of these islands. Our shipyards and the industry and creativity of their skilled workers have been sources of pride for local communities that have too often felt a keen sense of loss whenever a shipyard closed, as many did in the course of the previous century. When I was elected in July, the threat of closure for the Methil yard in my constituency was very real. After three centuries of the yard being the beating heart of the local economy, it was clear within days of this Government taking office that Harland and Wolff, seen as the saviour of the yard after the collapse of previous owners BiFab in 2021, was itself in dire financial difficulties. That was a hugely anxious time, not only for Methil but for other Harland and Wolff yards in Belfast, Appledore and Arnish, in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Torcuil Crichton), with whom I shared many challenging meetings on the prospects for the yards. Those were times of stress and worry for the future for all workers at each of the four yards. It was essential that, where the previous Government had not acted, this Minister and her colleagues took decisive action to save the yards. Many of us were relentless in making the case for the four yards, because not only their facilities but the skills and commitment of their workforces are essential for our mission for economic growth. I want to pay tribute to the workers at the yards and their unions, Unite and GMB, who fought for their future. In particular, I thank the union representatives at Methil yard, Dougie Somerville of Unite and George McClelland of GMB, who worked alongside the yard’s manager Matt Smith to make the case for the yard to be saved. George started working at Methil in 1973, which is even before I was born. His commitment to the yard has been amazing, and it has paid off. I recognise it was no easy process to secure a deal for Navantia UK to take on all four yards. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister for Industry had to go to great lengths to secure a deal. For the Scottish yards, an important advocacy role was played by the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar. I was also pleased that there was positive dialogue between UK and Scottish Ministers on the future of the Scottish yards. I hope that spirit of collaboration continues, working together to promote the facilities at the yards. It was deeply dispiriting to see yesterday’s announcement that the £175 million contract for seven loch-class vessels to serve our island communities had not been awarded to a Scottish yard but has gone abroad. That is highly disappointing for the shipbuilding industry in Scotland. It is a great concern for Ferguson Marine in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West (Martin McCluskey). SNP Ministers simply have to show more ambition for Scotland’s shipyards.

• 18 Mar 2025 · Shipyards: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  I share the hon. Member’s ambitions for our shipyard sector. I was recently at the Rosyth dockyard in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie), where the workforce were excited about the future. They were already looking forward to a long order list and now feel in a position for that to grow, given the prospect of increased defence spending. Does the hon. Member agree that the strategic aim set out by the Government provides great opportunities for our shipyards and shipbuilding sector?