Scott Arthur MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 17 Jul 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the Leader of the House for her statement, and for the good humour and patience that she has brought to the Dispatch Box over the last year. Last week Mike and Clare, two climate activists from Edinburgh South West, brought to this place dozens of climate change posters created by children in primary 4 at Bonaly primary school in my constituency. The posters were absolutely fantastic, covering everything from supporting bees and planting trees to encouraging their parents to drive less and perhaps install solar panels. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the children for the leadership they are showing? They are not waiting for us to take action but are demanding that we do so. Will she also wish them well for the summer holiday, which is under way already in Scotland, and for their coming academic year in primary 5?

• 17 Jul 2025 · Strategy for Elections · Hansard source

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  I welcome this announcement, and I can only speculate about why the Conservatives did not decide to clean up party funding when they were in Government. I want to echo some of the comments about proportional representation. Personally, I feel that it is at the heart of many of the problems the country has faced in recent times. I absolutely accept that proportional representation is not part of the Government’s proposals, but will the Minister keep an open mind and look at how other strong democracies around the world have been able to use PR to both strengthen their democracy and create a more collaborative political culture?

• 11 Jul 2025 · Rare Cancers Bill · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time. What a joy it is to say that! Madam Deputy Speaker, it has been 10 months since you pulled my little ping-pong ball out of the goldfish bowl and I started this journey. It is worth remembering that part of the reason behind this Bill was the death of my father-in-law to a rare cancer type called glioblastoma. I am forever grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh) for the information she gave me about that condition and how it impacts so many people, because I had always just been focused on my father-in-law. When the ping-pong ball was pulled out of the goldfish bowl, I got so many emails, many of which were about glioblastoma. The reality is that someone who was diagnosed that day with glioblastoma would more than likely be dead by now—that is how serious the condition is. They would face treatments that were out of date, and their future would be dominated by uncertainty. We should not forget why we are here: to change that reality for people and their families. This Bill has resonated with many Members of this House and with many people in my constituency. On Second Reading, I shared the tragic stories of a young constituent called Tilly, who passed away from neuroblastoma, and Kira, who has lived with the same condition for a decade—half of her life. I am proud to wear the Solving Kids’ Cancer badge, which Kira’s mother Aud gave me when I last met her. Today, I also want to acknowledge the many people from across the UK—not just voters in Edinburgh South West—who have contacted me to voice their support and share their stories. One lady travelled quite far to meet me at my constituency surgery in July in Tesco in Colinton Mains. Her daughter was diagnosed with a sarcoma. In Tesco, next to the bleeping self-checkout aisles, she told me about the uncertainty she had faced after that diagnosis and how she had found it impossible even to understand which trials were available, let alone access them. I could see that she had felt powerless and had lost hope. The other reason she was in Edinburgh—perhaps the most important reason—was that she was meeting her ex-husband to scatter her daughter’s ashes in a local park. What is happening to people who face these conditions is quite incredible, so it is right that we seek to address them. It has been incredible to hear these stories, and when I reflect on them, I can see that there are three recurring themes. The first is frustration. As things stand, our NHS is ill equipped to deal with these patients. Awareness levels are often low among clinicians, which leads to the scourge of late diagnosis. I know that will be addressed in the cancer plan. Families and patients are also frustrated by the limited access to cutting-edge trials—I have already given an example of that. As a result, many rare cancer patients understandably feel like they have to battle not just against the cancer but for attention. The second key thing that unites these stories is perseverance. Rare cancer patients continually push back and advocate for the changes that they believe must happen—often fundraising or even setting up and running their own charities to help to achieve those goals. Thirdly, each and every story concludes with an offer of help. Rather than asking what I can do for them, because often rare cancer patients know that their options are limited, they want to know what they can do to help with the Bill, help others with the same condition, and help to make this legislation a reality. I believe that is a testament to the transformational role that the Bill could have, and I thank Members who have already made that point. For far too long, rare cancer patients have been left behind—as medical science makes significant progress in many other complex fields, we have not seen enough progress in this one—but they feel this piece of legislation could mark a meaningful shift for many and turn out to be life-altering, perhaps even lifesaving, for some. There is one statistic that I often mention: rare cancers are not really rare, as they account for 47% of all cancer diagnoses in the UK each year. That equates to 180,000 people. If you are one of those 47%, two things are true: you are more likely to face outdated treatments and you are more likely to die. The Bill is about justice and creating a more level playing field for those patients and their families. It will achieve that by placing a duty on the Secretary of State to promote research into rare cancers, including appointing a national specialty lead to co-ordinate efforts across the sector. If anybody doubts the need for that, I am sure my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden can talk about what has been happening in recent years. The Bill will also increase patient access to clinical trials by strengthening and streamlining the Be Part of Research registry and building a central database of willing patients to help researchers to find trial participants more easily. That is key to attracting trials to the UK. Lastly, the Bill will trigger a Government review into orphan drugs—I really dislike that phrase; this is about rare conditions—to explore new pathways to incentivise pharmaceutical companies to trial repurposed and innovative treatments for rare cancers. Together, those steps will reduce the barriers to research and attract more trials to the UK, and ultimately lead to faster and fairer access to lifesaving treatments. I am a humble person, and do not want to be accused of overstating the impact of the Bill, so I will take the liberty of quoting others, if Members do not mind. The Brain Tumour Charity, which has been so helpful, says that the Bill will be transformative and help to “improve access to clinical trials for people living with rare and less common cancers”. Another helpful charity, Brain Tumour Research, said that the Bill “could significantly improve research and treatment pathways for patients.” Pancreatic Cancer UK, which has been at the core of what we are doing—and, it turns out, has been in correspondence with the hon. Member for Christchurch (Sir Christopher Chope)—says that if the Bill “becomes law, it has the potential to improve survival rates for pancreatic cancer and other cancers that have been left behind.” I know the hon. Member for Witney (Charlie Maynard) wanted to be here today but could not be. Instead, his sister Georgie left a message on my social media. She lives with glioblastoma and is a fantastic campaigner in this field. She said: “Your Bill will make a significant difference, helping tens of thousands who desperately need more research to find a cure.” No pressure, therefore, for me or us in the Chamber today. There is also a strong economic argument for introducing this legislation. By creating the conditions for more rare cancer trials to take place in the UK, we can attract investment, stimulate innovation and create new jobs in research, science and healthcare. This is an opportunity to give British science and institutions a global leadership role in tackling some of the most challenging diseases of our time. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Edinburgh University researchers based in an NHS hospital, the Western general in Edinburgh. I was invited along to see a thing called a robotic microscope. It sounded exciting, and I was looking forward to getting my picture taken next to it, but it is actually a very ordinary piece of instrumentation. I got my picture taken in the end, but I do not think I used it. It is a fantastic piece of equipment, and it is coupled with a supercomputer. It does what would previously have been a lifetime of analysis in just a few days. It is fantastic that in this House, we have all agreed that Edinburgh University should get a new supercomputer. Analysis that used to take a few days will take just a few hours, moving us closer to finding cures. The United States has shown how investment in this area can stimulate growth through its cancers Act. It would offer a real step change in the UK if we could do the same. I will draw to a conclusion, because I know others want to speak. There is a strong moral and economic argument for this Bill, and the progress within it is long overdue.

• 11 Jul 2025 · Rare Cancers Bill · Hansard source

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  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 sector—both charities and pharmaceutical companies—so a bit of flexibility is required. To be honest, I would love more money to be spent on that review so that we can get more depth and it can have a greater impact. I am sure other hon. Members present would agree. I hope the hon. Member for Christchurch understands my position and recognises the strength of cross-party and sector-wide support that has brought the Bill this far. I regret not inviting him to take part in the Bill Committee—we would have benefited from some of these comments at that stage—but some of the points that have been raised were discussed in Committee. It was a reasonably long discussion; it did not last for hours, but it was not as short as some. I remain committed to working constructively with colleagues as the Bill progresses beyond today—let us hope it gets beyond today—but I respectfully ask, in the strongest possible terms, that these amendments are not pressed. If they are, I hope Members will oppose them.

• 11 Jul 2025 · Rare Cancers Bill · Hansard source

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  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. Over the last 10 months, I have held dozens of meetings with families, survivors, sufferers, charities, clinicians and legal experts, all with the aim of delivering meaningful change in this field. Those meetings were not so that I could tell people about the Bill, but so that those people could shape the Bill. I fear that if we were to pass these amendments, they would upset the delicate balance of hopes and aspirations that underpins the Bill. It is not just about the Minister, as the hon. Member suggested; there is a whole coalition of people who have different opinions about the Bill, and I do not think any one person has a right to change it in that way, including me. That would be hugely disrespectful and a disappointment to that coalition, but I understand the hon. Member’s points. The Minister will go through the amendments in turn, so I will focus on three key ones. The review of orphan drugs was one of the hardest-fought things in the negotiations with the Department and charities, but we found a point that we could all agree on. I appreciate that the hon. Member wants it to go further, and perhaps we could speculate about the outcome and better prepare for it, but it is much awaited by the charities and they are grateful for it. I do not want to speak on their behalf, but that is what I have heard from them. That covers amendments 1 and 2. Amendment 5 is about the definition of a rare cancer, which is an aspect of the Bill that I have not spoken about in any great detail, so it is worth touching on here. The Bill sets the definition of a rare cancer in statute and aligns it with the definition of a rare disease, which is a useful simplification. In future, let us hope that some conditions fall out of that “rare” specification and need less emphasis, and let us also hope that people in the Department look at the treatments that are being developed inside and outside the UK. It is right that there should be a bit of flexibility at the edges of what the Department considers a rare cancer. The timeline of the review is three years. Again, we spent a great deal of time talking about that. For some while, it was going to be much longer than three years, and all of us want it to be much shorter, but that was the compromise we reached—it was like “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”. We reached that compromise together, so I urge the hon. Member to respect our negotiations on that issue.

• 11 Jul 2025 · Rare Cancers Bill · Hansard source

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  With the leave of the House, I thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and hon. Members who have contributed to the debate. I will not thank them all as I want to keep an eye on the time, but I will single out my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh) for helping me to start out on this journey. When I first met her, I thought she was driven by grief at the loss of her sister, but I now know that she is driven by her love for her sister. That is an important difference. I also thank the many people who used the debate to celebrate the life of Dr Susan Michaelis and who continue to support the lobular moonshot project that she left behind. We wish them well. I am sure that we will keep her family in our minds today. I thank the DHSC civil servants, some of whom are with us today, for their support throughout the Bill’s passage. I must also pay tribute to the Minister for his support, as well as the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton)—we all know who she is—for the comprehensive backing that she has provided throughout. I was at an event on Monday with both the pharmaceutical industry and some of the charities supporting the Bill, and they all have huge respect for the work she is doing. I really thank the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) for his supportive comments on behalf of the Opposition, which went well beyond what I thought was reasonable. [ Interruption. ] I was trying to phrase that in the proper way. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bury South (Christian Wakeford) for whipping us all on these Friday mornings and helping us along the way—just as he enters the Chamber. I must also thank the many charities who have been at the centre of this process. There are somewhere between 30 and 40 of them, and I mentioned the key ones earlier. Many hon. Members said—quite politely—that they had received quite a lot of emails over the last few days, perhaps stimulated by the submission of amendments to the Bill. I think that the charities sent about 120,000 emails this week, which is incredible. As hon. Members can imagine, my inbox is a bit of a mess just now, but that tells us how important the Bill is for them. They have waited a long time for this opportunity, and I really thank them for urging me along. I must also thank Sonia from H/Advisors Cicero for her help in recent weeks as we approached Committee and as we have started to think about the transition to the Lords with some optimism. She and her husband Dan have been fantastic. I must also thank my team in my office for the support they have given me. I thank in particular Noel and Tommy but also Lucie, Hannah, Salim, Maisie, Joe, Xavier and Evie—that is quite a long list of names because we have a slightly complicated situation with our interns just now. I look forward to the Bill’s continued support. I hope that it will pass today. As has been outlined, when it—hopefully—reaches the House of Lords, it will be in the safe hands of a formidable woman; I have great confidence in her. First and foremost, I thank residents in Edinburgh South West for electing me and giving me the chance to bring the Bill forward. I did not know it at the time, but without their electing me, I would not be standing here to champion the Bill. I look forward to it receiving support today and to continuing to champion it as it moves to the other place. Question put and agreed to. Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed.

• 9 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  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. Does he share my disappointment?

• 2 Jul 2025 · Rare Cancers Bill · Hansard source

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  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 an impact on many of us, but the reality is that 47% of cancers diagnosed in the UK fall within the “rare and less common” category, and they account for 55% of all cancer deaths. That second statistic is partly due to the survival rate—five out of six less survivable cancers are also rare cancers—but survivability is not just a function of the aggressiveness of the cancer. It also depends on the treatment options available, and for less survivable cancers the options are limited. They receive a mere fraction—roughly 16%—of the funding that more survivable cancers receive. At this point, I should clarify that I have had some contact with a charity that represents younger people. It is the case that the Bill covers younger people and that all childhood cancers are rare. The situation is unlikely to change without Government intervention. Markets encourage pharmaceutical companies to prioritise the highest return on investment. Inevitably, that favours the development of drugs with the largest potential patient pools. When a company does pursue taking a rare cancer drug to market, having to access a limited patient pool can make the creation of sufficiently robust studies and trials a struggle. The Bill is an attempt to intervene on behalf of patients and their families, and to enable pharmaceutical companies and the Government to re-evaluate the strategies for funding, research and finding treatments. It has been drafted carefully in consultation with a wide range of cancer charities—I am pleased to see a few of them represented in the Public Gallery—and expert bodies. The Bill reflects the solutions that scientists, doctors and those with lived experience think are necessary. In practical terms, by passing this legislation we can, first, remove the barriers to participation in potentially lifesaving clinical trials; secondly, drive investment in under-resourced yet vital drugs and treatments; and thirdly, enhance connectivity between various organisations and individuals working to find cures. That last one is an incredibly important point. I have attended many meetings of the all-party parliamentary group on brain tumours, chaired by my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden; we often we see that those connections are not being made, and we all lose as a result. Clause 1 will enable regulations to be made that compel the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to conduct a review of the marketing authorisations for orphan medicinal products for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of cancer, and to prepare and publish a report setting out the conclusions of that review. I have never been a great fan of the term orphan drugs, which refers to drugs for rare conditions. The clause provides that the review process will specifically consider the regulatory approaches adopted in other countries. That will help to avoid research and patients in this country losing out. The clause sets a timeframe for the publication of the report, namely within three years of the Bill being passed. We consulted broadly on that three-year point. We obviously all want to see progress on this issue as quickly as possible, but we have to balance that against the need for the review to be authoritative and impactful. That is where the three-year duration comes from, but I recognise that some people want it to move faster. A review of best practice at international level should surface a variety of effective strategies that the Government could consider implementing to drive pharmaceutical industry investment into lifesaving research and treatments. Clause 2 will enable regulations to be made that will encourage the Secretary of State to facilitate, or otherwise promote, research into rare cancers. The clause will specify that the Secretary of State must ensure that arrangements are in place that will, first, enable potential participants in clinical trials to be identified and contacted, and secondly, ensure that a person—to be known as the national speciality lead for rare cancers—is appointed to promote and facilitate research into rare cancers. That person will hold an advisory and facilitatory role, offering input on the design and planning of research, as well as building collaborative networks between key bodies and individuals. Appointing a specific individual to hold that role will provide a structure for greater accountability and a more strategic approach for the delivery of rare cancer research across different organisations. Clause 3 will enable regulations to be made that will facilitate data sharing in the context of contacting and identifying potential participants in clinical trials that are focused on orphan medicinal products for the diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of rare cancers. The clause does not authorise the processing of information that would contravene existing data protection legislation. The twin benefits to enhanced data sharing are a greater access to clinical trials for patients, which could be lifesaving, and more higher-quality trials taking place in the UK as a result of a larger potential participant population for researchers. Clause 4 explains the territorial extent of the various clauses. Clauses 2 and 3 will extend to England and Wales only, while the remainder of the Bill extends to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Where the Bill does not extend to the entirety of the UK, we have been assured by the devolved Governments, which were consulted during the Bill’s formulation—I thank Department of Health and Social Care colleagues for that—that they will work alongside us to achieve the policy goals it outlines within the context of their unique legal landscapes. In that regard, I acknowledge the work of the hon. Member for South Antrim to ensure that Northern Ireland generally, and his constituents specifically, benefit from the Bill. Clause 5 will provide for commencement, which will occur two months after the Bill is passed, and clause 6 provides the short title for the Bill. I hope the Bill has real impact, because so many people in the charity sector and elsewhere are working so hard to raise often small amounts of money, which they hope will have a big impact. I hope the Bill amplifies their work and helps it to go further. I look forward to Committee members’ contributions to the discussion of this important Bill, and I commend the clauses to the Committee.

• 2 Jul 2025 · Rare Cancers Bill · Hansard source

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  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 Ireland. I am also grateful for the comments from the hon. Member for Wokingham and my hon. Friend the Member for Calder Valley, who both asked for more progress in this area generally. Of course, I have to mention my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden. I attended the reception yesterday evening and, first and foremost, it was a fantastic celebration of her sister’s fantastic life. We should be grateful for her. I wish Paul Mulholland and his team all the best with that trial. It really did fill me with hope to hear that update from him. My hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden mentioned marathons, so at this point I have to mention my daughter, Ruth Arthur, who ran the marathon in Edinburgh for the Brain Tumour Charity and raised just over £3,000 in the memory of her grandfather. I am very proud of her. I am grateful for the shadow Minister’s comments and the insight and depth of thinking she brought to the debate. One of the best things about this journey has been working with the DHSC team who are working on the cancer strategy, and seeing how much they care about getting this right. We have often reflected on the point that the shadow Minister made about diagnosis. Too often when we go to events in this place hosted by charities that include somebody with life experience, late diagnosis is where their story starts. It is often avoidable. It is fantastic that the DHSC cancer team acknowledge that. Hopefully our GPs in particular will get more support to make sure that the early signs are not missed and the dots are joined together. It is good to see the Minister nodding vigorously as I say that. I thank her for her leadership right across this policy area and for her support for the Bill in particular. I thank all Committee members for coming along today and contributing, and I thank the civil servants who helped to draft the Bill. If it passes—and I really hope it does—it will incentivise and create an environment in which more research into rare cancers is fostered, potentially helping us to save, in the longer term, perhaps thousands of lives. What an aspiration that is. I once again commend the Bill to the Committee. Clause 1 accordingly ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 2 to 6 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Bill to be reported, without amendment.

• 2 Jul 2025 · Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism · Hansard source

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  Will she give way?

• 2 Jul 2025 · British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty · Hansard source

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  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, irregular migration route into the UK?

• 1 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  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?

• 30 Jun 2025 · Road Safety Powers: Parish and Town Councils · Hansard source

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  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 2022, independent peer-reviewed research showed that slight injuries had reduced by 37%, serious injuries had reduced by 33% and fatalities had reduced by 23%. Through the leadership of one person, lives had been saved. Does he agree that we should be using such measures right across the country?

• 30 Jun 2025 · Road Safety Powers: Parish and Town Councils · Hansard source

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  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?

• 25 Jun 2025 · Nuclear-certified Aircraft Procurement · Hansard source

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  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 leadership on this. It is a fantastic sign that we are absolutely committed to NATO, and it is also a fantastic advertisement for our young people who are looking for a great career. They need look no further than the RAF. Much of the discussion has focused on the nuclear capabilities of this aircraft, but can she confirm that it could have a much wider role and be put to much greater use?

• 24 Jun 2025 · China Audit · Hansard source

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  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 times in passing. The reality is the guddle over it delayed the roll-out of 5G by three years and cost the economy £7 billion, which is just incredible and shameful, actually. I welcome the emphasis placed on improving cultural links between the UK and China and, of course, our universities are a key part of that. Will the Foreign Secretary commit to ensuring that our universities have a say in how we establish better relationships between China and the UK?

• 24 Jun 2025 · National Security Strategy · Hansard source

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  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 there an opportunity for our defence sector to benefit from that, generating jobs and helping to grow our economy?

• 23 Jun 2025 · UK Modern Industrial Strategy · Hansard source

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  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 have heard today could not be starker. There are 16 mentions of Scotland’s capital city in the industrial strategy, and a key one for Edinburgh South West is Heriot-Watt University’s national robotarium—the birthplace of robotics, as far as I am concerned—but it would be interesting to understand where the Secretary of State thinks universities fit into the industrial strategy, given the pressures that they face in England and the many universities in crisis in Scotland.

• 23 Jun 2025 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  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 in Iran, just under 10 million of whom are in Tehran. There are reports of many of them trying to leave the country, and that will be made worse by the reports and speculation on regime change. There are also reports that Turkey and Pakistan might be closing their borders to refugees. Is he keeping a watchful eye on that, and has he discussed it with our international partners?

• 23 Jun 2025 · UK Military Base Protection · Hansard source

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  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 home are being kept up to date, because I am sure they are worried about our service personnel—their relatives—overseas. On Brize Norton, this was an ill-informed and ill-advised attack by a group that, frankly, revels in lawbreaking, as we can see on its website. The irony is that all of us here oppose the humanitarian consequences of what Netanyahu is doing in Gaza; all of us are united in that. All of us are here to protect and respect people’s right to protest, but that cannot extend to leaving our armed forces personnel feeling threatened or equipment being put out of use, even temporarily. I welcome the base review, and no doubt that will include the bases in my constituency, but it would be good to hear about what is happening for families who are off-base. Will there be fresh advice for families, and when it comes to upgrading their military homes, will we be looking at security to make sure they are kept safe?

• 19 Jun 2025 · UK Infrastructure: 10-year Strategy · Hansard source

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  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 Government, do not mention Sheriffhall roundabout on the Edinburgh city bypass. [ Interruption. ] My hon. Friend the Member for Bathgate and Linlithgow (Kirsteen Sullivan) is laughing. Over the past eight years, there have been lots of reports but no delivery and the price has moved from £120 million to, I think, £300 million now—quite incredible. On to my point, Madam Deputy Speaker. I welcome the long-term plan. There are kids at school today who will be involved in delivering it. I welcome the connection with schools and colleges, but my right hon. Friend will know that universities in England are under huge pressure and universities in Scotland are in crisis. What part will they play in developing the skills we need to deliver these projects?

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

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  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 diagnosis but also for their families, which is important. It is a place of community, healing and, most importantly, hope. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Lisa and the team on delivering on the scale of their ambition and wish them well for the future, and will she thank people right across the UK who are supporting people facing a diagnosis?

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

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  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 entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. This discussion about careers education could not be more timely, with almost 1 million young people in the UK currently not in education, employment or training, and our universities facing unprecedented challenges. I am therefore grateful for the opportunity to speak on this subject. It is deeply concerning, as we have heard already, that children eligible for free school meals are 20% less likely to progress into higher education. Shockingly, in Scotland, a total of 1,351 pupils—enough to fill an entire school—left school last year without a single qualification. Even for those who reach university, funding has been reduced since 2013. University student funding in Scotland has seen a real terms cut of 22%, and as my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham rightly highlighted in opening the debate, many of our young people are also being let down within that context. We all recognise the transformative power of education in creating equality of opportunity, yet in recent years it feels like that has faltered. Too many young people are not receiving the skills training and support that they need to navigate a rapidly evolving job market. Addressing that requires targeted investment in left-behind communities, focusing support—as we have heard—on lower-income families and reforms to ensure that our service delivery achieves the best possible outcomes for children of all backgrounds. One key avenue for achieving that is through careers education. It plays a vital role in improving social mobility by equipping young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the knowledge, skills and social capital needed to better access opportunities. Having spent 24 years as a professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, I have seen at first hand the life-changing impact of education—I have also seen students arrive at university who were born after I started working there, but that is a secondary issue. I have also witnessed growing barriers to social mobility and shrinking opportunities for young people in Scotland. Too often, the most disadvantaged bear the brunt of underfunding in the sector. That makes high-quality careers education all the more essential, so that every young person can make the most of the opportunities available for them. It is so much harder for disadvantaged kids to repeat a year or start again, so it is important that we get it right for them first time. I worry, however, that the budgets for those services will be squeezed in the funding crisis that universities face across the UK, but particularly in Scotland. If we are serious about economic growth, we cannot let that happen. I have seen careers advisers doing exceptional work in that space. They recognise that, while every student has potential, not all have access to the networks and opportunities needed to realise it. A report from the Behavioural Insights Team in 2021 noted that many ambitious pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are held back by “career confusion”, whereby the students do not undertake the qualifications required for their chosen career path. It is clear that those students do not lack aspiration or even aptitude, but they have been let down by a lack of support. Not only does that hold back pupils and their aspirations; it further exacerbates the social inequalities that we see right across the UK, as young people from more advantaged backgrounds often have better access to informal networks of career advice, which their less advantaged peers do not. Career advisers, and all of us, have a duty to ensure that every young person, regardless of their background, can progress to a positive destination and thrive in work and life. In partnership with employers, they deliver structured and impactful support. It is not just about writing a CV or finding a job; it is also about building confidence, enhancing social capital, and defining and enhancing essential workplace skills, and good careers advisers understand the difference between finding a job and starting a career. Careers advice needs to inform educational choices, not just respond to them. We often speak in this House about the need to strengthen higher education and expand pathways for young people, including apprenticeships and vocational training, which we heard about in today’s statement. However, we speak far less about the support our young people need to make informed career choices in the first place. As the Government have rightly stated, breaking down barriers to opportunity is not a challenge for tomorrow; it is a priority for today. I therefore welcome the £3 billion investment in skills and training, but we have to make sure that our young people can take advantage of that through good careers advice. It is particularly important that we are talking about this issue today, as the UK is facing a skills shortage that it is estimated will cost the country £120 billion by 2030. At the same time, ONS data shows that 872,000 young people are out of work, education and training. I again thank my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham for bringing this important debate to the House. His work highlights the urgent need to invest in proper training, education and support for young people. For their sake and for the future of our economy, I hope the Government continue to act on the issues raised.

• 18 Jun 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  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 surgery saying that they are contemplating suicide because of what they have faced. Does he agree that this goes well beyond mere humiliation and to some of the worst mental health problems our young people could face?

• 16 Jun 2025 · Iran-Israel Conflict · Hansard source

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  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 by the Iranian regime, but Netanyahu justified the bombing raids by saying that Iran was close to having a bomb and that it could be years or just months away. Was Netanyahu correct?