Tracy Gilbert MP: speeches

Speeches

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

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  I am proud to support the Government’s ambition to cut violence against women and girls, and a cross-Government approach is essential to delivering that. I am increasingly concerned that the Department for Work and Pensions is not recognising OnlyFans content creation as commercial sexual exploitation, potentially exposing more women to harm. Will the Leader of the House raise that with the relevant Ministers, so that they can bring forward regulations to amend section 2A of the Employment and Training Act 1973 to address this problem?

• 12 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T3. I refer Members to my declaration of interest as a former employee of USDAW. The new rights of trade union access in the Employment Rights Act 2025 could be game changing, but there is a proposal to cap fines for breaking new rules at £75,000, which is loose change for union-busting employees like Amazon. Will my hon. Friend consider setting fines at a percentage of global turnover, as is the case for GDPR breaches and ticket touting websites?

• 10 Mar 2026 · Northern Ireland Hospitality Sector: VAT · Hansard source

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  A number of hospitality businesses in my constituency have raised with me that the UK rate of VAT is much higher than it is in France and Germany. Will my hon. Friend ask the Office for Budget Responsibility to model the impact of VAT cuts, as studies have previously suggested that cuts—

• 9 Mar 2026 · Type 1 Diabetes: Infant Testing · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Alec. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) for opening this important debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee, and I thank Lyla’s family for their courage. Some 95 of my Edinburgh North and Leith constituents signed this important petition, and I thank them for sharing their experiences. In particular, I want to share the story of one mum who told me about the devastating consequences that diabetes had for her family. She told me about her son Nick, who sadly died of this terrible disease aged 28. Nick’s initial diagnosis at 16 was dismissed by the doctor he went to see. It was only the family’s knowledge of what was happening that ensured Nick got to see the specialist he needed. Nick’s mum told me that, in his 12 years as a diabetic, he carried his type 1 diagnosis as lightly as possible, despite having to give himself more than 25,000 injections in that time. Families such as Nick’s hope that by supporting the petition, our Government will take these vital steps towards making sure that life is made safer for children and adults living with type 1 diabetes. I share that view, and hope that the Government pay close attention to the experience of families across the country. I also urge the Scottish Medicines Consortium to consider similar changes for Scotland, and hope that the Scottish Government ensure that improvements are made for type 1 diagnosis and care.

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

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  Events of the past week serve as a reminder of the contribution that our armed forces personnel play every day. Many of our veterans will suffer from trauma, anxiety and a range of mental health issues during their career and retirement. The charity Combat Stress is running a “March in March” fundraiser to support the vital work it does for our veterans. Will the Leader of the House join me in wishing good luck to my nephew, Stanley Whatling, and the others from Gilberd combined cadet force team who are taking part in this fundraising event, and will he schedule an oral statement on the support being provided to veterans?

• 12 Feb 2026 · Driving Test Waiting Times · Hansard source

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  4. What steps she is taking to help reduce waiting times for driving tests.

• 12 Feb 2026 · Driving Test Waiting Times · Hansard source

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  A number of my constituents have been in touch to share their experience of being unable to book test appointments. These delays have an impact on training, education and employment opportunities. Will my hon. Friend outline what specific steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog for test appointments at test centres in Scotland?

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

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  Over the past week, I have been contacted by many constituents in Western Harbour in my constituency who have been left in limbo by the lack of cladding redemption programmes in Scotland. Across England, redemption programmes have completed on more than 1,935 buildings. In Scotland, only two have started. Does the Leader of the House agree that my constituents are being failed by Scottish National party inaction? Will he make arrangements for a written statement on the funding and joint Government work that has been undertaken in this area?

• 2 Feb 2026 · Indefinite Leave to Remain · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I start by thanking the hundreds of my constituents who took the time to sign the petition, and who have spoken to me about this issue. It is essential to have a serious discussion about the positive impact on society and the economic benefits that immigration brings for the prosperity of our country. In my constituency, we see those benefits every day. Whether they are a Nigerian carer, a Spanish cleaner or an Indian doctor, they play a vital role, and they are valued. Many of them are working in sectors where we have a skills shortage, so things would quite literally not move or progress without them. Skilled people come into our country to work in the UK and make financial contributions to the state. As workers with a form of temporary leave to remain, they will have paid thousands of pounds in fees to be in the UK, and that is before taking into account any taxes they pay. Many of my constituents who have made Edinburgh their home have been in touch with me to express the uncertainty that they now face. The situation is unfair. That is not just my view but the view expressed in court. In its 2008 judgment on R (HSMP Forum Ltd) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, the High Court considered changes to what was then the highly skilled migrant programme. The changes would have retrospectively extended the qualifying period for any person to apply for indefinite leave to remain. In its ruling, the High Court said that applying new rules retrospectively was unfair and unlawful, and that migrants had a legitimate expectation that the rules that they were initially granted would continue to apply. If the changes proposed by the Government are enacted on a retrospective basis, it is likely that the High Court will take a similar view on applying the changes as it did in 2008. Established practice, backed up by the High Court, has always protected those who are already in the system from the effects of any new rules. I urge the Government to uphold that principle. I therefore ask the Minister to ensure that those who entered the UK under the five-year indefinite leave to remain framework will remain eligible to apply after five years of lawful residence, in line with the visa conditions that they were originally granted, and that any new policy will not be applied retrospectively.

• 27 Jan 2026 · UK Bus Manufacturing · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk (Euan Stainbank) and the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim (Jim Allister) on securing this important debate. My contribution will be short; it will focus on the Government’s approach to securing the manufacturing jobs we have already in the UK, and how we can expand that number further. My hon. Friend will be very happy that my Edinburgh constituents ride on buses manufactured in his constituency every day, so much so that since 2018 Lothian Buses has purchased 180 buses from Alexander Dennis. In 2018, Lothian Buses and Alexander Dennis unveiled a brand new 100-seater double-decker bus. Even stepping on these buses today, they feel state of the art, with increased driver safety and passenger convenience. In 2021, Lothian Buses started testing four Enviro400EV double-decker buses, which were the result of an electric vehicle partnership between Alexander Dennis and BYD UK. This kind of partnership demonstrates the work and innovation already under way in manufacturing to decarbonise the transport that we use across our cities every day. Lothian Buses is the largest municipal bus company in the United Kingdom. It will come as no surprise to many of us that a municipal bus company, working with the same procurement policies and constraints as other bus companies, has supported local manufacturing. Ownership matters, and Lothian Buses demonstrates that municipal ownership leads to positive economic benefits for the people such companies serve. I am keen to hear from the Minister whether the Government have further plans to support or encourage municipal ownership to ensure that the decisions on services, standards and operations are always made for the benefit of passengers.

• 14 Jan 2026 · Factored Energy Arrangements: Pricing · Hansard source

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  I welcome this debate and congratulate the hon. Member for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey (Graham Leadbitter) on securing it. I am grateful that the Minister recently took the time to visit my constituency and meet residents who had been battling with their factors. They manage a heat network but are all too often left without heat and hot water, which happened again over the Christmas period. My constituents were very grateful to hear the pace at which the Minister is working to put in place regulations and projects that will protect residents like them. Does he agree that we need to see action from the Scottish Government to redress the balance of power between factors, companies and residents?

• 14 Jan 2026 · Offshore Wind · Hansard source

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  I strongly welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. The port of Leith in my constituency is well placed to support logistics and manufacturing for Berwick Bank, which has been successful today. Will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss ensuring that every job possible is secured as a result of this investment?

• 13 Jan 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I and a number of colleagues have concerns about the upcoming PATHWAYS trial. The Secretary of State has powers to use existing medical records for research purposes. Will he therefore consider using those powers to increase the evidence base and prevent the PATHWAYS trial from proceeding?

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

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  May I wish you, Mr Speaker, the team and colleagues across the House a very merry Christmas? I have been contacted by a number of constituents who feel that they have been sacked by Rockstar, the company behind the game “Grand Theft Auto”, for using their right to organise in the workplace. Along with fellow Edinburgh MPs, I have met the company and will continue to support affected workers. Does the Leader of the House share my concerns over the dismissals? Given reports in The Scotsman that suggest that Rockstar claimed more than £70 million in tax relief through the video games tax relief scheme, will he raise the issue with the Chancellor and schedule an oral statement on the video games tax relief scheme?

• 18 Dec 2025 · Violence against Women and Girls Strategy · Hansard source

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  May I welcome the strategy, and thank my hon. Friend and the ministerial team for their tireless work in tackling violence against women and girls? To meet the Government’s target of cutting violence in half, we must end the demand for commercial sexual exploitation, whether it be in pornography or prostitution. What steps will be taken, across Government Departments, through the strategy to eradicate that demand?

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

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  I strongly welcome this announcement, which, along with the agreement of the Forth green freeport full business case, demonstrates this Government’s commitment to reindustrialising Grangemouth, Leith and the wider Forth area. Can the Minister provide any details on when we will see the £25 million of seed capital attached to that deal being deployed to further secure and create jobs across the area?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Pornography and violence against women · Hansard source

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  We are approaching the end of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence as I rise to present this petition. I am very pleased that I am not alone in this place in calling for reform of pornography legislation, as we have seen an explosion in the availability of increasingly graphic pornography—content that is often procured through coercion and is fuelling sexual violence and violence against women and girls. The petitioners from my constituency “therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to extend safeguards applied to pornography offline to pornography…online; and to legally require all pornography websites accessed from the UK to verify the age and permission of every individual featured on their platform—and give performers the right to withdraw their consent at any time to the continued publication of pornography in which they appear. And the petitioners remain, etc.” Following is the full text of the petition: [ The petition of residents of the constituency of Edinburgh North and Leith, Declares that pornography use is fuelling sexual violence; violence against women is prolific in mainstream pornography; and sexual coercion is inherent to the commercial production of pornography. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to extend safeguards applied to pornography offline to pornography distributed online; and to legally require all pornography websites accessed from the UK to verify the age and permission of every individual featured on their platform — and give performers the right to withdraw their consent at any time to the continued publication of pornography in which they appear. And the petitioners remain, etc .] [P003142]

• 26 Nov 2025 · Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  This Government are embarking on delivering the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, working to provide income security for many in my constituency. I am not surprised that Conservative peers are blocking that in the other place, but will my right hon. Friend share the shock of my constituents that the Liberal Democrats and now Green Members are also doing that?

• 24 Nov 2025 · HMP Downview: Female Prisoners · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member for Reigate (Rebecca Paul) on securing this important debate. The Minister may be aware that Scottish Ministers are waiting to see the Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance, following the Supreme Court ruling. Does she believe that it is tenable for Scottish Ministers to not implement the law as it is written, while waiting on the guidance, and can she give any advice on when it will be published?

• 18 Nov 2025 · ExxonMobil: Mossmorran · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his statement, and I share his concerns about the loss of jobs and the impact on the families affected and the community in Fife. Does he also share my concern that the Deputy First Minister of Scotland refused to take a call, I understand, from the Secretary of State for Scotland tonight? If that is true, will the Minister please let us know what actions could be taken to remedy that situation for the families involved?

• 5 Nov 2025 · Employment Rights Bill · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that good employers have nothing to fear from anything in the Bill and that many good employers will embrace these measures, as indeed many do?

• 14 Oct 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T7. While the Leader of the Opposition is rubbishing contracts for difference and calling for them to be scrapped, the Government are getting on with the job of increasing renewable energy, generating energy security and delivering jobs across the country. Will the Minister reaffirm his support for contracts for difference, and will he seek to work with industry to provide long-term clarity by setting out a timescale for the future auction rounds?

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

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  Over the summer recess, I met the Shore collective: a group of hospitality businesses in my constituency that have come together—it includes Tapa, which recently won the best local restaurant award in The Scotsman ’ s 2025 scran awards. Many businesses like Tapa are struggling with rising energy and raw ingredient costs. Will the Leader of the House join me in going to Tapa—obviously—and congratulating it? Will she outline what work Ministers are doing together across the Government to support such businesses?

• 2 Sept 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I welcome the sanctions that the Government have put in place on the Israeli Government, as in their current form they are not a reliable or trusted partner. Has the Foreign Secretary ordered a review of the UK’s relationship with the Israeli Government over the last 13 months? If not, why not?

• 2 Sept 2025 · Violence against Women and Girls: Pornography Prostitution · Hansard source

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  I must congratulate and thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate. This debate should be difficult to listen to, but it still does not compare to the violent impact of pornography on women and girls. Does she agree that the upcoming violence against women and girls strategy should explicitly recognise and address prostitution and pornography as forms of commercial sexual exploitation?