Speeches by Jardine.

“Some 40% of children in Stenhouse in my constituency of Edinburgh West live in poverty. There are nine Pride in Place projects being considered across Edinburgh, but none include that area of deprivation. Are there plans to change the criteria so that such areas can be included, helping to attack problems such as child…”

“After the incident with Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam, the Government’s independent assessor on antisemitism, Lord Mann, visited the city, did a fact-finding mission and compiled a report. It was passed to the Government in January, and to the Government and the police again in June. Can the Minister tell us what …”

“T6. The City of Edinburgh council’s consultation on a new tram route has just closed, but there are newspaper reports in the city that officials are now in discussion with Government advisers about potential funding options. Can the Minister clarify whether that is the case and, if so, ensure that the views expressed i…”

“It took place yesterday? Better late than never.”

“This may be an unfair question, but how confident are you of what will come out of that session?”

“That is important, because if you are only researching male pain, at least half of the population is excluded. We understand that NHS England was due to hold a stakeholder roundtable on managing women’s pain in the spring of this year. Did it happen? If it did, are you aware of any actions arising from it?”

“It is depressing.”

“Is workforce training in the NHS addressing this issue effectively, or is it falling short?”

“Apologies for arriving late. We might have heard some of the answer to this question already, but, Janet, since the women’s health strategy was published in 2022, are we any closer to understanding why women too often seem to be expected to endure chronic pain and painful investigative procedures for reproductive healt…”

“I welcome the Minister’s comments and repeat the calls for China to be added to FIRS. I have specific concerns about Edinburgh and Scotland in general. One relates to our energy security given the continuing lack of clarity about what is to happen to Mingyang and whether, if it is to take part in the construction of th…”

“7. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for businesses facing increased energy costs.”

“UKHospitality estimates that the industry contributes £8 billion a year to the Scottish economy. A major increase in standing charges would hit it hard. Many businesses in the sector are energy-hungry—for example, distilleries, pubs and restaurants—and across my constituency there is concern about the winter ahead. The…”

“The Minister referred earlier to the jobs that are coming in the renewables industry. That will be no consolation tonight to the 400 families who do not have that future within their sight. He also rhymed off the Government’s policies for supporting energy-intensive industries, but those policies did not help Mossmorra…”

“T2. I have been contacted by constituents concerned that a group calling itself Justice for Innocent Men in Scotland is allegedly harassing victims of sexual violence by undermining their anonymity. Will the Minister tell me what the UK Government are going to do to protect women across the UK from that sort of targeti…”

“I think there is general agreement that we have chaos in the immigration and asylum system, and that the Government should be looking for new ways to discourage people from crossing the channel in small boats. Given what the Home Secretary has said today, though, is there a danger that the people we need to come to thi…”

“I declare an interest: an employee of mine works for the company that I am about to mention, although they have not been affected by the action taken. That company is video game publisher Rockstar Games, which has fired at least 30 employees across its UK studios, including Rockstar North in Edinburgh. Several of my co…”

“That feeling that you are describing, the frustration, the riots, the protests we have seen recently, to what extent do you think that is the result of public dissatisfaction with Governments? Do they feel that successive Governments have failed?”

“Maybe I am misinterpreting what you are saying: you are saying that there is a concern, but there is also a recognition that we need certain types of immigration. But to some extent this battle, this auction between the political parties to come up with the right message, is driving the debate rather than reacting to i…”

“In the interest of transparency—funnily enough—I used to be a journalist. Peter, you probably do not remember this, but you and I worked together when I was at Strathclyde University teaching journalism, and at the BBC.”

“Estimates suggest that immigration levels in the UK have actually fallen. Do you believe public attitudes towards immigration will soften because of the response to that?”