Speeches by McAllister.

“My question is to Claire, following on from her earlier evidence. The Scotland Acts of 2012 and 2016 provided greater responsibility over taxation and social security, for example. The block grant adjustment for 2025-26 is £5.6 billion, but the Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts that spend is at £6.9 billion. The gap…”

“My constituency is among the UK’s worst hotspots for deaths linked to a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos at work, with 344 deaths since 1980. Indeed, in the last five years 16 men and five women have died from cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The Labour Government passed the Compensation Act 2006 to make it …”

“Is there an argument that switching from the single national wholesale market for electricity to several local markets would immediately cut electricity bills across Great Britain, and most of all in Scotland? For instance, the electricity network balancing costs push bills up, where we pay curtailment costs. As I unde…”

“In Scotland, we have record levels of children living in temporary accommodation without a home to call their own. Some 10,000 children have been left homeless on the SNP Government’s watch. The SNP is taking Scotland in the wrong direction. Does the Secretary of State agree that Scotland needs a new direction and a Sc…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) for securing this debate and allowing the House to consider the UK submarine fleet. It also allows me to recognise the importance of the submarine fleet to the UK’s defence in the un…”

“My constituent Jagtar Singh Johal has been in arbitrary detention in India for more than seven years. The Secretary of State and his ministerial team have been extremely generous with their time and assistance to help resolve the situation, but can I seek the Minister’s assurance that those efforts are ongoing?”

“Will the Minister join me in congratulating my constituent Audrey Mutongi-Darko, founder of the No. 1 Befriending Agency? It was announced in the new year’s honours list that she is to receive the British empire medal for services to tackling loneliness and isolation in older people in Scotland. Will the Leader of the …”

“My question is to Hayley. BBC Scotland’s flagship news programme “The Nine” was cancelled at the end of last year. I understand that you were the editor when it was originally launched back in 2019. What had you hoped that it would achieve at that stage? Did you consider at the time that it was necessary, when we alrea…”

“On your priorities for the coming years, I have noted that you have indicated in your evidence that one of the three aims or objectives of BBC Scotland is to bring people together. Nothing brings people together like major sporting events, and you made reference to that, Hayley. What are your plans over the next couple…”

“This year has started with a horrific intensification of Israeli air strikes raining down on civilians and children. Israel has intensified its assault on the already decimated healthcare services in Gaza, to the extent that there are no fully functioning hospitals remaining in Gaza. It is a humanitarian crisis, so I a…”

“The naval base at Faslane and companies such as BAE Systems support thousands of jobs in my constituency. Does the Minister agree that we need to grow an integrated, innovative and resilient defence sector that will address problems such as skills shortages and the need for strategic long-term partnerships?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. As far as the petition before us is concerned, I will make the obvious point that other Members have made before me. We had a general election six months ago and the nation spoke; it delivered a landslide victory for the Labour party. We made it perfectly clea…”

“How does the Secretary of State envision the future of jobcentres in my constituency and across Scotland, and what role will technology play in that?”

“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to speak in this Backbench Business debate on detained British nationals abroad. I commend the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) for securing it, and for his relentless campaigning on the important cause of arbitrarily detaine…”

“Thank you, Sarah. Finally, climate change: how big a risk is that to the sector’s future?”

“Some 100,000 Scots are on zero-hours contracts, with no guarantee of secure hours. Labour’s Employment Rights Bill will address that. Does the Secretary of State agree that 100,000 Scots being in insecure work is a damning indictment of the state the Tories left our economy in and shows that we need a new direction in …”

“My question is to James. What opportunities does the UK Government’s Brand Scotland programme present for Scotland’s salmon producers?”

“You do not recognise that comment then, that the UK is falling behind?”

“Can I follow up on that point? The RSPCA advised in its written submission to this Committee that it maintains that mortality in salmon farms is too high at around 25% annually. Now, in fairness to the sector, the report also goes on to advise us that salmon farming is one of the most transparent industries reporting i…”

“One in five have failed, so what are they failing on?”