Speeches by Cross.

“I have a final question. If the review comes back and says, again, that in-person services need to be enhanced and protected, would banks continue what seems to be their endless process of closing bank branches?”

“It is not changing quickly.”

“The medium term could be three years. You will understand this; we can all understand this. A business needs more than a three-year horizon for planning. Three years is not really protecting; it is giving someone a bit of breathing space. It is not protecting. A three-year commitment is not enough for a business.”

“The Government have an access to banking review live at the moment, which may or may not mandate for more in-person services or for protecting them. What would that look like for the banking sector if that is the conclusion of the review? How would that be implemented?”

“That is only in certain areas where they are seen as fit and worthy. I have not got the impression throughout this that you are a strong advocate for high street branches.”

“Just this year, Norway has opened up a licensing round for 70 new oil and gas blocks. It is reopening three old gas fields and has permitted development plans for three new fields. Meanwhile, this Government are still banning licences, taxing the industry out of business and not permitting Rosebank and Jackdaw. Why doe…”

“Farm profitability in the UK is incredibly low. As we know, for many farms it is less than 1%. Reports show that a poorly negotiated and poorly implemented sanitary and phytosanitary agreement could see a 10% hit to profitability for our arable farmers. That will have a trickle-down impact across the whole agricultural…”

“Can the hon. Member confirm the SNP’s position on this issue? Does it unequivocally support new licences in the North sea?”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“This is incredibly frustrating. Scrutiny is not the same as climate change denial. Asking questions on behalf of our constituents, industries, households and businesses that will front the costs of this measure is not climate change denial. Will the hon. Member and the rest of the Labour Members here recognise that?”

“On that basis, why do the Government feel it necessary to ban new licences? The Minister says that production is declining, so why do they need to ban them?”

“Will the hon. Member give way?”

“It is wonderful to speak under your chairmanship, Ms Furniss. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Bradley Thomas) for securing this debate, and I welcome my great friend—now my hon. Friend—the Member for Aberdeen South (Douglas Lumsden) to this place; he has been by my side pretty much from the day I join…”

“Will the hon. Member give way on that point?”

“The hon. Member—I call her a friend—is a huge champion for this sector and her constituents, and she is completely correct: these job losses impact everybody and all our constituencies, so we should all care about what is happening to the sector. This is not just about the big producers or operators; it is about the su…”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“In my constituency, we have lost the Scotbeef abattoir and the famous Donald Russell butchers in recent months, both of which were crucial to the agricultural supply chain. Both blamed high energy costs and the increased costs of doing business, such as the huge rises in national insurance under this Government and big…”

“For clarity, are Scottish children going to be included in the trial, either by being able to travel south of the border or via NHS Scotland directly?”

“The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned in his statement an £18 billion investment from Japan. What he did not mention was that earlier this year, the Government turned down a £17.5 billion investment from oil and gas companies when they decided not to end the energy profits levy. He also mentioned Russian sanctions, but d…”

“Aberdeen is the only UK city expected to grow by less than 1% between now and 2028, not least because of the UK’s anti-oil and gas policies. The Rosebank production facility has now arrived at the field; it is ready and just waiting for the Government to permit it. Rosebank would bring £25 billion of investment into th…”