Speeches by Baxter.

“I wish you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and all colleagues throughout the House a very restful recess. Can the Leader of the House give us an update on the progress of addressing the backlog of civil service pension scheme cases, particularly those affected by the McCloud judgment? I am extremely concerned that one of my con…”

“My constituent and Scottish football superfan Craig Ferguson has just returned home after walking for 108 days across 3,000 miles in the United States to raise funds for Scottish Action for Mental Health. He has raised over £1 million. I know this is an issue that the Prime Minister cares about very deeply, and I thank…”

“Evidence suggests that AI tools used in recruitment often favour male names almost five times more than female names, and AI models built to prevent liver disease are twice as likely to miss the disease in women. Does my right hon. Friend agree that unless we have women shaping this technology, it will continue not to …”

“6. What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the women in tech taskforce on levels of diversity in the technology sector.”

“For years, my constituent Donna Louise Armstrong has worked tirelessly to serve the veteran community locally and nationally, both as our area co-ordinator for Poppyscotland and as vice-chair of the Homeless Veterans Project, which she helped to establish in 2019. She is very often seen at events in my constituency in …”

“The Barnett formula, introduced in 1978, is often misunderstood, but it has delivered hugely for the constituents of Paisley and Renfrewshire South. In fact, since this Government were elected, the Barnett formula has seen the highest uplift in funding for the Scottish Government in the history of devolution. Does my r…”

“My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech. Does he agree that the Government need to work with colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to drive forward the final compensation scheme and address the concerns about timelines that he rightly talks about?”

“Health and social care partnerships across Scotland face a funding gap of half a billion pounds in their budgets this year alone. That is the result of years of under-investment by the Scottish National party. That has real-life consequences, because tomorrow in Renfrewshire we face the prospect of our local disability…”

“Victims and survivors absolutely must be at the heart of this inquiry. How are they being put at the centre of this work in practice, are they being provided with access to support, and what meaningful opportunities do they have to shape the outcomes of the inquiry?”

“I thank my hon. Friend and the Select Committee for their report. Can she say a little more about the role of the Scottish Government in this area, and whether the Select Committee had any observations about the relationship between the Scottish Government and the UK Government in that regard? She has referred to the r…”

“Thank you for joining us this morning. We live in a cost of living crisis, and working-age benefits lost 8.8% of their real-terms value between 2012 and 2024 under the last Government. It is welcome that the Universal Credit Act 2025 increases the UC standard allowance, but can you talk to us about your approach to imp…”

“Have you spoken to the Scottish Government about the elements that they have control over to try to ensure political buy-in?”

“I will develop this a little bit further. Do you think, in terms of that cross-Government working, some sort of cross-Government strategy on youth employment would help to get Departments working together? Is there an interministerial group for this subject, as you mentioned in one of your earlier answers there is on c…”

“Four years of above-inflation increases to the UC standard allowance would take it to about £106 a week by 2029-30, which is not a lot. How did you arrive at that figure? Can you foresee any circumstances in which you might review it during the course of the Parliament, particularly if, as you referenced, we see cost o…”

“You mentioned international comparators. Do you have any examples of where other countries are doing better at making sure that the gap does not exist? Do they have other support mechanisms in place?”

“You have talked about joining up different bits of the UK Government and about joining up services at a local level through the youth hubs, which are really important. There is an added element to the picture in Scotland, because of course we have another layer of government there. You just talked about having a shared…”

“Finally, have you seen and taken a view on Lord Richard Walker’s report to No. 10 on the practical steps to respond to the rising cost of living?”

“Thank you for that. I want to stay on the subject of NEETs—I hate the term as well, but it is the one that we are using. Tackling this is going to need a whole-of-Government approach. Sir Peter just referred to it as being across systems rather than just within them. What does your experience tell you about the adequac…”

“6. What steps he is taking to support economic growth in Paisley and Renfrewshire South constituency.”

“A very happy birthday to you, Mr Speaker. Last week we heard the very disappointing news that the principal investor in the Paisley Centre redevelopment project in my constituency has been forced to withdraw from the project after years of delays and uncertainty. I have repeatedly warned that continued delays would put…”