Speeches by Sullivan.

“Last week I was honoured to welcome the families of those who had been onboard the Lisbon Maru, a freighter that was sunk in 1942, claiming the lives of more than 800 allied prisoners of war. We came together with MPs from across this House and the Minister for Scotland, my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Kirsty…”

“You have outlined where you see the opportunities. Have Scottish Government Ministers approached you to indicate where they think there could be closer co-operation?”

“Of course I can, yes. The Scotland Office’s main estimate for this year allocates nearly £60 million for investment zones and green freeports. I am wondering why you are bypassing the Barnett formula and allocating the funding directly, rather than including it in the general block grant.”

“This is specifically about the money allocated towards investment zones and green freeports and why the money is going to those areas rather than being wrapped up in the general block grant.”

“The Scotland Office’s main estimates for this year allocate nearly £60 million for investment zones and green freeports. Why bypass the Barnett formula and allocate this funding directly rather than include it in the general block grant?”

“You pre-empted the next question. Having had a local government background, I know how important it is that there are greater powers and greater autonomy for our councils in Scotland but also our regions. I think there have been long-standing calls for further devolution out of Holyrood into regions and local authoriti…”

“Would it be fair to say then that direct investment is aligned to the industrial strategy and your focus on place-based investment?”

“In terms of the industrial strategy zones, what additionality are they delivering rather than just displacing economic activity from other areas of Scotland, in terms of investment and jobs?”

“I am going to return us to some more positive aspects of the work between UK Government and Scottish Government Ministers. Which policy areas do you see as being a priority for closer co-operation going forward?”

“Was the SNP failed by its own test?”

“Sticking with devolution, as you know, the Scottish Parliament passed a motion calling on the UK Government to devolve the powers to hold an independence referendum and the UK Government gave their response, a very clear response. What role did the Scottish Parliament’s position play in the UK Government’s position, if…”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) not just on the power of her words, but on her extensive work, day in, day out, on this issue. When discussing this issue, we should start from a clear principle: if we support a two-state solution, we cannot trade with those who, through …”

“This year is the 500th anniversary of the battle of Linlithgow bridge, a pivotal moment in Scottish history, and part of a power struggle for the regency of King James V. To mark the occasion, Linlithgow Civic Trust and Battle 500, alongside local historians, schools and volunteers, have a huge programme of summer even…”

“I thank the Minister for his update and his collaborative approach to the co-production process, as well as the time he spent with me and colleagues earlier in the year to discuss the experiences of those living with conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s. The Minister mentioned that disabled people find…”

“We have already spoken quite a bit about the challenges of connectivity. It would appear that a lot of the mitigations around bank closures are really about shifting people towards online banking. Would you agree that a lot of the mitigations are actually reliant on good connectivity, when we have already identified th…”

“Is connectivity taken into account when there is a decision taken to close a bank branch?”

“This is more directed towards Mr Foden and Ms Simister-Thomas. You had mentioned the issues with printing and the ability to pay in cheques. They are two very different issues. Perhaps one is more around the partnership model, the constraints of that model and considerations such as security. The issue with cheques was…”

“There is also the issue around printing statements. Not everybody has a computer at home. The point I am making is that it is not a like-for-like service that is being delivered to people where the last bank has closed.”

“Mr Leenders, you just mentioned extensive consultation with communities. Can you just confirm that that is after the decision is taken rather than before?”

“In the same way that I asked whether connectivity is taken into account when a decision is taken to close a branch, equally, transport should be a very important factor. Rural areas have significant difficulties in being able to travel as well because of the decline in a lot of local bus services. I would argue that th…”