Speeches by McNeill.

“When we were last in the Committee, we said that part of the point of the reset was not just resetting the relationship with the Scottish Government, but with Scottish society writ large. It is important we get information not only to the Scottish Government as soon as possible, but to wider Scottish stakeholders as so…”

“Well, you will not need to be, because we are going to be in touch. What the nature of your questions has revealed to us is something that we had already clocked: because the growth deals are tripartite between the local authorities, the Scottish Government and the UK Government, the bit that is missing is actually ove…”

“It is DCMS in partnership with the SFA. There are already contact details available for the right person at the SFA, if people want to indicate early energy around bids locally. The funding stream itself will be open very shortly, but not yet.”

“Economic growth is the Government’s No. 1 mission. These changes to national insurance contributions are being made in the context of a resilient labour market, with the estimated employment rate up 0.9 percentage points over the last quarter of 2024. We are creating jobs and opportunities through our plan for change a…”

“My hon. Friend is right to raise the concerns of parents who are worried about how their kids will get good jobs. The SNP has said that a zero- hours contract is “a positive destination” for a school leaver, but this Labour Government will ban such exploitative contracts. Labour’s Budget delivered an extra £4.9 billion…”

“The Employment Rights Bill represents the biggest upgrade of workers’ rights in a generation, banning zero-hours contracts, ending unscrupulous fire and rehire practices, providing day one protections for paternity leave and against unfair dismissal, and improving access to statutory sick pay. With International Women’…”

“I do believe in this policy, in the same way I believe in all the announcements we made in the Budget. As is so often the case with Conservative Members, they will the ends of the Budget but not the means. If the hon. Lady wants changes to the public services that people in both our constituencies rely on, we need to h…”

“I have not had that chance, but I would be delighted to do so. Scottish education is, of course, devolved to the SNP Government. SNP Members should think long and hard about the fact that they have claimed that it is their No. 1 priority and yet the attainment gap is growing. Working-class kids’ education and exam resu…”

“Not only do I agree with my hon. Friend that the SNP Government are at risk of squandering this historic opportunity for Scotland, but I stress that the SNP Government might like to ask their Members of Parliament why they voted against this historic Budget in Scotland’s interests.”

“I am sure that the hon. Member, and Members across the House, will join me in paying tribute to Scotland’s social care workers for the incredible contribution they make. Social care is of course a devolved matter. The Scottish Government have now received the largest budget settlement in the whole history of devolution…”

“Properly funding public services and restoring economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more. Stabilising the public finances is the only way to create the long-term stability in which businesses can thrive. The Government recognise the need to protect t…”

“The hon. Gentleman is perfectly aware that 73% of agricultural property relief claims each year are for less than £1 million, so almost three quarters of those claiming the relief are expected to be entirely unaffected. According to the latest data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, 40% of APR is claimed by just 7…”

“I certainly will. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for all he does to promote apprentices and skills, and particularly apprentices in our defence industry, who are doing so much to keep Scotland, the UK and, indeed, the world safe.”

“I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance) (Consequential Modifications) Order 2025. It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Hobhouse. This order, laid on 13 January, is the result of collaborative workin…”

“I thank all hon. Members who contributed today. The hon. Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine noted that the order is a broadly sensible technical change. He intimated that he is slightly worried about the time and effort that it takes to go through these processes. However, as I mentioned in my opening remarks…”

“These reforms still provide a very significant level of tax relief, with the first £1 million of combined business and agriculture assets continuing to receive 100% relief in most cases. Additional assets will still receive relief at a rate of 50%. The Budget was designed to protect the payslips of working people while…”

“Polls come, polls go. The fact remains that this Labour Government have provided record investment for Scottish public services. I suggest the hon. Member invests in a notepad so that he can keep track.”

“There is a third Member in a dreadful fankle. We said at the election that we would wait for the ombudsman’s report, we would examine it and we would take a view. We have a taken view: we have taken a view that up to £10 billion of public money should not be spent providing compensation on a decision that was legal and…”

“One in six Scots is on a waiting list today, and we face a housing emergency and a very stubborn attainment gap. Nobody could look around Scotland and say that it is going in the right direction. That is the choice that people will have to make in 2026: is Scotland going in the right or wrong direction? Canny Scots wil…”

“I could not agree more. Scotland’s NHS is in crisis; one in six Scots are on a waiting list. The UK Government have provided a record investment to fix Scotland’s public services. The Scottish Government led by the SNP should get on with it.”