Speeches by McCluskey.

“I send our congratulations to my hon. Friend the Member for High Peak (Jon Pearce) on the birth of his daughter, and I agree with what my hon. Friend the Member for East Renfrewshire (Blair McDougall) said. That is why we are making immediate changes to paternity leave through the Employment Rights Bill. We are making …”

“My hon. Friend will know that the House recently gave the Employment Rights Bill its Second Reading. Shamefully, the Conservative party opposes the Bill, which is the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. The Government are taking a joined-up and collaborative approach to the delivery of the plan to make …”

“I welcome my hon. Friend’s comments, including those about my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Chris Murray). I was pleased to attend his debate in Westminster Hall, at which those issues were discussed. The UK Government have supported creative industries across Scotland, including in the cit…”

“The hon. Lady has a background in performing arts, and brings her experience to this House. I agree with her: Scottish artists are world-renowned, and it is important to them and to promoting Scottish culture around the world that they can perform internationally. We are supporting Scottish artists, and continue to wor…”

“The Scotland Office is committed to championing Scottish arts, and regularly showcases the sector’s significant cultural and economic contributions to UK and Scottish Government Ministers. In the Budget later today, the Chancellor will set out her spending decisions, and those will allow the Scottish Government to make…”

“My hon. Friend has been a champion for the defence sector in his constituency since his election, and I commend him for that work. I agree that it is essential that any Government engage with the defence sector, not just because of the jobs created across Scotland, but because of the vital technology that the sector is…”

“The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Ministry of Defence on supporting Scotland’s defence sector, which makes a vital contribution to growth in both Scotland and the UK, and helps the UK remain safe in the face of current and future threats. The Secretary of State was pleased to visit the Babcock sit…”

“I thank the shadow Secretary of State for his contribution, and I echo his comments both on the work of officials and on his own work before the election on progressing the order. It is important to remember that this debate is purely on a constitutional order and the devolution of power to the Scottish Parliament to m…”

“I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Scotland Act 1998 (Specification of Devolved Tax) (Building Safety) Order 2024. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. I am grateful for the opportunity to debate this order, which is the result of collaborative working between the two Gover…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. Since he arrived here in July, he has been a significant champion of the creative industries and the arts. The example he gave of 10 strategies in nine months illustrates the kind of short-term uncertainty that has reduced investment in our economy. People did not get the c…”

“The food and drink sector will play a crucial role in the future of the Scottish economy. I am referring not just to the whisky sector, which my hon. Friend has mentioned and which I know he plays a key role in championing through the Scotch whisky all-party parliamentary group, but to other sectors, such as our great …”

“We saw last week the Government’s commitment to carbon capture and storage. I am happy to take those points away and ensure that they are communicated to the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Chancellor. The Government’s focus on growth is in the service of our mission to tackle poverty, remove barriers to opport…”

“It is a pleasure, Mr Dowd, to serve under your chairmanship and speak on behalf of the Government for the first time. I begin by congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow East (John Grady) on securing this debate on Scotland’s economy and congratulating all hon. Members on their contributions. We have heard …”

“I thank the hon Member for his intervention, and for the points he made about the importance of working together—not just between the UK and Scottish Governments, but across these islands. I will ensure that officials write to him on that point. Our industrial strategy calls time on short-term economic policy making, a…”

“I welcome that comment from my hon. Friend, and also congratulate him on his election to the Treasury Committee, where I am sure he will make a great contribution. He has set out exactly what the plans the Government have set out will do for Scotland, and the aspirations and ambition of those plans for our country. Ret…”

“Ports are essential to the future of our country, and coming from a constituency with an important and thriving port, I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. We are taking tough decisions, but change is under way and investment is now flowing into the country. Just yesterday, as many hon. Members have mentioned, the in…”

“I understand the importance of the Highlands and Islands development board. My partner’s grandfather arrived in Scotland only because he was the chief engineer in the Cruachan power station. That part of my family is here because of the work of the Highlands and Islands development board, so I make the commitment to th…”

“I would say that it does have a great future. I am not dismissing the fact that there are issues within the Scottish universities sector, which many of my hon. Friends laid out during the debate, but there is huge potential for the future of the sector and it is for not only the Scottish Government but the UK Governmen…”

“I agree. I know from experience in my own constituency with James Watt college in Greenock—now part of West College Scotland—that there have been issues with investment in colleges. That largely impacts on opportunities for working-class young people, and for people who perhaps did not get the results that they wanted …”

“I thank my hon. Friend for welcoming the launch of the industrial strategy yesterday. It is important that we ensure that any opportunities from the university sector are spread right across the country, and that is what my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is trying to do with the national wealth fund.…”