Speeches by Burke.

“Susan, would you like to come in?”

“Thank you for that. Kirsti?”

“Thank you, Chair. Kirsti, I will direct my question to yourself. What kind of skills do you think are needed most in the defence sector?”

“That sounds absolutely brilliant, especially in schools within Glasgow, as there are a lot of them. Getting this opportunity is fantastic. I was going to ask you how the rural part works, but I think you have covered that. I have been to the Science Centre and seen the amount of work that you do there and how many chil…”

“Thank you very much for that.”

“Thanks for that, Mhari. You have actually covered my next question, which was about what impact that had. You were saying the police had it as a major incident, so I think you have covered how critical systems went down and how that affected the community. Thank you very much for that.”

“You can see the barriers there again, financially for people.”

“I think there are lots of barriers there causing the issues. What alternative measures are needed to ensure continued connectivity on the island when a cable is damaged?”

“Thank you for that.”

“Excuse me, I have a sore throat this morning. We have just heard about the severe impact Storm Amy had on Tiree. Turning to the disruption that Shetland faced in 2022, did the outage create similar challenges?”

“Okay, thank you for that. While Shetland and Orkney experienced significant disruption during these repairs, it was reported that those on the Faroe Islands did not lose internet connection. Why was this the case? Páll Højgaard Vesturbú: That was because there is another cable system also serving the islands here, the …”

“Overall, do you consider current back-up plans from internet service providers to be adequate when a cable is damaged?”

“Hi, Páll. Following the latest damage to SHEFA-2 in October 2025, it was reported that repairs could take up to three weeks. How long did it take in the end?”

“I thank the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) for securing this debate. We all know that there is no good time to be bereaved, no convenient moment to lose a loved one, and no guarantee that we are equipped to cope with loss at any time of life, but to lose a loved one as a child must surely be one of …”

“I recently attended an event at Oakwood primary school in my constituency, where pupils took part in workshops facilitated by the Children’s Parliament and Save the Children, exploring the impact of poverty. I was so moved that day by the children who recognised that too many of their peers are growing up in hardship a…”

“Last Tuesday I was delighted to see the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport announce £8.14 million in funding for Scotland through the multi-sport grass- roots facilities programme. I have already heard from organisations in my community that are keen to apply, including East End football academy, which run…”

“I was going to ask about your assessment of public attitudes, but you have covered that in respect of the aim towards the energy transition to date and what could be done to build understanding and consent. Reflecting on what Angus MacDonald said before, the unfortunate reality is that we all promise jobs, but then you…”

“Can I ask the panel for their assessment of how the Government are currently managing and communicating the trade-offs of the energy transition to the public?”

“Forgive me if I am repeating this question but how do you respond to the argument that lowering the cost of energy and improving energy efficiency is a more effective way of reducing bills than a social tariff?”

“How sufficient is the available data that would make implementing a social tariff possible?”