Speeches by Murray.

“First, I welcome the £820 million increase in funding for Scotland, the largest real-terms settlement Scotland has received. I have no doubt that my constituents will be pleased to hear of the increase, and I can only hope that they will benefit from it. Today’s theme is investment, and I would like to address the SNP’…”

“After 18 years of an SNP Government in Scotland, the education system is failing and qualified Scottish pupils are being turned away from Scottish universities. Meanwhile, the private sector in the west of Scotland, such as at the energy technical academy in my constituency, is upskilling workers, who are paying so tha…”

“I thank the hon. Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) for bringing forward this debate, but also for sharing his experience. I am the mother of two young men, and I am very proud of the way they tackle the challenges that life has put in their way with kindness and resilience. Before the debate, I took the time to s…”

“You started to talk a little about what your success would look like. The Government have set a target for Great British Energy to start making returns on its commercial activities and have a plan to become self-financing by 2030. Is that realistic? If it is, how do you think that that will be met?”

“How will Great British Energy balance operational independence with accountability for public money?”

“I agree that this announcement is devastating for Mossmorran and for the communities around Fife. Hundreds of highly skilled workers now face an uncertain future and it is clear that the closure of this cornerstone facility reflects a deeper failure to provide the stable, long-term industrial environment that businesse…”

“Across Scotland and the UK, towns that once powered our economy have been left behind, as coalmines, steelworks, dockyards and, as we are now hearing, refineries and chemical plants are closing down, taking generations of skilled workers with them. We now have a chance to revive those communities by rebuilding British …”

“12. What steps he is taking to provide funding for renewable energy sources.”

“I will do my best. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I thank the hon. Member for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) for securing the debate and bringing attention to this matter. Although some may deny its impact or severity, climate change represents the greatest modern threat to our planet. T…”

“Do you think the Government are now moving quickly enough to process the asylum claims?”

“Earlier this year you oversaw the review of the UK Internal Market Act, which the Scottish Government have said is the single greatest impediment to more effective and respectful intergovernmental relations. How do the changes promised in that review help to address the Scottish Government’s concerns about the Act? Giv…”

“On that timetable, the review committed to a renewed focus on the common frameworks programme, but the UK Government missed their previous target of finalising that programme by Easter 2025. When do you expect the programme to be finalised?”

“Taking us back to the internal market review, are there next steps and timelines for implementation arising from that review?”

“As somebody who has worked in the Scottish manufacturing industry with our main markets being in England and Europe, I am pleased to hear the focus on removing barriers. Why did you decide not to embed the proposed changes to how the Act works in law? Do you accept that this leaves these commitments open to being chang…”

“Yet you seem to be forecasting that you will be losing more journalists in this cost saving than any other role within the company.”

“You joined STV in what you say is a shrinking market—despite the fact that the company has a public service obligation under Ofcom—and you appear to be reimagining the future at the expense of jobs in journalism and connections to local communities in the north, despite the fact that we hear all the time about industri…”

“If Ofcom approves the cuts, do you see that there is a way of mitigating those cuts?”

“That is interesting. I am a graduate of Robert Gordon myself and I know the effectiveness of courses that give people experience in the industry. Who do you think are going to be worst affected in terms of the current and future workforce by this change if it goes ahead?”

“How will the future of the Aberdeen news programme affect the future jobs in the pipeline in journalism in the north?”

“I want to highlight a technicality that affects veterans who served before 1987. Prior to the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987, veterans were unable to bring compensation claims against the Ministry of Defence. The 1987 Act changed that, but cannot be applied retrospectively, so pre-1987 veterans remain exclud…”