Former Scottish National Party MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
It is vital that we not only thank the campaigners who have struggled through pain and loss to get to this situation but appreciate the deep public service they have carried out in exposing this outrageous scandal. Although I welcome what seems to be a comprehensive statement on compensation today, this scandal has gone on too long and should be concluded quickly for compensation to be paid....
I am very fond of the Minister, as he knows. We often have these back and forths, and I often have to rise to my feet to correct what he has said. I did not make any assertion about any individual; I was talking about his Government. I was very explicit about that. I just want to make that clear.
I am grateful to the Minister for allowing a bit of back and forth on this. It is generous of him to do so. He fails to mention that in Scotland, 100,000 businesses are lifted out of business rates altogether through the small business bonus scheme. The record in Scotland shows that we are supporting businesses, and those businesses are very prevalent in the tourism sector.
I, too, rise to pass on my thanks: to you, Mrs Latham, for chairing, and to all the staff and others who have been involved. Whether we agree or vehemently disagree—often, as we have seen today, there are big disagreements—we never forget those people who work hard to produce the documentation and supporting information in all the arms of Parliament, including the House of Commons...
On clause 23’s minor VAT amendments, there is very little to disagree with. VAT should be paid where it is due, and HMRC should pay interest where it should pay interest. That is to be welcomed. However, on Second Reading I pointed out the paucity of thought and imagination that had gone into providing real help for people across the nations of the UK, and the kinds of thing that the...
This is a welcome move in principle and in targeting economic crime, but I would agree with the comments we have just heard—this does not shift things in the way that they need to be shifted in order to deal with the issue. It does not seriously tackle online crime, which is relatively rampant, with people being conned and funds being taken illegally. It does not really do much for fraud...
I briefly want to endorse the comments about these sectors requiring support. It is good to see some support for the sectors here, but we would like to see more in the future.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Latham. We will not be opposing the clause, but I do want to make some comments about this paltry measure, which will help very few people in a cost of living crisis that the Conservative Government are trying to pretend is over and done with—in fact, they are saying that that is the case. That is not the reality for people in their...
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on utilising the reserves in resource funding for 2024-25.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on utilising the reserves in capital funding for 2024-25.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will use the £9.2 billion of reserves in resource funding to increase defence funding for 2024-25.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will use the £1.8 billion of reserves in capital funding to increase defence funding for 2024-25.
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) provide funding for and (b) otherwise support the Ukrainian government to (i) investigate, (ii) arrest and (iii) prosecute Russian military (A) commanders and (B) personnel involved in the deployment of (1) choking and (2) other illegal chemical agents.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that chemicals that can be used in the manufacture of choking agents are (a) tracked and (b) not sent to Russia.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Personal Independence Payments on trends in the number of claimants (a) in and (b) seeking employment.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in employment receive Personal Independence Payments.
