Speeches by Alexander.

“The UK Government stand ready to provide the support needed by families in response to recent events in the middle east. The Prime Minister has set out our plan to deal with the immediate impact of the conflict on the cost of living, which includes cutting energy bills by an average of £117 per household, extending the…”

“First, on the conduct of the Government: the Conservatives in government pushed kids into poverty; Labour in government lifts kids out of poverty. We would have hoped for a better approach from the Scottish Government, but the fact is that there are 10,000 kids in Scotland without a home to call their own. At the same …”

“Economic illiteracy is not limited to the Benches of the House of Commons; it extends to the First Minister. Let us take the example of Berwick Bank, the largest offshore wind farm in Europe, which was paid for in no small measure thanks to the actions of a UK Government. The fact is that when the First Minister and th…”

“The difficulty with the point that the Scottish Conservatives are making is that they are in denial of their record. We lost 70,000 jobs in the North sea when the hon. Gentleman was in office. The fact is that the challenge for the North sea did not emerge in July 2024; in fact, it reflects the complete absence of a pl…”

“If SNP Members want guidance on how to deal with energy costs, they could look at the £100 million emergency package that was announced by Scottish Labour only a few days ago. I must express concern, however, because if they are serious about energy, perhaps they could tell the House what happened to the publicly owned…”

“My hon. Friend makes a powerful point. Global instability, including the recent events in Iran, has exposed the risks of relying on fossil fuel markets that the United Kingdom inevitably does not control. We are delivering on work to ensure our energy independence and thereby bring down bills for the British people for…”

“I see that the Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, my hon. Friend the Member for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West (Martin McCluskey), is on the Front Bench with me. I will write to the hon. Lady on exactly that matter.”

“Tackling child poverty is fundamental to the work of this Labour Government. In December, we published our ambitious and comprehensive UK-wide child poverty strategy. It sets out the steps we are taking to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks we need to create long-ter…”

“First, as I should have done in response to the question from the former Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell), I associate myself with his remarks in relation to the late Jeane Freeman. She was a public servant of distinction who served in both the Scotti…”

“The hon. Gentleman talks about sad truths; the sad truth is that one in seven young Scots between the ages of 16 and 24 are not in employment, education or training. The Scottish Government, in which he served, also uphold another sad truth: it is hard to think of a single area of Scottish public life over the past 19 …”

“I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman had a chance to listen to what was on the radio this morning about bills and the progress being made. [Interruption.] Well, let us introduce some facts to the debate. This trend in the North sea did not emerge yesterday; it is a mature basin where there was a 75% reduction in pr…”

“Scotland is at the heart of keeping the UK secure at home and strong abroad. As has been referenced already, just last week I visited Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, working to strengthen our defence partnerships and increase export opportunities for the Scottish defence industry. That defence dividend has alread…”

“My hon. Friend is entirely right. I had the opportunity to visit the Navantia yard in Methil just a couple of weeks ago. It is just over a year ago that we as a Labour Government stepped in to secure the future of both the Methil and Arnish yards. Since then, Navantia has announced a further £12 million of investment i…”

“My hon. Friend and I both know that the tartan army will be out in full force supporting Scotland’s FIFA world cup campaign this summer. The UK Government are working with partners in the host countries and the Scottish Football Association to provide guidance to supporters on travel, security and consular assistance. …”

“Not for the first time, I find myself in agreement with my hon. Friend. The UK Labour Government have committed to the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war, totalling £270 billion in this Parliament alone. In contrast, the SNP-led Scottish Government’s position on public funding for defence…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for his question. My own grandfather worked as an engineer in Glasgow, so I appreciate the proud heritage of which he speaks. The Government’s defence industrial strategy will deliver a record boost for Scotland’s economy, creating highly skilled jobs for years to come. Alas, when the SNP-led Sco…”

“It is worth reminding the hon. Gentleman that it was actually a Conservative Government who introduced the EPL. We have been clear that the EPL will come to an end in 2030. It is also worth pointing out that oil and gas in the North sea is sold into global markets, and that we lost a third of the jobs in the North sea …”

“I had the chance to visit the Leonardo facility with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in recent weeks and saw for myself the transformation it had witnessed since it was originally Ferranti, with the strong support of the UK Government behind it. The hon. Member raises a really important question…”

“The UK Government are working closely with the Scottish Government to deliver for the people of Scotland. Since taking office, we have provided the Scottish Government with a record budget settlement, reversing austerity and years of underfunding and ensuring that communities get the support they deserve. I met the Dep…”

“My hon. Friend raises an important point for not just her constituents but many others. Although animal health is a devolved responsibility, I am troubled—although not altogether surprised—to learn that the Scottish Government have chosen to diverge from the approach taken across the rest of the UK and indeed in Europe…”