Speeches by Alexander.

“We have always been clear that we wanted to take action on the basis of sound public finances. That is why it is a Labour Government that have been willing to take difficult and challenging steps. I am old enough to remember the criticism from those on the SNP Benches after 1997, and we went on to lift a record number …”

“I wholeheartedly agree with my hon. Friend: the expertise of our research centres in the United Kingdom, including the University of Strathclyde’s PNDC, is absolutely critical. The crucial research that they undertake will help to further the safe and effective deployment of new nuclear technology. We are watching a wa…”

“The funding of Forth Valley college is a matter for the Scottish Government. Scottish colleges had their funding cut by 20% between 2021-22 and 2025-26. As the UK Government, we have delivered a record funding settlement to the Scottish Government. For as long as no final decision has been reached regarding the Alloa c…”

“This Government have taken action and will continue to take action. In his rather partial account, the hon. Member missed out around 530,000 households in Scotland that are already benefiting from £150 off their energy bills this winter, and I hope we will hear more today.”

“The facts are clear. The spending review was historic for Scotland and delivered the largest real-terms settlement for the Scottish Government in the 25 years of devolution, with an average of £50.9 billion per year between 2026-27 and 2028-29. It simply makes no sense to cut the further education college budget in Sco…”

“I hope we will be hearing more about energy bills later this afternoon.”

“I met with Navantia management in Fife on Monday, and I met with the Minister responsible for defence procurement yesterday. There are huge opportunities thanks to my hon. Friend’s powerful advocacy of the workforce in Methil and the work that we can do together. The truth is that we have a Scottish Government who are …”

“The UK Government are transforming our defence sector into an even more powerful engine of growth, with skills and training being a central pillar of the strategy. If the SNP-led Scottish Government will not do the right thing, we will. That is why we stepped up with £2.5 million to fund a specialist welding centre in …”

“I sincerely hope the Scottish Government are listening to the very powerful points made by the hon. Lady. Some 89,600 young people in Scotland are not in work, education or training. That is equivalent to about 16.1% or one in six of our young people in Scotland. Scotland deserves better than a Scottish Government who …”

“Only this morning there were discussions in the Cabinet involving me and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and I pay tribute to the work that she and others in government have done to ensure both that upgrade to workers’ rights and that pay rise for the 200,000 poorest paid Scots.”

“I can offer the right hon. Gentleman the assurance he seeks in relation to facing down a Scottish Government who are dithering on defence. I pay tribute to him for his passionate advocacy of the site he speaks of in Dumfriesshire, and I assure him that we in the Scotland Office will continue to work with our colleagues…”

“I would like to say that I am shocked and surprised, but very little that the Liberal Democrats do can shock or surprise me. The truth is that the Employment Rights Bill is expected to benefit people in the most deprived areas of the country by up to £600 in lost income from the hidden costs of insecure work. That is e…”

“I am happy to tell the hon. Gentleman what I think it will take: it will take a change of Government next May. It is time for a new direction in Scotland.”

“As I recollect, I wrote to the Committee on 23 September and since you took evidence on this subject earlier in the year, phase 2 of the spending review has come into force. This includes an additional £2.9 billion per year on average through the operation of the Barnett formula that I have already referenced earlier i…”

“I will try to keep it to our responsibility but also to recognise the severity and seriousness of what you describe. Again, without breaching Cabinet confidentiality, we were discussing yesterday the youth strategy, which is predominantly focused on England given a lot of the areas of youth policy are devolved in Scotl…”

“For the 831 young people not getting jobs in Ayrshire College, respectfully, it is pretty doom and gloom right now. If your attitude is that that is the best we can do in Scotland, and we should be somehow applauding the conduct of the Scottish Government, respectfully I take a very different view. I think the Scottish…”

“Let me offer the assurance that we are in touch with DWP. I was part of the Cabinet conversation with Pat yesterday on a range of related issues. I would also want to pay tribute to the work that you have done in bringing this issue of young people being denied those opportunities in Ayrshire to my attention. I do not …”

“I should probably declare that I am a very good friend of Torsten Bell, the former director of the Resolution Foundation who is now doing important work for us in the Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions that we have just been discussing. It is right to recognise that the Resolution Foundation has done imp…”

“I will say yes to that. I was in the Cabinet yesterday and, without breaching Cabinet confidentiality, Pat—who is a very good friend and former colleague of mine in Edinburgh University Labour Club and knows Scotland back to front—was talking about the challenge that we face in youth unemployment and there are parallel…”

“You are absolutely right: it is a shocking indictment of the last 20 years in Scotland that one in six of our young people find themselves in that position. We are certainly not aligned in our thinking relating to EFI colleges because we fundamentally think that Scotland deserves better than a 20% cut in EFI colleges i…”