Speeches by McAllister.

“You are correct. It sounds great and it sounds like the work that you have done is fantastic on this. Where are we with the trusts adopting it?”

“Sorry, but there must be a point to introducing the barcode. I understand that it is to identify, extract and prioritise. By doing that, that acknowledges that there is a reason to pull out NHS letters.”

“This is welcome news that will bring even more money to Scotland on top of the record funding settlement that our Chancellor delivered in the Budget. Does the Minister agree that my constituents fear the Scottish Government and John Swinney’s plans to pay out just £100 in Scotland? Those who need it most will now get m…”

“Following on from that, does that not support a national roll-out across all of our regions that should be Government-led from a national policy perspective, rather than simply waiting on local partnerships seeking pilot funding?”

“If successful—and I appreciate that there will be a formal evaluation at the conclusion, as you have stated—what is your plan for funding after the three-year pilot period? Would funding come exclusively again from the Scottish Government if you are going to extend that, or would you expect Glasgow City Council to cove…”

“Cabinet Secretary, good morning. The Thistle is funded by the Scottish Government up to £2.3 million per year, as I understand it, and that is confirmed for the duration of the three-year pilot. Do you consider that to be best value?”

“The costs of acute hospital admissions relating to drug use are extremely high, as are the costs of treating injection-related infections, such as hep C and HIV. The costs to the NHS are extremely high. Does that not help to not only mitigate the costs of the Thistle, but in fact demonstrate the potential high-value re…”

“There is no doubt that dementia is the biggest health challenge of our time. It is the leading cause of death in the UK, and there will not be a single family across our country that is not touched by this illness. I suspect that for most of in this House, if not all, it will be no different. I look to my own experienc…”

“I welcome the fact that this Government are getting on with building the largest prison expansion programme since the Victorians. That is a Labour Government in action, fixing the Tory prison crisis once and for all. Can I ask the Secretary of State to learn from the SNP Scottish Government’s abject failure with the ne…”

“I think that you mentioned previously on behalf of Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce that you felt you were getting limited support in Inverclyde from Government. I presume you meant both UK and Scottish Governments. What should both Governments be doing differently to better support the community of Inverclyde? I will th…”

“My question is to both Councillor McCabe and Mr Beaton. Councillor McCabe, you mentioned in your first answer that one of the greatest challenges is economic inactivity. The obvious challenge is employment, with low employment rates and high unemployment figures. Both are above the national average in Inverclyde, as I …”

“Do you think that the UK Government’s announcement on the right to try is a welcome initiative?”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing the debate. Since her visit to Ukraine, she has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of this issue with her report, “Returning the Stolen Children of Ukraine”, on the Floor of the House and again today. She should be congratulated on all her work. On the practical measures th…”

“My West Dunbartonshire constituent, Fraser, has now retired and lives in Australia. He is one of the half a million British citizens and voters now affected by this 70-year outdated and harsh practice. He is from my home town of Clydebank. He worked in the ordnance factory in Bishopton for decades, and then in the Gova…”

“5. What steps he is taking to support jobs in the defence sector.”

“Increasing our investment in defence not only bolsters our national security, but is an opportunity to support vital, skilled defence sector jobs and boost economic growth. Will the forthcoming defence industrial strategy spread prosperity across the regions and nations of the UK, and will the Minister use defence proc…”

“It would be considered. Your original decision is based on the public interest, so if it remains in the public interest, the Lord Advocate—whether it is you or someone who succeeds you—can extend it, in your opinion. If the UK Government expressed opposition to that and you were in office at that point, would you still…”

“I appreciate that, yes.”

“Thank you, Lord Advocate.”

“I appreciate that, Lord Advocate, and this is in no way a criticism of you, but I do feel as if we have had to dance on a pin just to allow one facility to operate. You have quite correctly used your discretion in relation to the statement of prosecution policy that it is not in the public interest to prosecute, and th…”