Speeches by McAllister.

“3. What plans his Department has to support a UK space launch.”

“Quite, and I appreciate that it is a delicate balance, but earlier in your evidence, Hebe, you made reference to green technologies and said that you are desperate to roll them out. You also made reference to it not being a mismanaged transition. It seems as though today’s announcement is driven by shareholders rather …”

“How many job losses in oil and gas do you anticipate therefore in the next decade? What is your strategy to manage that decline, if it is to be a decline? How will you reduce that figure? What concrete steps is each company taking? Is it still to transition to job opportunities in the clean industry or are we seeing a …”

“We have focused a lot this morning on investor uncertainty and market uncertainty. I am more interested in employment. I will ask both of you, first of all, how many oil and gas job losses your businesses have experienced in the past decade.”

“Secretary of State, you mentioned in your answer that one of the priorities of the spending review is tackling poverty. The UK Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced last week £100 million of funding to tackle improving sports facilities. Will that be targeted specifically at areas of greatest dep…”

“Who oversees that in Scotland?”

“Bombing civilians and preventing access to basic humanitarian supplies as a tactic of war is a war crime. I thank the Foreign Secretary for his statement, and for his tireless diplomacy. A call for a full, transparent investigation is welcome, as is a call to return to a ceasefire. However, given our strong opposition …”

“One of my colleagues may ask you about Project Willow after this question, but I will stick to my original question about the previous UK Government and the Scottish Government’s handling of the decision.”

“I wish to turn now specifically to Grangemouth. On 5 February redundancy letters were issued to Grangemouth workers, with at least 435 staff expected to lose their jobs. Trade unions described this as an act of industrial vandalism. Before I ask you about the Government’s role I want to ask you first about the owner’s …”

“I will ask you about the Government in a moment, but I will just ask you to focus on the company at this stage.”

“On the point that you made, Robert, some would suggest that these plans were known by both the UK and the Scottish Government for almost a decade, but at least for five years, prior to the announcement. How well did the previous UK Government and the Scottish Government handle the decision to close the refinery?”

“How long ago was that?”

“Two years ago the owners and the Scottish Government discussed the closure?”

“Can I ask you specifically to comment on the current Government’s announcement? Did you regard it as a welcome announcement in relation to the support that is there for those facing imminent redundancy?”

“I know that it is early days, and the suggestion is perhaps that Project Willow could deliver 800 jobs, but I think the figure they are giving is by 2040, which is 15 years from now. Do any of you feel as if somehow this is 10 years too late?”

“Robert, what support has been announced so far for the workers facing imminent redundancy—your members—and is it enough?”

“May I give the hon. Member the opportunity to correct the record? St Patrick was born in Kilpatrick, in Clydebank, in my constituency of West Dunbartonshire, in the year 387. More importantly, my wife, Alison Patricia McAllister, was born on St Patrick’s day and she celebrated her birthday on Monday. Does the hon. Memb…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Edward. It is right that this House should consider compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age. Before, during and after the general election, I pledged my support to the close to 6,000 women of West Dunbartonshire affected by this injustice. …”

“6. What recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on NHS waiting lists.”

“I am appalled to hear that Plaid Cymru voted against £600 million of extra investment to bring down NHS waiting list in Wales, but I am afraid that this is a familiar story for our Scottish Members. Does the Secretary of State agree that nationalist parties will always prioritise niche constitutional distractions over …”