Speeches by Cross.

“Cabinet Office guidance states that Government Departments should aim to publish a response to a consultation within 12 weeks of the consultation closing. The consultation on environmental impact assessments closed on 8 January, which is 22 weeks ago tomorrow. When will the Department publish the guidance, because it i…”

“I appreciate that, and it is clearly good news that anyone who had a medical emergency while at the facility was treated and survived. What you said—that they then could return to the facility—is a real issue for me. We should be treating addiction, not feeding addiction. I appreciate that people come from this from tw…”

“Good morning, Cabinet Secretary. What evidence is there that the drug consumption room is having an impact on Scotland’s awful drug death numbers, which I understand—and I think you have confirmed this morning—was the rationale for the project? To illustrate this, from December to February we saw 251 drug deaths, which…”

“The Minister talks about regional growth, but in north-east Scotland we see only cost and decline under this Labour Government. Let us take the oil and gas sector. Labour policies will cost almost 35,000 jobs by the end of this decade, and £150 billion in economic income by 2050. The UK-EU deal will cost fishermen in S…”

“Towns and villages across north-east Scotland, such as Aberdeen, and Inverurie, Kintore and Ellon in my constituency, will all need regenerating in future if the Secretary of State’s Government keep decimating the oil and gas sector. The best thing his Government can do for the north-east of Scotland is allow new licen…”

“New research shows that foreign nationals are claiming almost £1 billion in benefits each month. We now face the highest number of asylum claims ever recorded—up another 9% since Labour took office. Meanwhile, the 42,000 appeal backlog at the end of 2024 is projected to more than double to almost 100,000 by the end of …”

“While it is welcome that the SDR refers to the need for more routine protection of subsea cables and pipelines and of maritime traffic, there is no specific mention of the same commitment to the protection of North sea oil and gas platforms, rigs and floating production, storage, and offloading vessels. They are just a…”

“Good morning, all. We spoke about skills, skills gaps and how different generations can get in, but I am looking now at locations. With rural communities, we know for example if you are in Midlothian you are close to Edinburgh and you have that advantage. I noted, Councillor McCall, what you said about buses and transp…”

“It is the same as anywhere. The first 80% is the easiest, isn’t it? You still always have the same 20%, or whatever it is, being the ones who are left behind. Understandably, because it is the most difficult, but it is not understandable for the people living on the ground. Your point about internet and broadband worki…”

“Yes, but more generally across the country, if we look at the rural Highland areas, there are some areas where regardless of which their big city is, the connectivity between the two is effectively non-existent—even just commuting into town is not possible. It is more of a general question: how do we make sure that reg…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the official Opposition as we consider the draft Scotland Act 1998 (Increase of Borrowing Limits) Order 2025. As Members will be aware, the instrument proposes an increase to the Government’s resource b…”

“I just wanted to clarify whether inflation at 3.5% is higher or lower than inflation at 2%, which is where it was last July.”

“The industries and business groups that are leaving the country quicker than any others are in the oil and gas sector. Investors in oil and gas—in the North sea, Aberdeenshire, and my Gordon and Buchan constituency—are fleeing the country at an astounding rate, taking investment, skills and jobs with them. We are losin…”

“Our fishermen had been promised, and the EU had agreed, that annual access agreements would be reverted to from 2026, but, seemingly at the 11th hour, the Prime Minister abandoned our fishing communities, our fishing fleets and control of our seas by handing not a three, four or even five-year access agreement, but a 1…”

“I draw attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Earlier this month, Harbour Energy announced that it would be cutting 25% of its onshore workforce, blaming the Government’s punitive fiscal position and challenging regulatory environment. When the news was announced, the Chancellor said tha…”

“In early November, Mr Speaker asked the Secretary of State for Education in this Chamber to start a leak inquiry to find out why the announcement that tuition fees would be raised was first made to the press, rather than the House. It is now mid-May. Will the Leader of the House please update us on when that inquiry wi…”

“The Minister mentioned that he was in Scotland yesterday, which is wonderful. As a Scottish MP, I am in Scotland every week, and I quite often meet people from distilleries, who have recently said that they are suffering because of the family farm tax that the Government have brought in. Their farmers are downsizing an…”

“My hon. Friend has referred to the betrayal of our fishermen. I wonder whether the Minister will take the opportunity to deny media speculations that the Government are about to consent to multi-year agreements. The fishermen want single-year agreements, which are the international norm. Can the Minister rule that out …”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“I hope that the Minister will recognise why UK farmers might raise an eyebrow at the assurances that he has given to the House. They have been let down time and again since July through this Government’s policies on the family farm tax, the sustainable farming incentive, double cab pick-ups and fertiliser tax—the list …”