Speeches by McCluskey.

“I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Scotland Act 1998 (Specification of Devolved Tax) (Building Safety) Order 2024. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. I am grateful for the opportunity to debate this order, which is the result of collaborative working between the two Gover…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. Since he arrived here in July, he has been a significant champion of the creative industries and the arts. The example he gave of 10 strategies in nine months illustrates the kind of short-term uncertainty that has reduced investment in our economy. People did not get the c…”

“The food and drink sector will play a crucial role in the future of the Scottish economy. I am referring not just to the whisky sector, which my hon. Friend has mentioned and which I know he plays a key role in championing through the Scotch whisky all-party parliamentary group, but to other sectors, such as our great …”

“We saw last week the Government’s commitment to carbon capture and storage. I am happy to take those points away and ensure that they are communicated to the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Chancellor. The Government’s focus on growth is in the service of our mission to tackle poverty, remove barriers to opport…”

“It is a pleasure, Mr Dowd, to serve under your chairmanship and speak on behalf of the Government for the first time. I begin by congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow East (John Grady) on securing this debate on Scotland’s economy and congratulating all hon. Members on their contributions. We have heard …”

“I thank the hon Member for his intervention, and for the points he made about the importance of working together—not just between the UK and Scottish Governments, but across these islands. I will ensure that officials write to him on that point. Our industrial strategy calls time on short-term economic policy making, a…”

“I welcome that comment from my hon. Friend, and also congratulate him on his election to the Treasury Committee, where I am sure he will make a great contribution. He has set out exactly what the plans the Government have set out will do for Scotland, and the aspirations and ambition of those plans for our country. Ret…”

“Ports are essential to the future of our country, and coming from a constituency with an important and thriving port, I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. We are taking tough decisions, but change is under way and investment is now flowing into the country. Just yesterday, as many hon. Members have mentioned, the in…”

“I understand the importance of the Highlands and Islands development board. My partner’s grandfather arrived in Scotland only because he was the chief engineer in the Cruachan power station. That part of my family is here because of the work of the Highlands and Islands development board, so I make the commitment to th…”

“I would say that it does have a great future. I am not dismissing the fact that there are issues within the Scottish universities sector, which many of my hon. Friends laid out during the debate, but there is huge potential for the future of the sector and it is for not only the Scottish Government but the UK Governmen…”

“I agree. I know from experience in my own constituency with James Watt college in Greenock—now part of West College Scotland—that there have been issues with investment in colleges. That largely impacts on opportunities for working-class young people, and for people who perhaps did not get the results that they wanted …”

“I thank my hon. Friend for welcoming the launch of the industrial strategy yesterday. It is important that we ensure that any opportunities from the university sector are spread right across the country, and that is what my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is trying to do with the national wealth fund.…”

“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity speak in this debate and to follow the hon. Member for North Herefordshire (Ellie Chowns), who spoke with such passion, and the many other hon. Members who have spoken this afternoon. Like many in this Chamber, I am a Member for a new constituency. Inverclyde and Renfre…”

“I congratulate the Secretary of State on his new position. He was lucky enough to visit my constituency during the election campaign and to visit the port of Greenock, where he saw the great potential that exists for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West to contribute to the Government’s clean energy mission. What plans doe…”