Speeches by Burke.

“I will direct my question to Councillor Robinson and Councillor Steele. You may have covered some of my question, but I will ask it anyway. You have previously said the cost of projects would be well beyond your councils’ means. How far beyond your means are these projects and what financing options are you considering…”

“Q2. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Royal Regiment of Scotland—20 years of duty, courage and, for 23 of its soldiers, the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Across Scotland, more than 20 councils have recognised the regiment’s service by granting it the freedom of their area, reflecting Scotland’…”

“That sounds like a plan. I will direct my next question to the panel itself. What barriers do you think that young people face when accessing STEM opportunities connected to defence?”

“Thank you for that. Kirsti?”

“Thank you for that. Do you want to come in, Susan?”

“Susan, would you like to come in?”

“That sounds absolutely brilliant, especially in schools within Glasgow, as there are a lot of them. Getting this opportunity is fantastic. I was going to ask you how the rural part works, but I think you have covered that. I have been to the Science Centre and seen the amount of work that you do there and how many chil…”

“Thank you, Chair. Kirsti, I will direct my question to yourself. What kind of skills do you think are needed most in the defence sector?”

“Thank you very much for that.”

“Thanks for that, Mhari. You have actually covered my next question, which was about what impact that had. You were saying the police had it as a major incident, so I think you have covered how critical systems went down and how that affected the community. Thank you very much for that.”

“You can see the barriers there again, financially for people.”

“I think there are lots of barriers there causing the issues. What alternative measures are needed to ensure continued connectivity on the island when a cable is damaged?”

“Thank you for that.”

“Excuse me, I have a sore throat this morning. We have just heard about the severe impact Storm Amy had on Tiree. Turning to the disruption that Shetland faced in 2022, did the outage create similar challenges?”

“Okay, thank you for that. While Shetland and Orkney experienced significant disruption during these repairs, it was reported that those on the Faroe Islands did not lose internet connection. Why was this the case? Páll Højgaard Vesturbú: That was because there is another cable system also serving the islands here, the …”

“Overall, do you consider current back-up plans from internet service providers to be adequate when a cable is damaged?”

“Hi, Páll. Following the latest damage to SHEFA-2 in October 2025, it was reported that repairs could take up to three weeks. How long did it take in the end?”

“I thank the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) for securing this debate. We all know that there is no good time to be bereaved, no convenient moment to lose a loved one, and no guarantee that we are equipped to cope with loss at any time of life, but to lose a loved one as a child must surely be one of …”

“I recently attended an event at Oakwood primary school in my constituency, where pupils took part in workshops facilitated by the Children’s Parliament and Save the Children, exploring the impact of poverty. I was so moved that day by the children who recognised that too many of their peers are growing up in hardship a…”

“Last Tuesday I was delighted to see the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport announce £8.14 million in funding for Scotland through the multi-sport grass- roots facilities programme. I have already heard from organisations in my community that are keen to apply, including East End football academy, which run…”