Speeches by Burke.

“You have actually answered my supplementary, which was about what lessons can be learned from future spending rounds.”

“The Scottish Government have claimed that the UK Government offered limited engagement ahead of the spending review, despite extensive representations. What was the Treasury’s approach to engaging with the Scottish Government during the spending review process, and what was your role in this?”

“It is good to see that it is being promoted worldwide.”

“Why was the Brand Scotland programme publicly announced in the autumn Budget before the full business case had been approved by the Treasury? What assurances were in place at that stage to ensure value for money and deliverability of the programme objectives?”

“This House has heard many personal stories over the course of the Bill. Seeing a loved one die a long, protracted death is not an experience that I would wish on anybody, but once it has happened to you, the memory never fades. There are many important technical, legal and medical aspects of the Bill that are essential…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Lewell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Andrew Ranger) for securing the debate. The topic of the debate is very close to my heart. I went straight from school, aged 15, to working in a factory. There was never any suggestion that I could do something …”

“Colleagues have all touched on the skill gaps. The strategy was published in 2023, yet the skills delivery group has not convened. Can you tell me why and what the delay is? Once it is up and running, do you believe the group will be sufficiently agile to respond to the sector’s evolving workforce needs?”

“One of the colleges in my constituency has been taking children in and showing them the engineering side of things. Primary 6 and 7 were taken up, and they were all very encouraged and excited by it. I hope we get many more experiences like that in the future for those children coming through.”

“I recently met researchers at Glasgow University who are working to develop animal-free research methods. They told me that one challenge they face is a lack of dedicated funding. Does my hon. Friend agree that if we are to transition to more humane testing, the Government must consider making more research funding ava…”

“Glasgow City football club in my constituency recently won 2-0 against Hearts, securing the team a place in the UEFA women’s champions league. I was delighted to be at that game cheering the team on. It is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work of the team on and off the pitch, spearheaded by club co-…”

“Does my hon. Friend share my concern for the children in all our constituencies who, after losing nearly two years of face-to-face schooling, are still suffering set-backs in their learning and their social skills? Will he join me in calling on the Government to channel investment into those who were at school during t…”

“I will direct my question to yourself, Ross. How do your operational processes differ when delivering letters to remote and rural areas of Scotland compared with urban areas?”

“My question is to Grace. What are the most significant risks of reducing the second class and bulk mail delivery frequency for rural constituents? How do you expect the newly proposed quality of service targets will or will not address these risks?”

“It is a lifeline for the people living in those areas, so it is crucial that we get that support for them. Thank you very much for that response.”

“Thanks, Stacey. That is great. It is a financial impact then, as well as the concern that they cannot contact or get their hospital appointments in time.”

“What do consumers value most: reliability of the service or cost of service?”

“I am not sure how relevant this is, but this came into my thoughts when you said the price of a first-class stamp is £1.70. That is quite costly, but I was wondering about the cost impact of the stamp, the cost of Christmas cards and people not now sending Christmas cards because of the cost. Do you have any data on ho…”

“That has answered part of my next question. I was just going to ask what steps Royal Mail has taken to ensure the quality of the service and targets will be consistently achieved.”

“That is good. It was just more the timeline. I was wanting to find out what that timeline was, but I think you have given me a good enough idea.”

“Yes, you have your challenges. Thank you very much.”