Scottish Economy

Debate between Anne Main and Alison Thewliss

Wednesday 27th June 2018 Westminster Hall

[Mrs Anne Main (in the Chair)]

Order. Mr Gray, the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West (Ged Killen) has taken your intervention. Please do not carry on your conversation.

[Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central) (SNP)]

Does the hon. Gentleman support the devolution of employment law?

Finance Bill

Debate between Anne Main and Alison Thewliss

Monday 26th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Main]

The Minister may well explain that to the hon. Gentleman, but I personally do not want to have to go cap in hand asking for derogations. I would like this country to decide that it is a ridiculous illogicality to have different tax rates on similar-looking pads that could be used for interchangeable purposes. I would not wish to have to go and ask, “Please, European Union, can you allow us to do what we would like to do, which is to free up our women from this taxation that only affects them: a femi-tax?” I would like us to have the ability to do it.

I hope that the Minister will explain to all hon. Members here and to all the women out there in the country why, if they go and buy a mild incontinence, bladder weakness or “Oops moment” pad—call it what you like—and use it as a sanitary towel, they will not be taxed, because they do not understand it, and nor do I. It is time that we stood up to the European Union. If it does not like us doing that and having to ask, “Please can we have permission for a derogation?” then perhaps we need to consider this matter when we are deciding whether we wish to stay in the European Union.

[Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central) (SNP)]

Members may have seen the images circulating on the internet of groups of world leaders with the men photoshopped out, where Angela Merkel and Hillary Clinton cut lonely figures. A version has even been done of the House of Commons. I imagine that some of these Benches would look pretty bare this evening if we took away the men.

That is a stark reminder that despite much progress, we still have a long way to go before gender equality is realised. That is desirable not just for its own sake but because without women the issues that disproportionately affect women do not get resolved. VAT on essential women’s sanitary products is one such issue: it affects only women. I dare say that if it did affect men, it would have been resolved long before now. Every month when I purchase a box of tampons or towels, the Chancellor benefits. Women, on average, begin menstruating at age 12 and continue until age 52. That represents a significant sum of money spent by every woman in the country over their lifetime. This seems particularly unfair for younger women who may not even be old enough to work. That is why our new clause mentions women under 25, who will most likely be in lower-paid jobs or not yet working at all.

I do not know of any woman who exclaims on a monthly basis, “I have my period—what a luxury!” For women, these items are not treats, and they are certainly not optional. Any number of female colleagues here today may have their period and nobody knows, and that is quite right. But people would certainly know all about it if, like the brave London marathon runner, Kiran Gandi, we came into this House deliberately forgoing sanitary protection. That is no doubt an uncomfortable prospect for male Members of this House, but I would say, “Good. I did not come here today, or any day, to make you feel comfortable but to challenge any status quo that I feel is unjust, and I am not done yet.”

I want to highlight the particular case of maternity pads. As the hon. Member for St Albans (Mrs Main) said, it is illogical that incontinence pads are zero rated but maternity pads are not. Such pads are essential for women who have just had a baby; they are absolutely essential for post-birth lochia for up to 10 days after birth. I do not understand why these items are not treated as medical items and similarly zero rated.

Urban Regeneration (England)

Debate between Anne Main and Alison Thewliss

Tuesday 8th September 2015 Westminster Hall

[Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central) (SNP)]

It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Mrs Main. I thank the hon. Member for Wirral South (Alison McGovern) for calling the debate, which I have found most enlightening. It is a shame that Government Members are not here, particularly given that I, a Scottish Member, am here speaking in a debate largely about English towns.

In particular, I want to say that we can learn much from one another across these islands in the way we approach urban regeneration—in the way we approach our towns and cities. I am a Glasgow Member. Glasgow is a city, but it is also made up of villages all around it. We might not recognise them as such because they are close together, but they do have their own distinct feel and vibe, and people are very proud of where they come from even within a city the size of Glasgow. Cities that have suffered the long-term social impacts of deindustrialisation, such as Glasgow, share a lot with cities in England and Wales. That is a particular challenge, too.

I want to highlight a few things that Scotland has done thus far to make progress on urban regeneration that might be of interest to my colleagues here today. Regeneration is difficult. It requires sustained investment, long-term planning and commitment. It is not a project to be embarked on lightly or for short-term political gain; and it cannot be done successfully without working with local people and communities and being led and informed by what they want to see on their doorsteps.

Projects have failed. The Glasgow East Area Renewal in the 1980s failed for a number of reasons, but the main one was that the people locally did not see anything for them in that. It came; it went; and there was nothing left afterwards. I absolutely agree with what the hon. Member for Wirral South said about market failure in our towns and cities. When that happens, an intervention is needed, which will not come from the private sector; local government and national Government will have to work in partnership to turn things around. In Glasgow, in the area I represent, Clyde Gateway has been key not only to doing the difficult land remediation projects, but to regenerating parts of Bridgeton and Dalmarnock. Across the neighbouring constituency of Rutherglen and Hamilton West, a lot of difficult work has been done, and Clyde Gateway has stepped in to fill the void.

In the Communities and Local Government Committee yesterday, I listened with great interest to the Minister for Housing and Planning, who talked about investment in transport hubs. People do not live in transport hubs, in my experience; they live in towns and places, towards which they feel great affection. The Government need to consider the place of towns in people’s health and wellbeing, and their sense of self. If we do not recognise how important that is, we are setting ourselves up to fail.

Many sites around our cities remain boarded off; they do not have the required investment because of the market failure that has been mentioned. In Scotland, we have recognised that. The Scottish Government have undertaken a range of initiatives, particularly through the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, which supports the role of local communities in taking ownership of areas in cities and towns, as well as in rural areas. That could play a significant role in regenerating urban areas, bringing people in and changing how they feel about the areas in which they live. Instead of being frustrated that they cannot do anything about the situation, people can come together and buy out that area, or have an option on that land, so that they can do something with it.

The Scottish Government have a lot of strategy for town centres. They developed the “town centre first” principle in agreement with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. The town centre action plan was started in 2013 and followed up in 2014. The Scottish Government established an empty homes fund for town centres, because part of the problem is that if people move out, there is no one to support local shops and local businesses. Scotland has a £2.75 million fund for town centre housing and a £4 million empty homes fund, so local authorities and housing associations can start to change that around, fix the houses that have fallen into disrepair and bring people in to live in towns and cities. The small business bonus scheme supports small local businesses below a certain rateable value by exempting them from business rates so that they can stay put, and that helps to sustain them in difficult times.

The regeneration capital grant fund is being used in my constituency in an innovative way. The Barras market is world famous for various reasons, but it has seen better days, and regeneration capital grant funding will bring derelict floor space in the Barras market area back into use. Industrial buildings or buildings that once contained market stalls, but that have fallen into disrepair, are now being brought back into use. Various organisations, including artists’ organisations, are coming back into the area. That will have a positive impact and will bring more business and other things into the area.

[Mrs Anne Main (in the Chair)]

May I ask the hon. Lady to address her remarks to the regeneration of towns and cities in England? She is coming to the end of her remarks, and they have been somewhat out of line with the motion.

[Alison Thewliss]

Yes. I am interested in hearing about what is happening in towns in England, and I believe that some of the ideas from Scotland may be of use and of interest to other hon. Members. I would be more than happy to visit the constituencies of other hon. Members, and I encourage them to come to Glasgow or elsewhere in Scotland to see some of our initiatives. There is a lot going on.

European Union Referendum Bill

Debate between Anne Main and Alison Thewliss

Thursday 18th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Main]

My hon. Friend makes a valid point, but I will be chided if I go down that route because it is not within the remit of the amendments under consideration. Such a matter would have to be discussed if we were to reconsider the franchise. I do not think that we should pick and choose our franchise arrangements; I know that Scotland did for the referendum. At the moment, we have a franchise of 18 plus. Those voters elected this Government and asked this Government to deliver a referendum and it is those voters who should vote in the referendum; it is as simple as that.

If we are going to start treading in these waters of saying that 16-year-olds should vote, why should we stop there? As has been said in this Committee, why not 15-year-olds? Why not 14-year olds? How have we picked this arbitrary age? Scotland went down the 16-year-old route. Does that make it the right one?

[Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central) (SNP)]

rose—

[Mrs Main]

I know that I mentioned the word Scotland, so I shall give way to the hon. Lady.

[Alison Thewliss]

Does it not strike the hon. Lady that whenever franchises have been extended in this country, whether it be from 21 to 18, or indeed allowing women the franchise, arguments about capacity and the ability to vote have always been made, yet the franchise age has gone down? More people have participated in elections, and that has been a good thing for democracy.