Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 29th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

I do not know whether the Leader of the House is a keen cyclist or mountain biker, but I am sure that he will share my excitement, and that of my constituents, that after the grand départ in Edinburgh, the Tour de France will pass through Innerleithen, Walkerburn and Canonbie in my constituency. Along with the forthcoming opening of the mountain bike innovation centre in Innerleithen, does he agree that this will showcase the Tweed Valley as the best cycling venue not only in the United Kingdom but in the world?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

What an opportunity to showcase what the right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to say is a very beautiful part of the world. As he can probably imagine, I am not renowned for my cycling ability or my history of such things, but I know that a lot of my constituents and people across the country are, so it is a great honour to have the course routed through the right hon. Gentleman’s constituency. I wish everyone involved well.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As I said in a previous answer, audiology is a vital part of healthcare. I will ensure that the relevant Minister is aware of my hon. Friend’s concerns and updates him on what plans the Government have to improve these services as fast as we possibly can.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

I echo the Leader of the House’s Burns night greetings for Sunday. Will he join me, in my position as co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on nuclear energy, in congratulating the Nuclear Industry Association and all those in the nuclear industry who ensured the success of the fifth Nuclear Week in Parliament this week, which has showcased all aspects of the industry, from new build and supply chain to decommissioning, and allowed numerous engagement opportunities for MPs? May we have a debate on the benefits that the nuclear industry brings to England and Wales in terms of jobs, economic growth and energy security, so that Scottish Members like myself can once again expose the shameful conduct of the Scottish Government in using their planning powers to block new nuclear development in Scotland to the detriment of my constituency and Scotland?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for raising the work of the Nuclear Industry Association and the success of the fifth Nuclear Week in Parliament. As he knows, the Government support the nuclear industry and have committed £17 billion for an ambitious nuclear programme. It is a pity that that ambition is not shared by the SNP, which on these matters seems to care little about the jobs and greater energy security that are associated with projects like these. There will be ample opportunity, as we set out the Government’s proposals on these matters, for him to raise his concerns.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 15th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that matter not just on behalf of her constituency but for her region, championing the concerns of councils as well as of her constituents. The Government are making good on a long-overdue promise to update the way in which we fund local authorities. I can give her my assurance that Ministers are working very hard indeed to ensure that—within the limits of what we can do—councils get the resources that they require. I will ensure that the relevant Minister is made aware of her concerns.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

May I add my congratulations to my long-time Scottish Conservative and Unionist colleague, Lord Forsyth, on his election as Lord Speaker?

In the pre-recess debate, I highlighted the exciting prospects for the redevelopment of the Chapelcross nuclear power station site in my constituency. For that redevelopment to go ahead, it will require an additional extensive connection to the grid, but at the moment the National Energy System Operator, which is in charge of managing the electricity network, is conducting a review, and no large-scale connections are going ahead. Could the Leader of the House ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to make a statement on when NESO’s review will be concluded and these important connections can proceed?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for bringing this matter to the House. I know he is a strong advocate on this issue, and I recall him raising it before the recess. I will raise his concerns with the responsible Minister and his reasonable request to see what further progress can be made, to give some certainty. It goes back to what the shadow Leader of the House said; it is about literally joining things up—that is crucial, so I will draw this to the attention of the Minister.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am delighted that my hon. Friend has raised the matter of Bradford being the 2025 city of culture—I know this subject is close to your heart, Madam Deputy Speaker—and the fact that it has been a tremendous success. The city of culture programme has historically been a driver of local growth and pride. Next year, we look forward to not only cities of culture, but towns of culture. I am sure there will be an opportunity in the new year for my hon. Friend and others to debate these matters and see what further progress we can make.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish you, all Members and House staff a very merry Christmas and a guid new year, when it comes. I have the honour to represent one of the largest rural constituencies in the United Kingdom, where the ability to drive is essential for many, particularly at Christmas, when we want to get out and see family and friends. May we therefore have a debate in Government time on the operation of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and its associated agencies? Not only are there long delays for driving tests, and not only are rural test centres being overwhelmed by people from outside the area, but we now have significant delays for people with medical conditions who are applying to renew their driving licence.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank the right hon. Member for his question. I agree with him about the importance of being able to drive, particularly in areas like his. The DVLA aims to process all applications as quickly as possible, but he will know from the National Audit Office report on driving tests, published this week, that the situation is far from acceptable, and delays can affect the lives of our constituents. I will therefore ensure that a Minister updates him on the steps that the Department for Transport is taking to ensure that the DVLA’s performance improves.

Christmas Adjournment

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

My constituency is larger than any in England and has over 100 distinct communities, which I could not even list in three minutes, so I intend just to focus on the highlights. I am delighted that the Backbench Business Committee has granted a debate on modernising marriage laws, because Europe’s self-proclaimed marriage capital, Gretna Green, is in my constituency.

In Annan, the main issue for the community remains the replacement of two footbridges swept away during flooding in 2021. There is still no plan to replace them, despite the community’s own efforts to bring forward plans. That is why I hope that project can come under the important Borderlands growth deal, which covers the south of Scotland. It has been a positive force, but, as I said in a recent debate about Scotland, it needs the Government to put a bit more oomph into it.

Two very positive projects are unfolding. One is at Eastriggs, with the potential for a UK munitions factory on the site of HM Gretna, which was a munitions factory during the first world war. That would give a huge boost to not only my constituency but that of the hon. Member for Carlisle (Ms Minns). There is also a plan for a green energy hub on the Chapelcross site. Although I would have preferred to have seen a new nuclear plant on that site, I am happy to support the project.

I can demonstrate that coming to business questions with the Leader of the House has an impact. On one Thursday in October, I called on the Bank of Scotland to sell its branch in Peebles to the Peebles Community Trust, and the very next day it announced that it was doing so. I take that intervention as having been helpful.

The constituency covers not only a large rural area but former mining communities. I was pleased, along with many Government Members, to support constituents in their call to have the British Coal staff superannuation scheme extended to include them—that was one announcement in the Budget that I was able to welcome.

As we approach the Scottish Parliament elections, two Members who overlap with my constituency are standing down. They are Christine Grahame, who has served for 27 years and my son Oliver Mundell, who has served for 10.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 11th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am sure that the whole House will join me in extending our deepest sympathies to Emma and her family. I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Emma on her incredible efforts in Brodie’s memory. Every suicide is a tragedy. Through the national youth strategy, we are taking steps to ensure that every young person feels supported.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

The Leader of the House will share my disappointment at the Scottish Government’s illogical and wrong-headed approach to nuclear power, which means that the former Chapelcross site in my constituency cannot be considered for a new nuclear power station. I hope that, like me, he welcomes the announcement from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority that there is to be a strategic partnership with CX Power, with the hope of turning the site into a green energy hub producing hydrogen. While that might not be the nuclear power station that my constituents would wish to have, I hope that it will bring the skilled jobs that the power station did for over 60 years.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I share the right hon. Gentleman’s concern and frustration about the attitudes towards nuclear, because Scotland is well placed to benefit from new nuclear projects. There are millions of pounds-worth of investment, high-quality jobs and apprenticeships, and I certainly welcome what sounds like a fantastic development in his constituency. Should he wish to raise the matter through a Westminster Hall debate, he can test Ministers on what further can be done.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 4th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am sure the whole House will join me in expressing our deepest sympathy on this distressing attack and in wishing the young boy a full and swift recovery from this horrific ordeal. I am not surprised that it has caused such distress to his parents. I will tread carefully and say that I will draw it to the attention of the relevant Minister and make sure that my hon. Friend gets a response.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

I was pleased to welcome pupils from Annan academy in my constituency to Parliament last week and to hear directly from those young people that many of them had actively participated in a consultation by SNP-led Dumfries and Galloway council to voice their opposition to an ill-thought-out proposal to cut free musical instrument tuition in local schools. I am sure the Leader of the House will agree that not only are the Annan pupils right that music tuition should not be only for those who can pay for it, but that they are to be praised for speaking out on an issue that directly affects them and that we should encourage all young people to do the same.

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Students at Annan academy have set a fantastic example and are right to champion the importance of music. We are topping up the music and dance scheme in England and are publishing a new enrichment framework. I encourage others who have some responsibility for these matters to look at it and see what they can learn and then to apply it themselves. The pupils’ example, following Parliament Week, would be fitting for a contribution to the pre-recess Adjournment debate.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 30th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising awareness of the work of Arnold u3a and Hazel Ward. Loneliness can have real consequences for individual health across our communities. The Government are committed to building on the work of our friend Jo Cox in supporting people to build the social connections they need. I am sure that many people across the House would support such a Backbench Business debate, should my hon. Friend request one.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

Kelloholm is a former mining community in my constituency. Like the rest of Upper Nithsdale, it has few amenities, so it came as a complete shock to local people when, out of the blue, SNP-led Dumfries and Galloway council suggested closing the Hillview leisure centre as a possible budget-saving measure, despite the centre’s pivotal role in the community for youth work, employment support programmes, children’s parties and other social events, as well as gym, sport and recreation uses. Will the Leader of the House join me in calling on the council to abandon this knee-jerk and ill-considered proposal, which would do real damage in and around Kelloholm, and will he spend more time calling out the Scottish Government’s deliberate policy of starving local authorities of the resources they need?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I am not sure it will do the right hon. Gentleman much good, but I find myself agreeing with him on most Thursdays. I thank him for his question. Of course, it is a matter for the local authority, but he has highlighted in his assiduous way the concerns of his constituents. The SNP Government have received a record funding settlement, and I agree it is such a shame to see vital assets underfunded and, therefore, under threat.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 16th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

I welcome the right hon. Gentleman to his post, and my athletic constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (John Lamont), to his.

Today at 2 pm there will be a protest in Moffat by campaigners who are making a last-ditch attempt to save the local Bank of Scotland branch, and I commend them for their efforts. It is one of five branches to be closed in my constituency this year. Does the Leader of the House agree with me that, if banks cannot be persuaded not to abandon the high street, they should at the very least ensure that their premises are provided for community use? Therefore, in the case of the Peebles branch, does he also agree that the bank should look favourably on the offer from the Peebles Community Trust for that branch?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I do agree with the right hon. Member, because in-person banking is important to our local communities. In fact, I have a hub opening in Whitley Bay in my constituency in about 10 days’ time. I understand that is cold comfort for the people of Moffat, but we are seeing banking hubs rolled out across the country. I think banks have such a responsibility, and the best banks actually look at their responsibility to continue to have a branch presence. Should they not, I think they have an obligation to work with others to ensure that there is access to banking. I would also say that the Scottish Government have their own community right to buy policy, which he may wish to look at as part of any campaign for the purchase of a community hub. Next week in Westminster Hall there is a debate on financial inclusion in which he may wish to amplify his point.

Business of the House

David Mundell Excerpts

Thursday 4th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

The Parkrun and junior Parkrun initiatives are fantastic at engaging people in daily activity to keep them healthy and at bringing them together, tackling other issues such as loneliness. I join my hon. Friend in thanking all the organisers for their involvement.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

Will the Leader of the House join me in recognising Gretna Green in my constituency as not just the wedding capital of the UK, but the wedding capital of Europe? It is particularly popular with couples from the north-west, and obviously, any MP who is still looking to be wed would be made most welcome there. However, many of the rules and regulations around civil ceremonies are arcane and bureaucratic. While there must always be proper checks, surely simplicity, spontaneity, innovation and joy must also be important. As such, will the Leader of the House bring forward a debate on modernising marriage laws?

[Lucy Powell]

I am not sure whether any of the couples I mentioned at the beginning of this questions session got married in Gretna Green—maybe they can declare it if they did—but we are all of course very familiar with it as the iconic place for weddings in this country. The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point about simplifying some of the bureaucracy and making sure we remember what marriage is all about. I will get in touch with the relevant Minister on his behalf and see what we can do.