Oral Answers to Questions

Douglas Alexander Excerpts

Wednesday 26th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Alison Griffiths (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) (Con)]

15. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the potential for new nuclear power sites in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)]

If you will allow me, Mr Speaker, it seems fitting to begin by congratulating the Scottish men’s football team on qualifying for the world cup next year. For the first time since 1998—when I watched them in France alongside the tartan army—we will be back on the world’s largest stage. Steve Clarke and the team truly are history makers, and we are very proud of them.

Alas, today Scotland is being held back by the Scottish Government’s dogmatic opposition to nuclear power. New nuclear projects can deliver millions of pounds of investment and thousands of high-quality jobs and apprenticeships. Scotland is well-placed to benefit from the jobs, investment and energy security that nuclear can provide, but frankly we need a change at Holyrood.

[Mr Bedford]

What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the SNP Government in Scotland, whose luddite approach and ideological blinkers prevent Torness, Dounreay and Hunterston from being considered for future nuclear projects—and all the jobs and investment that go with them?

[Mr Alexander]

This at least seems to be an occasion for which there is genuine cross-party consensus. Not only have we urged a different approach from the Scottish Government—and I do so again—but my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero has already asked Great British Energy Nuclear to begin assessing Scotland’s capability for new build nuclear sites.

[Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown]

Would the Secretary of State not agree that connecting renewables to the grid requires considerable expense, and would not the former nuclear sites of Hunterston, Torness and Dounreay make very suitable sites for new nuclear power stations, from which the Scottish people have benefited hugely in the past?

[Mr Alexander]

I should declare an interest in that Torness is in my Lothian East constituency. It provides about 750 highly paid, unionised jobs. Of course, we would welcome the opportunity for advanced modular reactors, small modular reactors or new build nuclear at the Torness site, but the EDF management there says that the opposition from the Scottish Government is preventing equivalent investment of the kind that was recently announced for Torness’s sister plant in Hartlepool.

[Alison Griffiths]

A key plank of the SNP’s dogmatic argument against new nuclear is cost. Will the right hon. Gentleman find a quiet moment—perhaps when the winds fall light and the turbines stop—to point out to them to reduced costs of small modular reactors?

[Mr Alexander]

Of course, new technologies are emerging, as the hon. Lady recognises. We are delighted that Rolls-Royce is one company leading that new wave of nuclear technology. We do not even need to look to the future; we can look to the most recent past for occasions when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine in Scotland. That is why Torness provides significant base load capability. We see new build nuclear as an essential part of that energy mix going forward. Alas, the Scottish Government do not understand that.

[Katrina Murray (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)]

Does the Secretary of State agree that Scotland cannot meet its long-term energy security and net zero goals without new nuclear power, and that the University of Strathclyde’s internationally recognised power networks demonstration centre, whose expertise in grid integration and systems resilience is world leading, will be essential for the safe and effective deployment of next-gen nuclear technologies across Scotland?

[Mr Alexander]

I wholeheartedly agree with my hon. Friend: the expertise of our research centres in the United Kingdom, including the University of Strathclyde’s PNDC, is absolutely critical. The crucial research that they undertake will help to further the safe and effective deployment of new nuclear technology. We are watching a wave of nuclear technological innovation around the world. We must ensure that, as well as universities, communities across Scotland can benefit from it.

[Graeme Downie (Dunfermline and Dollar) (Lab)]

Last week, I spoke with trade unions in Scotland. They argue that the ideological ban on nuclear power is costing young people career opportunities for well-paid and long-term jobs. In my constituency, an SNP councillor is spreading misinformation and arguing against highly skilled nuclear jobs in the safe dismantlement of nuclear subs at Rosyth. Does the Secretary of State agree that that pervasive misinformed approach is holding our country back, and will he urge the First Minister to distance himself from the comments of that councillor and welcome those jobs in Rosyth?

[Mr Alexander]

Of course I condemn such misinformation. The reality is that the Government are investing £340 million in the Rosyth dockyard. I was in Fife on Monday and met with Fife College, Fife chamber of commerce, Babcock, and Navantia UK from down the coast. Huge investment is going in but, alas, the Scottish Government seem resistant to harnessing the potential of defence growth deals to secure new opportunities, not least for apprentices in Scotland.

[Joani Reid (East Kilbride and Strathaven) (Lab)]

Since my election I have met with many employers, both local and national, which have expressed—to put it in parliamentary terms—frustration at the SNP’s no-nuclear policy. This is stopping my constituents from getting access to high-quality jobs and it is preventing investment. Does the Secretary of State agree that this is a political choice that is actively stopping Scotland receiving good-quality jobs and investment?

[Mr Alexander]

I find myself in agreement with my hon. Friend. This is not just an anti-jobs measure by the Scottish Government; I would argue that it is an anti-science measure. Let us remember that nuclear power is carbon free. Given the climate change challenge we face, why would we want to resist a technology that can provide reliable, safe and cheap carbon-free energy for decades to come?

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

[Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)]

I join the Secretary of State in congratulating Steve Clarke and Scotland football team for qualifying for their first world cup since I was 11 years old. I remember getting the afternoon off school, and when we have our first game next year I hope that Mr Speaker takes the same approach to the parliamentary day as my headteacher took to the school day.

Scotland has a long, proud history of nuclear power generation. We have the skills, the sites and the local support. But we also have, in the SNP Scottish Government, a luddite mentality, choking-off investment, preventing new jobs and going against the wishes of local communities, such as those in Dunbar, which the Secretary of State knows well, who want Torness secured for future generations. What does the Secretary of State think it will take for the SNP to join the growing list of countries around the world, and allow the global revolution in clean, safe nuclear power to reach Scotland?

[Mr Alexander]

I am happy to tell the hon. Gentleman what I think it will take: it will take a change of Government next May. It is time for a new direction in Scotland.

[Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)]

2. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of her policies on the cost of living in Scotland.

--- Later in debate ---

[Seamus Logan (Aberdeenshire North and Moray East) (SNP)]

12. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of her policies on the cost of living in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)]

Over the last year, we have increased the national living wage—a pay rise for 200,000 of the lowest-paid Scots—delivered a generational upgrade to workers’ rights, had five interest rate cuts, and expanded the warm home discount scheme, meaning one in five Scottish households are getting £150 off their bills. But we need to go further and faster, and the Chancellor has pledged targeted action to bring down inflation further.

[Liz Saville Roberts]

The Government do indeed need to go further. This morning, the Scottish Government laid the regulations necessary to mitigate the two-child cap, brought in by Labour and carried on by Labour. Scotland is the only part of the UK where child poverty is falling, and it is the only part of Great Britain with a non-Labour Government. Does the Secretary of State recognise the huge role played by the Scottish child payment in tackling poverty head on? Does he agree that Labour in Cardiff Bay and in Westminster should follow the Scottish Government’s lead?

[Mr Alexander]

I was part of a Government that saw child poverty fall significantly. I believe that this Government will be true to that commitment. I hope there may be more for the Chancellor to say in the coming minutes, but be assured that we welcome all measures that reduce child poverty after many years in which, tragically, we have seen poverty rise.

[Kirsty Blackman]

In the 16 months since the King’s Speech, when Labour MPs were whipped to vote against scrapping the two-child cap, how many children have been pitched into poverty as a result of the Government’s refusal to scrap the cap?

[Mr Alexander]

We have always been clear that we wanted to take action on the basis of sound public finances. That is why it is a Labour Government that have been willing to take difficult and challenging steps. I am old enough to remember the criticism from those on the SNP Benches after 1997, and we went on to lift a record number of kids out of poverty. That is why I welcome our Chancellor’s approach.

[Seamus Logan]

It is just over 500 days since this Government came to power, and the policies of the Chancellor and the Government have been a disaster for the north-east of Scotland with cost of living problems, whether that is the impact of national insurance hikes on jobs and investment, the family farm tax on the agricultural sector, the energy profits levy, which is killing jobs in the offshore sector, or the raw deal offered to our fishing industry with the coastal growth fund. Can the Secretary of State tell me and the House whether we should expect the Chancellor to fix the mess that she has made, or will the Budget be another failure for the people of the north-east—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Too long.

[Mr Alexander]

It will not surprise the House that I am not going to prejudge announcements that the Chancellor will be making from this Dispatch Box in just a few minutes, but I certainly do not recognise the characterisation that the hon. Gentleman has offered of the first 15 or so months of this Labour Government. It was always going to take more than 18 months to undo the damage of the last 18 years. We have already seen 200,000 Scots lifted out of poverty and record rises in the national minimum wage, and that work will continue.

[Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)]

This Government are embarking on delivering the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, working to provide income security for many in my constituency. I am not surprised that Conservative peers are blocking that in the other place, but will my right hon. Friend share the shock of my constituents that the Liberal Democrats and now Green Members are also doing that?

[Mr Alexander]

I would like to say that I am shocked and surprised, but very little that the Liberal Democrats do can shock or surprise me. The truth is that the Employment Rights Bill is expected to benefit people in the most deprived areas of the country by up to £600 in lost income from the hidden costs of insecure work. That is exactly the work that we as a Labour Government are called to tackle.

[Martin Rhodes (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the impact on Scotland of the increase to the national living wage?

[Mr Alexander]

Only this morning there were discussions in the Cabinet involving me and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and I pay tribute to the work that she and others in government have done to ensure both that upgrade to workers’ rights and that pay rise for the 200,000 poorest paid Scots.

[Stephen Gethins (Arbroath and Broughty Ferry) (SNP)]

Will the Secretary of State tell the House by how much household energy bills have risen since Labour came to power?

[Mr Alexander]

I hope we will be hearing more about energy bills later this afternoon.

[Stephen Gethins]

The Secretary of State clearly does not know, so I will help him: energy bills have risen by £187 for the average household, with more rises due on the way. He might also want to know that today is National Energy Action’s Fuel Poverty Awareness Day. Scotland is one of the most energy-rich parts of Europe, with our renewables and hydrocarbons that the Treasury has benefited from over the years. Does he get the frustration at this Government when it comes to the cost of living on fuel poverty, food prices and child poverty, due to Tory policies that they have maintained?

[Mr Alexander]

This Government have taken action and will continue to take action. In his rather partial account, the hon. Member missed out around 530,000 households in Scotland that are already benefiting from £150 off their energy bills this winter, and I hope we will hear more today.

[Jerome Mayhew (Broadland and Fakenham) (Con)]

3. What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of recent trends in levels of economic growth in Scotland.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Kane (Stirling and Strathallan) (Lab)]

5. What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on skills, development and training for the Forth valley area.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)]

The funding of Forth Valley college is a matter for the Scottish Government. Scottish colleges had their funding cut by 20% between 2021-22 and 2025-26. As the UK Government, we have delivered a record funding settlement to the Scottish Government. For as long as no final decision has been reached regarding the Alloa campus, I urge the Scottish Government, in the words of “Flower of Scotland”, to “think again”.

[Chris Kane]

Years of SNP underfunding have pushed Forth Valley college into financial crisis. Just when we needed to deliver skills for Stirling’s film studio, the Grangemouth transition, and shipbuilding and defence in the Forth and Clyde, the Alloa campus faces closure. Does the Secretary of State agree that the SNP is undermining Scotland’s future by neglecting the institutions that could drive growth? Does he also agree that Scotland needs a Labour Government, with Anas Sarwar, to rebuild our colleges and our skills base?

[Mr Alexander]

The facts are clear. The spending review was historic for Scotland and delivered the largest real-terms settlement for the Scottish Government in the 25 years of devolution, with an average of £50.9 billion per year between 2026-27 and 2028-29. It simply makes no sense to cut the further education college budget in Scotland by 20%, and it is definitely time for a new direction.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Susan Murray (Mid Dunbartonshire) (LD)]

After 18 years of an SNP Government in Scotland, the education system is failing and qualified Scottish pupils are being turned away from Scottish universities. Meanwhile, the private sector in the west of Scotland, such as at the energy technical academy in my constituency, is upskilling workers, who are paying so that they can install electric vehicle chargers and heat pumps. Will the Secretary of State explain to the Scottish Government that educating young people and further education training are good for Scotland?

[Mr Alexander]

I sincerely hope the Scottish Government are listening to the very powerful points made by the hon. Lady. Some 89,600 young people in Scotland are not in work, education or training. That is equivalent to about 16.1% or one in six of our young people in Scotland. Scotland deserves better than a Scottish Government who are failing one in six of their young people.

[Richard Baker (Glenrothes and Mid Fife) (Lab)]

6. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support skills and training in the defence sector in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)]

The UK Government are transforming our defence sector into an even more powerful engine of growth, with skills and training being a central pillar of the strategy. If the SNP-led Scottish Government will not do the right thing, we will. That is why we stepped up with £2.5 million to fund a specialist welding centre in Glasgow, and we continue to work on exactly that agenda.

[Richard Baker]

The recruitment of 14 new apprentices at the Methil yard in my constituency, which was saved from bankruptcy by this Labour Government protecting 200 skilled apprenticeships, is in stark contrast to the failure of the SNP on apprenticeships in the defence sector. That means that many companies struggle to recruit skilled workers locally. Will my right hon. Friend work with colleagues in the Ministry of Defence to promote Methil as a prime location for future defence contracts so that Navantia UK can create more new apprenticeships at the yard and work successfully with a Scottish Labour Government at Holyrood?

[Mr Alexander]

I met with Navantia management in Fife on Monday, and I met with the Minister responsible for defence procurement yesterday. There are huge opportunities thanks to my hon. Friend’s powerful advocacy of the workforce in Methil and the work that we can do together. The truth is that we have a Scottish Government who are dithering on defence, and we have a Labour Government determined to do right by the country on defence.

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

I was delighted when Eastriggs in my constituency was shortlisted for a new UK munitions factory. The Secretary of State will know about its long history in munitions and the fact that the Ministry of Defence already owns the site. Will the Scotland Office continue to promote the project and join me in facing down the Scottish Government’s anti-defence-industry stance?

[Mr Alexander]

I can offer the right hon. Gentleman the assurance he seeks in relation to facing down a Scottish Government who are dithering on defence. I pay tribute to him for his passionate advocacy of the site he speaks of in Dumfriesshire, and I assure him that we in the Scotland Office will continue to work with our colleagues in the MOD as we ensure that we have the factories we need to keep our country safe.

[Elaine Stewart (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (Lab)]

7. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support regeneration in Scotland through the Pride in Place programme.