Douglas Alexander
Main Page: Douglas Alexander (Labour (Co-op) - Lothian East)Department Debates - View all Douglas Alexander's debates with the Scotland Office
(2 days, 9 hours ago)
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Chris Kane (Stirling and Strathallan) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)
This Government are taking action to foster economic growth in Scotland. According to the latest figures, the UK is now the fastest-growing economy in the G7, and last week the OECD upgraded our growth forecast for this year, as did the International Monetary Fund. Scottish businesses and communities are benefiting from our new trading relationships with India and the United States and from the UK’s defence dividend. Those are all creating and supporting good-quality jobs across Scotland.
Chris Kane
UK Government funding is transforming a former Ministry of Defence site in Stirling into a major film studio, creating opportunities for skilled jobs, innovation and growth across Scotland’s screen sector. As this industry is international and relies on a skilled workforce to thrive, a joined-up approach across Government is vital. The funding unlocks the site, but what discussions is the Secretary of State having with the Scottish Government, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and local partners to ensure that my constituency has the skills, infrastructure and support needed to maximise the opportunity? Will he join me in visiting the site to see its potential at first hand?
Mr Alexander
My hon. Friend is a tireless advocate for his community in Stirling. I am pleased to hear that the Stirling and Clackmannanshire city region deal has had a visible impact on the region, and I appreciate his invitation, particularly to visit a film studio. The successful transfer of former MOD Forthside land through the deal has already unlocked further funding for the studio. I assure him that my officials continue to engage with key stakeholders, including the Scottish Government and other Government Departments, such as DSIT and DCMS, to ensure that the UK Government’s investment continues to generate opportunities for growth.
Harriet Cross (Gordon and Buchan) (Con)
Aberdeen is the only UK city expected to grow by less than 1% between now and 2028, not least because of the UK’s anti-oil and gas policies. The Rosebank production facility has now arrived at the field; it is ready and just waiting for the Government to permit it. Rosebank would bring £25 billion of investment into the economy and 2,000 jobs. Would the Secretary of State welcome that economic boost and those jobs for Scotland? If so, when did he last speak to the Prime Minister or the Energy Secretary about having Rosebank permitted?
Mr Alexander
I was actually in Aberdeen at the weekend, and I am fully aware of the contribution that oil and gas make to the north-east of Scotland and to the broader Scottish and UK economy. As was made clear in exchanges with the Leader of the Opposition at the Dispatch Box a few weeks ago, this is a quasi-judicial decision that rests with the Energy Secretary. I assure the hon. Lady that discussions continue not just with me, but with Cabinet colleagues in relation to these matters. Ultimately, given the terms of the legislation, the matter rests with the Energy Secretary.
Susan Murray (Mid Dunbartonshire) (LD)
The Government have pledged major investment in Scotland, which I welcome, but too many Scottish high streets are still being hollowed out by Labour’s job tax hikes while illegal vape shops, mini-marts and barbers thrive. Following yesterday’s announcement for England, does the Secretary of State have any plans to hold discussions with the Scottish Government about increasing steps to tackle this issue and bring life back into our town centres?
Mr Alexander
In relation to the Pride in Place policies that we have set out, we are directly targeting support that can be provided to high streets across Scotland. The hon. Lady will be aware that within the devolution settlement, local taxation in relation to high streets rests appropriately with the Scottish Government. I wrote to the First Minister offering to meet him immediately on his appointment, but it is a matter of regret that he has not taken up that opportunity.
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)
The Government are harnessing the worldwide reach of our diplomatic and trade networks to boost Scottish exports and attract inward investment. We have already delivered deals with India and the United States. I was recently in New Zealand and Australia on a defence-focused visit, meeting with key investors and banging the drum for our world-leading shipbuilding capability. As we speak, the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Kirsty McNeill), is leading a trade mission to China promoting Scottish tech innovation and expertise, along with Glasgow chamber of commerce and representatives from five Scottish cities, including Glasgow.
Torcuil Crichton
Most Scottish interests abroad this weekend will be centred on Boston, and if the Secretary of State is considering a last-minute bid for the world cup, he can fly there from Glasgow this weekend for just £740. That is just £100 more than it would cost my constituents to fly from Stornoway to Glasgow this weekend without the air discount. The rising cost of Loganair flights and the loss of the Stornoway-Inverness morning service is of great concern in the western isles, and we have already lost the Benbecula connection, with all the consequences that has. Will the Secretary of State work with Cabinet colleagues, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Transport—when he returns from his jaunt to America—and others in the industry to review flights across the UK?
Mr Speaker
Order. I think the Secretary of State must have got the gist of the “War and Peace” question.
Mr Alexander
First, I am sure that every Scottish representative, whatever their political affiliation, will want to wish Steve Clarke, Andy Robertson and the boys the very best in Boston. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] Let’s hope they don’t come home too soon.
My hon. Friend raises a substantive and important point about island connectivity, particularly given the woeful, abject failure of the Scottish National party-led Government in Edinburgh in relation to the ferry service. The First Minister recently visited the western isles, and the ferry subsequently broke down; in a sense, that tells us everything we need to know about the Scottish Government’s record. The Minister for Aviation should be happy to pick up this issue with my hon. Friend to discuss what more can be done.
Martin Rhodes
Given Scotland’s significant assets in a variety of sectors, what steps is the Secretary of State taking with ministerial colleagues to ensure that city regions such as Glasgow are not only attracting inward investment, but exporting their world-leading strengths in technology, life sciences and advanced manufacturing to key international markets?
Mr Alexander
One of the regrettable aspects of the SNP-led Scottish Government’s record has been their failure to fully harness the capability of city regions and the economic contribution they can make. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is in China along with Glasgow chamber of commerce and representatives from Glasgow and four other cities. At the moment, they are focused on a trade mission to the Shanghai international technology fair, specifically to champion the region’s world-renowned strengths in technology, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.
Mr Angus MacDonald (Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire) (LD)
Scotland exports 10 to 12 times more electricity than it needs. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is doing a review of community benefits, and we are very concerned that that review will produce a poor outcome for the people of rural Scotland. Could the Secretary of State make representations on that?
Mr Alexander
I am always happy to make representations to colleagues within Government—of course, the Energy Minister is a fellow Scot, representing a Scottish constituency. I know this has been a matter of long-standing concern for the hon. Gentleman, and if he wants to write to me, I will make sure I take it up with the Energy Minister.
Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)
When it comes to representing Scotland’s interests abroad, football is right up there. My constituent, Mr Kenny Smith, has shelled out well over £10,000 on booking his tickets to go to the States. He had visa clearance—he actually had UK security clearance, which is pretty high powered—yet last Wednesday, his visa was revoked. This poor chap is in a very bad situation, so can I appeal to the Secretary of State to give Mr Smith and me any assistance that he can provide to sort this out?
Mr Alexander
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his concern. I can assure him that on Monday morning, from my desk in the Scotland Office, I met officials from the Foreign Office when I first had word that there were concerns about the electronic system for travel authorisation and the visa requirements. On Monday afternoon, I met the Minister for North America in the Foreign Office to raise this concern. Of course, the Foreign Office was at pains to recognise that visa and entry requirements are a matter for the country concerned—in this case, the United States—but it has already made representations on cases such as that of the hon. Gentleman’s constituent, and will continue to do so. If the hon. Gentleman is happy to share the details after today’s discussion, I will immediately take this matter up with the Foreign Office.
Dave Doogan (Angus and Perthshire Glens) (SNP)
Thank you, Mr Speaker. When the Secretary of State first took up his job in government, his first priority should have been advancing the economic interests of Scotland across the world, but we now know what he was really up to instead. His first external meeting as Scotland Secretary and as a Minister was to meet Global Counsel, Peter Mandelson’s international lobbying fund, and he conveniently forgot to declare that meeting for a year and a half. Was that meeting a function of official advice from civil servants in his Department, or is it just the case that when Peter Mandelson says “Jump”, Ministers like him say “How high?”?
Mr Alexander
The hon. Gentleman is going to have to do better than that. That was a meeting facilitated, attended and minuted by officials in the Department for Business and Trade. If he were actually aware, he would know that the Prime Minister has already stated that I have “acted appropriately” and no further action is needed, notwithstanding the hon. Gentleman’s attempts.
When it comes to propriety and ethics, SNP Members might want to look a bit closer to home before they criticise us. Recalling the evidence carefully, and mindful of the direction of Mr Speaker, if they do look closer to home, they will find three coffee machines, seven games consoles, a motorhome, and some extremely expensive salt and pepper dishes. [Hon. Members: “More!”]
Dave Doogan
On the case of Peter Mandelson, the Secretary of State expects—[Interruption.]—
Dave Doogan
On the case of Peter Mandelson, the Secretary of State says, “I’m in the clear because the Prime Minister says so.” The Prime Minister is also up to his neck in the Peter Mandelson scandal, so that is no clean bill of health at all. We saw just this week a stream of gushing—nauseating, actually—messages between Peter Mandelson and the Secretary of State.
How are we to believe that the Secretary of State for Scotland is doing anything in the interests of the people of Scotland when two of his own Labour MPs this week described him as the “most absent” man in the UK Cabinet? What does it say about him that the only person who thinks he is any use is his pal Peter Mandelson?
Mr Alexander
The hon. Gentleman is full of beans—that is obviously what you get with three coffee machines. [Hon. Members: “More!”] He really has to do a whole lot better than his pathetic attempts at smears.
John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)
John Cooper
My constituents will be alarmed to hear that, because Labour’s “devolve and forget” approach is a huge problem. When the Secretary of State is away, the nats will play. We know that the First Minister has gone abroad using taxpayers’ money to talk about the breaking up of Britain. Should the Secretary of State not be inviting the First Minister down for a meeting—without coffee?
Mr Alexander
Very good; I think the First Minister would probably bring the coffee with him, if he was willing to accept the invitation. The hon. Gentleman makes a serious point. I wrote to the First Minister congratulating him on his recent success and inviting him to meet, but no acceptance was forthcoming. That was exactly the same approach as what followed after I was appointed Secretary of State, where I offered to meet the First Minister and he refused. Crocodile tears are often spilt in Edinburgh at the suggestion that we do not have good intergovernmental relations, but if we want better intergovernmental relations, the ball is in the SNP’s court.
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)
Does the Scottish Secretary agree that given the incoming Scottish Government have a whole list of issues and problems on their plate, the last thing they should be concerning themselves with is another divisive referendum?
Mr Alexander
My hon. Friend brings long and valuable experience in both of Scotland’s Parliaments to her understanding of these issues. In 2014, there was an agreement across all parties and across civic society in Scotland that there should be a referendum. There is simply no such consensus today. This is not the time for the SNP’s obsession with independence. It is focused on division and grievance; we are focused on delivery.
Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)
I join the Secretary State in wishing Steve Clarke and the Scotland team all the best in the upcoming world cup. I look forward to them bringing football home to Scotland on 19 July. It might be obvious to most why the SNP might want to distract people from the news at the minute, but it does not excuse it wasting more of Scottish taxpayers’ money pushing its divisive separation agenda, which the majority of Scots do not want. Can the Secretary of State confirm that this Government will recognise the wishes of the majority of Scots and say no to another needless referendum, and does he agree that the SNP should get on with the day job?
Alison Griffiths (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)
I have ongoing discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the oil and gas sector’s future in Scotland, focusing on ensuring that our oil and gas workers have a future as part of our transition to clean energy. Indeed, the Chancellor and I met oil and gas sector leaders earlier this year.
Alison Griffiths
Many businesses in my Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency depend on contracts linked to the North sea energy sector. With this Labour Government driving disinvestment and deindustrialisation, skilled workers are fleeing the industry. Every Member in this House will have constituents whose employment relies on this wider supply chain. Does the Secretary of State understand the chilling effect that his Government’s policies are having on business confidence and investment in this vital industry?
Mr Alexander
It seems to have slipped the hon. Lady’s mind that the energy profits levy was introduced by the previous Conservative Government. It also seems to have slipped her mind that fully a third of the jobs in the North sea were lost during the Conservative Government’s time in office. They failed time and time again to come up with any credible plan. The status quo of that lost decade was 70,000 fewer jobs in the North sea.
Euan Stainbank (Falkirk) (Lab)
Jobs were lost at Grangemouth following Jim Ratcliffe’s decision to close the refinery. The then Tory Ministers, half of whom are now members of Reform, treated it as a commercial decision, and did and delivered nothing. In contrast, the UK Labour Government invested £120 million in December to save Grangemouth’s ethylene plant, but given the closure of the refinery, we must move far more quickly. What efforts is the Secretary of State making to deliver a new industry in Grangemouth with the £200 million allocated to the site by the Labour Government?
Mr Alexander
I assure my hon. Friend that, together with officials, I am actively engaged in efforts to secure the future of the Grangemouth industrial cluster, and I was central to the UK Government’s commitment of £120 million last December to secure the future of the wider site. In December last year, funding of up to £3 million was announced for the Scottish biotech company MiAlgae, which is expected to create up to 310 jobs over the next five years. However, the work continues.
Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)
The list grows longer every week: BP, Hunting, Harbour, Chevron, Well-Safe, Petrofac, Ithaca, Xodus and EnerMech have all announced redundancies in Scotland’s oil and gas industry. For some unfathomable reason, this Labour Government seem to think that everything is fine, but is it not the truth that they are carrying out the wilful destruction of this country’s domestic oil and gas industry, sacrificing thousands of jobs and making the country poorer and less secure?
Mr Alexander
History did not begin in July 2024. The hon. Gentleman can run, but he cannot hide from his record: 70,000 jobs lost in the North sea under the Conservatives, the energy profits levy introduced by the Conservatives, and zero plans for the North sea under the Conservatives.
Andrew Bowie
It is clear that Labour Members just do not get it—or worse, they just do not care. A week tomorrow, there will be a referendum on our oil and gas industry in Aberdeen, and the choice could not be clearer. Only one party is standing up for the granite city, for Scotland’s energy industry and for Britain’s energy security, and that is the Conservative and Unionist Party. The Secretary of State must agree that in Aberdeen next week the choice will be clear: vote to get Britain drilling with the Conservatives, or vote for decline and job losses with Labour or the SNP.
Mr Alexander
That was rather more like a party election broadcast than a question. As always, I would recommend the good voters of Aberdeen to vote Scottish Labour.
Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)
This Government are and remain committed to the successful delivery of the borderlands inclusive growth deal. In March, the UK and Scottish Governments approved a deal reset, which confirmed a more deliverable and affordable financial profile. The reset will boost the delivery of key projects such as the Chapelcross development and the mountain bike innovation centre in Innerleithen, and will help the deal to make a real difference to the south of Scotland.
Ms Minns
May I wish you a very happy birthday, Mr Speaker?
Members on both sides of the border and both sides of the Chamber believe that the deal has the potential to be transformative for our region. What steps are being taken to ensure that progress on the deal is maintained, and will the Secretary of State meet me, and my colleagues on both sides of the border, to discuss the reset?
Mr Alexander
I apologise unreservedly for the unforgivable oversight of not beginning my contributions by wishing you a happy birthday, Mr Speaker.
The borderlands growth deal is driving growth, which is why the UK and Scottish Governments have approved a strategic reset. I assure my hon. Friend that we will endeavour to take forward the work as described.
Johanna Baxter (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)
The Government are committed to boosting Scotland’s regional economies, including that of my former constituency of Paisley and Renfrewshire South. The Paisley and Renfrewshire economy will benefit from £39 million of city deal project funding aimed at Clyde waterfront connectivity. The project is predicted to deliver up to 1,400 jobs and attract £230 million in private sector investment.
Johanna Baxter
A very happy birthday to you, Mr Speaker.
Last week we heard the very disappointing news that the principal investor in the Paisley Centre redevelopment project in my constituency has been forced to withdraw from the project after years of delays and uncertainty. I have repeatedly warned that continued delays would put this project at risk, and it is deeply frustrating that those fears have been realised without, apparently, the SNP-led Renfrewshire council having any back-up plan. Will my right hon. Friend agree to meet me, along with local elected representatives and members of the Scottish Government, to see what we can do to get the project moving?
Mr Alexander
I know better than most the limitations of an SNP-led Renfrewshire council, and I applaud my hon. Friend’s efforts to bring this initiative to the fore. As the UK Government Minister responsible for local growth in Scotland, the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Kirsty McNeill), would be pleased to meet her to discuss how we can work with the council to deliver a vibrant and strong future for the town.
Lillian Jones (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)
The UK Government are committed to empowering local people to deliver neighbourhood regeneration across Scotland. Our Pride in Place programme is directly supporting many of our most-in-need communities to shape the future of their local area. We are investing up to £480 million in 24 Scottish neighbourhoods over 10 years, and that includes £20 million for Kilmarnock.
Lillian Jones
Happy birthday, Mr Speaker.
I was delighted that the Darvel Improvement Group was awarded £200,000 of Pride in Place funding, meaning that it can now progress its work to restore the Sir Alexander Fleming commemorative garden and create an educational memorial in Hastings Square. My right hon. Friend will know that 2028 marks 100 years since the discovery of penicillin, a world-changing breakthrough that has saved millions of lives across the world. For local people across my constituency, that is a source of deep pride—Scotland’s contribution to science from a man born in Darvel in Ayrshire, aka God’s country. Does my right hon. Friend agree that by putting power into the hands of local people, we are helping communities to deliver—
Mr Alexander
Let me congratulate the volunteer-led Darvel Improvement Group, to which my hon. Friend refers, for securing £200,000 from the Pride in Place impact fund. She is right to recognise that the world owes an immeasurable debt to Sir Alexander Fleming, and it is entirely right that his birthplace in Darvel stands at the heart of celebration of his truly monumental scientific achievement.
Pete Wishart (Perth and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
Perth is still the only city in Scotland that has not received one penny from the Conservatives’ levelling-up fund or the Government’s Pride in Place programme. When I wrote to the Minister at the last allocation, she told me that we did not meet the methodologies or indices of deprivation. The Secretary of State was once a failed candidate in the city of Perth and surely noticed that we have poverty, just like every other city in Scotland. Why have we not received a penny, and when will we get our share?
Mr Alexander
The hon. Gentleman is entirely right: I did fight Perth for Labour, although Perth fought back pretty effectively. I am fully aware of the contribution that the fair city of Perth makes to the economy of Scotland, and I am also very aware of the methodology that we have used, which is an objective basis on which to allocate British public funds.
Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)
Producing the clean energy we need is not only right for our energy security and our climate; it is the right thing to do for jobs and investment. Last week, the CBI revealed that the UK’s green economy has created more than 1 million jobs. In Scotland, the industry generated £10.2 billion and supported more than 105,000 jobs, predominantly benefiting local small and medium-sized enterprises and communities all around Scotland.
Gregory Stafford
We are losing over 1,000 jobs a month in our oil and gas industry, and despite what the Secretary of State has just said, we are not seeing a similar uptick in green jobs. Skilled workers are losing their jobs in oil and gas, and are actually leaving the country. The Government’s actions are making the United Kingdom poorer and less secure, and we are waving goodbye to highly skilled jobs. How can the Secretary of State honestly tell this House that there is a transition going on?
Mr Alexander
Look at the work being done, and the investment being made, by Iberdrola and ScottishPower. The hon. Gentleman shakes his head, but that is real investment delivering real jobs. If he would like to comment further on this issue, perhaps he would like to apologise for the abject absence of a plan from the previous Conservative Government on the North sea, which explains the fact that they lost 70,000 jobs on their watch.
Richard Baker (Glenrothes and Mid Fife) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)
The UK Government’s £50 million Scottish defence growth deal is a true step change for Scotland’s industrial base. It will support jobs, skills and regional growth. The deal includes £10 million for innovation facilities, both on the Clyde and in Rosyth. Where the SNP will not back Scottish industry, young people or our national security, Scottish Labour and the UK Government will step in.
Richard Baker
Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Defence set out at the GMB conference how this Government’s investment in defence is delivering for British workers. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that he will work with his Ministry of Defence colleagues to support Scottish yards, including Methil in my constituency? Last month, it delivered the Seahorse pontoon ahead of schedule and on budget, and it has a skilled workforce who are ready to take on new defence contracts, including Programme Euston.
Mr Alexander
There is no more doughty defender of, or advocate for, the Navantia yard than my hon. Friend. I was delighted to visit the yard with my hon. Friend a few weeks ago, and I congratulate the workforce on completing the Seahorse pontoon ahead of schedule. Having visited the yard, I have seen at first hand the expertise and commitment of the workforce, and of the young apprentices there. They are delivering for all of us.