Business of the House

Douglas McAllister Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I absolutely will ensure that there is a ministerial statement as these things develop. The hon. Member will be aware that we are in intensive negotiations with the US on tariffs and broader trading arrangements. He will appreciate that we are in a fairly unique position among countries, in that the UK has a trade deficit with the US, so the US benefits more from that relationship than we do. I think that gives us some advantage in the conversations that we continue to have, but we recognise how important it is to make sure that we are not affected by tariffs, if at all possible. I will ensure that the House is updated.

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

BBC Scotland announced last week that the much-loved, long-running drama series “River City” will be decommissioned by the autumn of 2026. The fictional town of Shieldinch is based in my constituency of West Dunbartonshire; the set and studio are in Dumbarton. BBC Scotland is part of the wider BBC, which is a public service broadcaster with a duty to use public funds to produce Scottish content, including drama. After 23 years of BBC Scotland supporting Scottish actors and production talent, I am concerned that skills and career development opportunities in the industry will be lost in the west of Scotland. Can the Leader of the House bring this to the attention of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and will she urge the BBC to reconsider its decision and save Scotland’s only domestic TV soap?

[Lucy Powell]

I am really sorry to hear that “River City” is being decommissioned by the BBC. I know this will be of great concern to my hon. Friend’s constituents and those across Scotland. He is right to say that the BBC has a duty to represent, serve and reflect all the communities of the UK, including by making sure that there is Scottish content for Scottish audiences. I will ensure that he gets a thorough response from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, but I thank him for raising this very important matter.