Oral Answers to Questions

Douglas McAllister Excerpts

Wednesday 12th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jo Stevens]

Last week, the hon. Lady’s colleagues in the Senedd voted against extra money for tourism—[Interruption.] They did! Maybe she should have a conversation with Darren Millar, her colleague in the Senedd, but I do not think they are having that sort of conversation at the moment because they are still arguing about who is leading the Tories in Wales.

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

6. What recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on NHS waiting lists.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Jo Stevens)]

I regularly meet the First Minister to discuss a wide range of matters, including NHS waiting lists. The latest data shows positive progress in reducing long waiting times and the size of the waiting list, thanks to investment by both the UK and Welsh Governments.

[Douglas McAllister]

I am appalled to hear that Plaid Cymru voted against £600 million of extra investment to bring down NHS waiting list in Wales, but I am afraid that this is a familiar story for our Scottish Members. Does the Secretary of State agree that nationalist parties will always prioritise niche constitutional distractions over delivering priorities for working families and what they need and deserve?

[Jo Stevens]

I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. Plaid Cymru Members will have to explain to their constituents why they voted against £600 million extra for the NHS last week, blocking crucial funding from reaching our hospitals, NHS staff and patients in Wales.

Oral Answers to Questions

Douglas McAllister Excerpts

Wednesday 26th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris Evans (Caerphilly) (Lab/Co-op)]

7. What recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on improving public services.

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

10. What recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on improving public services.

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Hilary Benn)]

I regularly meet Northern Ireland Ministers to discuss the shared challenges we face in improving public services, and the Government will do everything we can to help. Last week, I met the new Finance Minister, and we both expect to be in a position soon to announce progress on funding to help with the transformation of public services.

--- Later in debate ---

[Hilary Benn]

I have not looked specifically at the social partnership model in Wales to which he refers, but I look forward to learning more about it; it sounds very interesting. As I have indicated, we have a lot to learn from each other.

[Douglas McAllister]

The proactive approach that the Secretary of State has set out is an important step change from the approach taken by the previous Government. Does he agree that stabilising and transforming the health service in Northern Ireland is now the priority?

[Hilary Benn]

It certainly is. One has only to look at the waiting list figures in Northern Ireland: some 52% of those waiting for a first consultant’s appointment wait for more than a year; the figure in England is 4%. The First Minister recently described the state of the health service in Northern Ireland as “diabolical”. I am absolutely clear that Ministers and the Executive understand that, and I very much support the programme that the new Health Minister is seeking to put in place to deal with that.

Infected Blood Compensation Scheme

Douglas McAllister Excerpts

Thursday 13th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

First, in terms of numbers, as I indicated, IBCA is operating a test and learn approach that then allows it to scale up. It will scale up its capacity alongside that, to ensure that it has the capacity it requires to process the claims. As I indicated, I visited IBCA last month. I can already see that scaling up starting to take place, and the hon. Member can certainly give assurance to his constituents that the Government will continue to do all we can to ensure the swift delivery of compensation.

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

I thank my right hon. Friend for today’s update. My West Dunbartonshire constituent, Fiona, was infected with hepatitis B following blood transfusions in 1954 and 1985. Fiona is apparently not entitled to any form of support or compensation payment because of missing medical records and because of receiving a transfusion both before and after the 1972 cut-off relating to screening for hepatitis B. Will the Minister agree to meet my constituent and me to discuss this matter and ensure that she and others affected in similar circumstances—apparently a small number—can receive compensation and justice under this Labour Government?

General Election

Douglas McAllister Excerpts

Monday 6th January 2025 Westminster Hall

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris.

As far as the petition before us is concerned, I will make the obvious point that other Members have made before me. We had a general election six months ago and the nation spoke; it delivered a landslide victory for the Labour party. We made it perfectly clear before, during and after the election what the scale of the task at hand was, after 14 years of Tory failure. No one said it was going to be easy; no quick fixes were offered. We are not a Government of populist, easy soundbites, with no real solutions. We made it very clear that, such was the scale of national renewal required across the UK, our Government’s missions would require years, not weeks or months. But this Government have already demonstrated their determination to take the hard decisions to stabilise our economy and begin the process of growth and renewal.

Today is a prime example. Others want to pander to populist nonsense at the start of a new year and, worse still, echo dangerous foreign influences. This Government —my Labour Government and my Prime Minister—today, at the start of a new year, are instead setting out how we will reform the NHS from top to bottom and drive down waiting times, while others want to promote the frankly risible suggestion that we should have another general election just because they do not like and cannot respect the outcome from just six months ago. In July 2024, my constituency of West Dunbartonshire elected a Labour MP and therefore helped to elect a Labour Government for the first time since 2010, with 48.8% of the vote. That is a very clear mandate. We do not grant a rerun just because some people do not like the result. No, we will get on with our Plan for Change and, in doing so, demonstrate that the truth matters, and that defending democracy also matters.

In July 2024, Scotland and West Dunbartonshire voted for change. The work to deliver that change and honour our election promises is already happening. Our first, historic Budget delivered the largest settlement to Scotland in the history of devolution, with £5 billion extra for the Scottish Government to spend on vital services. Labour’s Budget marks an end to austerity and provides the funding required for our NHS, schools and public services in Scotland, to reduce hospital waiting lists and provide fair funding to local councils. The work to deliver GB Energy has started at pace, and the company will be headquartered in Scotland, delivering energy security, good jobs and climate action, as well as lowering bills. 

One of my biggest promises to the people of West Dunbartonshire was to help to introduce day one employment rights, to increase the national living wage and make work pay—and we are delivering that. We are delivering a pay rise for over 3 million of the lowest paid workers across the UK—a £1,400 pay boost for full-time workers. Our Labour Government delivered the funding required for the regeneration of the town centres in my constituency and my communities, the investment required to transform Dumbarton, and the £20 million required for Clydebank town centre.

There is plenty more work to do. West Dunbartonshire’s, Scotland’s and the UK’s best days lie ahead of us. This is not a serious proposition before us today, but we do now have a serious Government, determined to get on with the business of delivering change. In our Prime Minister—I hope I get this quote correct—we have not only someone who is a “hero” who makes us look “cool”, but, more importantly, someone who will see us through this decade of renewal and deliver the change that the UK voted for.

G20 and COP29 Summits

Douglas McAllister Excerpts

Thursday 21st November 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s comments on John Prescott and his legacy. I am so pleased to build on that legacy, both on climate, which John felt passionately about, and with the jobs we have been able to announce going to Hull.

Buy-in is a really important issue. It is why we need to show leadership, because we cannot do it on our own—no country can. With the UK showing leadership, we can get the buy-in of other countries in whatever form and in whatever way we can. That is why I worked so hard at COP on this issue, which was raised again at the G20. It is why I am very supportive of the initiatives for private finance to be leveraged in to help other countries meet the obligations they will have to meet.

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

I am pleased to note that the Prime Minister had good discussions with Prime Minister Modi and deepened our bilateral ties and unique bonds. Can he assure me that my constituent Jagtar Singh Johal’s seven-year arbitrary detention was raised with Modi in those discussions to help bring him home to Dumbarton?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that matter, and let me give him that reassurance that it was raised. It is an extremely important case, so it was raised by me, and it has been raised by other Ministers, as he would expect.

Oral Answers to Questions

Douglas McAllister Excerpts

Thursday 24th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Pat McFadden]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Here, in the spirit of the exchanges this week, I want to pay tribute to something the previous Government did, which was to improve the data operation at the heart of government. That does help when the Government are forming policy. We want to build on that and use data. It is important that we modernise how government works. The accurate use of data can help us to make better policy and that is what we want to do.

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

Almost 29,000 families in Scotland benefited from maternity pay last year, worth over £200 million. Does the Minister share my concern about suggestions from a Conservative party leadership candidate that it should be reduced?

[Pat McFadden]

I very much share my hon. Friend’s concern. In fact, the only economic policy we have had so far from the Conservative leadership contest has been the suggestion that we reduce maternity pay. That will do nothing for families, nothing for mothers and children, and nothing for the good operation of our economy. I hope they think twice about that suggestion.