Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many exercises testing national resilience arrangements have been conducted in each of the last five years.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office encourages all departments to conduct or participate in exercises on cross-cutting risks in line with the National Security Risk Assessment, via the National Exercising Programme. The Cabinet Office is not responsible for exercising across the entire system but offers support and guidance.
The Cabinet Office oversaw three cross-system exercises within this period. Exercise MIGHTY OAK on preparedness for a national power outrage ran in March 2023. Exercise PEGASUS on pandemic preparedness was conducted in three primary phases in September and October 2025. A classified cross-system cyber resilience exercise was also conducted in 2026.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department has had with HM Revenue and Customs on simplifying customs processes for low-volume exporters.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Government is committed to minimising administrative burdens and frictions experienced by all businesses trading internationally and has engaged with key stakeholders to better understand their needs for the future operation of the UK border.
HMRC provides clear guidance and direct support to help businesses navigate export processes, whilst applying risk-based checks to minimise disruption for legitimate trade. The make and manage an export declaration online service (Make and manage an export declaration online - GOV.UK) has been designed to support smaller exporters to make export declarations directly to HMRC’s Customs Declaration Service without the need for specialist software. HMRC works closely with Border Force and industry partners to improve processes and offer training and tools to support compliance.
In June 2026, HMRC published a call for evidence to capture industry views on modernising and evolving the customs regime to ensure it provides the best support for exporters and international trade to meet the needs of a modern, digital economy. Where exporters choose to use intermediaries, HMRC has also announced steps to raise standards across the sector to support businesses in navigating customs processes. For further information, please visit: Tax update 2026: simplification, modernisation and fairness summary - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate she has made of the number of exporting businesses located in the Glasgow South constituency.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Parliamentary Question of 15th July is attached.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on reducing administrative burdens for UK businesses exporting to the European Union.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses trading with the European Union and to reducing unnecessary barriers to trade with our closest partner and biggest market to help delivery growth to every post code.
Ministers and officials in my department regularly engage with Cabinet colleagues on matters affecting exporters and economic growth.
We also provide a range of business support services, information, training, events and expert support to both new and experienced exporters, including through ‘Unlock Europe’, a free webinar series which features regular sessions for businesses on how to navigate EU regulations.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the average time taken for a reservist to complete the Armed Forces recruitment process from initial application to enlistment.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence continually monitors and works to improve the Reserve recruitment process. While the average time from application to enlistment varies due to individual circumstances and medical requirements, the process is still too long overall. Initiatives are underway to streamline and shorten this timeline.
The tri-Service Armed Forces Recruiting Service (launching in 2027) will make the candidate process faster and more accessible. Streamlined single entry point for prospective recruits with a new digital platform are expected to reduce delays and improve candidate experience, ultimately decreasing the time taken for reservists to complete recruitment.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what support his Department has provided to satellite manufacturing and space technology businesses based in Glasgow since July 2024.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises Glasgow’s role as a European leader in small satellite manufacturing.
The National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), National Earth Observation Programme, Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit and wider Space Ecosystem supports UK businesses and researchers develop satellite communications, resilient navigation, Earth observation and manufacturing capabilities.
Since July 2024, NSIP funding has supported two Glasgow-based projects with £8.3 million, backing HyImpulse’s sub-orbital rocket test from SaxaVord and £4.9 million, backing Spire Global’s weather data technology.
Glasgow-based companies have also received €5.25million in ESA contracts.
The Department supports Space Scotland and the UK Space Cluster Network to strengthen Scotland’s space ecosystem.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on simplifying the rail fares and ticketing system.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are already taking steps to simplify the rail fares and ticketing system and to make it easier for passengers to trust they are buying the right ticket at the right fare. The move to GBR will enable passengers to receive a more consistent offer across the network, supporting simpler fares, ticketing and retail arrangements. GBR's online retailer will bring together 14 existing websites and apps to one site to deliver a simpler, more consistent service across the country.
We are also taking forward long-distance fares reform. The LNER ‘Simpler Fares’ trial has introduced more flexible products for passengers, making it easier to choose cheaper, less busy trains, putting passenger choice first and tackling overcrowding.
The expansion of Pay As You Go (PAYG) means that more passengers can now access tap in tap out contactless payments, creating a seamless travel experience and allowing people to benefit from daily and weekly caps. We are also trialling new technology including Digital Pay As You Go (DPAYG).
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of private equity ownership on long-term investment in UK high street businesses.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of private equity ownership on long-term investment in UK high street businesses. Decisions on ownership structures and investment strategies are matters for individual businesses and investors.
The Small Business Plan sets out the Government’s approach to supporting high street businesses to thrive, including through expanding access to finance, reductions to business rates, and supporting and nurturing a range of alternative business models like co-operatives and mutuals.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of direct procurement expenditure was awarded to UK small and medium-sized enterprises in the last financial year.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I can confirm that Ministry of Defence (MOD) direct expenditure with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the UK was £1.2 billion in 2024-25.
4% of MOD direct expenditure with UK industry is with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
The most recent spend figures available can be found here: MOD regional expenditure statistics with industry: 2024/25 - GOV.UK
Work on gathering the necessary data for reporting 2025-26 figures is still underway with publication expected in the Autumn.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which visa categories currently have the largest number of outstanding applications.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on its performance against its service level agreement for visas, including WIPs, which can be found at Migration transparency data - GOV.UK. The latest version is named “Visas, status and immigration data: January to March 2026”