Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with LINK on the criteria used to assess communities for Banking Hubs in towns such as Larkhall.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Under the statutory access to cash regime, LINK is the coordination body for cash access arrangements and undertakes cash access assessments. Where an assessment identifies a gap, LINK determines the additional cash access service required, which may include a banking hub.

When asked to carry out a cash access assessment, LINK takes into consideration a wide range of criteria, including those unique to each location, such as the size and vulnerability of the population, existing and remaining cash access facilities and the number of shops. Specifically, LINK takes into consideration population demographics, public transport links and whether it is reasonable for people to travel to nearby facilities, including the actual travel distance. LINK uses a catchment area of 3 miles in rural locations and 1 mile in urban areas and considers if there is a significant impact on nearby towns.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department provides to Neighbourhood Boards in Scotland to ensure local communities can effectively maximise Pride in Place funding.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published guidance on GOV.UK here to support delivery of the Pride in Place Programme. The Government has set up a designated Communities Delivery Unit, sitting within MHCLG, which provides direct ongoing support to local authorities, MPs and Neighbourhood Boards. The Government is also establishing a Network for Neighbourhoods across the UK, which will help areas to build connections and share learning, and give Neighbourhood Boards access to expertise and support.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking through the Pride in Place Programme to support the long-term economic regeneration of town centres in Scotland.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Through the Government's Pride in Place Programme, up to £5.8 billion is being invested over 10 years in 284 neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of deprivation, including 24 towns and neighbourhoods in Scotland. In each area, a Neighbourhood Board will work with the local community to decide how this funding is spent, which could include investment in town centre regeneration projects, where these reflect local priorities.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of levels of child poverty in Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce those levels.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Statistics on the number and proportion of children living in relative poverty, including in parliamentary constituencies, are published annually in the Children in low income families: local area statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics-2022-to-2025.

Our UK wide Child Poverty Strategy sets out immediate action to reduce child poverty while delivering the foundations for long-term change. This includes removing the Universal Credit two-child limit, which is expected to lift 450,000 children out of relative poverty in the final year of this Parliament. As of April 2026, an estimated 1,810 children in Hamilton and Clyde Valley were living in Universal Credit households likely to benefit from this change.

Taken alongside other measures, the strategy will lift 550,000 children out of poverty in 2029/30, which is expected to lead to the largest reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began. We have also delivered the first sustained above-inflation increase in the Universal Credit standard allowance, reduced Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate, are investing in employment and skills support to help people move into and progress in work.

We worked closely with the devolved governments during the development of the Child Poverty Strategy and will continue to engage with them as part of its ongoing delivery.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of barriers to digital connectivity in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recognises the importance of accelerating gigabit-capable broadband deployment across the UK and keeps barriers to digital connectivity under review through engagement with industry, Ofcom and the Devolved Administrations. Through Project Gigabit, contracts have been signed since 2024 to connect a further 846,770 premises across the UK, including 77,640 premises in Scotland.

Openreach is currently delivering a Project Gigabit contract covering areas across Central, Northern and Western Scotland, as well as Dumfries and Galloway. Over 6,500 premises have already gained coverage as part of this delivery. In addition to this, GoFibre is delivering Project Gigabit contracts across the North East of Scotland and the Borders and East Lothian. BDUK and The Scottish Government are due to publish delivery updates on these contracts soon.

On 14 July the then Minister for Digital Economy wrote to her Scottish Government counterpart to emphasise that DCMS officials stand ready to continue discussions on targeted measures to support broadband deployment in Scotland, particularly in relation to deployments in multi-dwelling units.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces veterans reside in Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency; and what support his Department provides for veterans’ mental health in Scotland.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

The 2022 census reported in Hamilton and Clyde, that there were 2,551 people who had previously served in the UK armed forces. Health is devolved across the UK, and as such systems differ in the Devolved Governments, with Scotland having their own mental health support provision for veterans.

In November 2025, the Government published its 10-year Veterans Strategy, setting a new vision that recognises veterans as one of the UK's great strategic assets. Applying across the UK and spanning government, business and wider society, the strategy aims to ensure every veteran is celebrated for their service, empowered to fulfil their potential, and supported where needed, while recognising that most are better off for having served.

This Government has launched VALOUR, a new system designed to make it easier for veterans across the UK, including in Scotland, to access the care and support, including the provision of mental health support. VALOUR Recognised Centres will provide access to a range of services, while a network of Field Officers will bring together charities, service providers and local authorities to improve coordination and collaboration. A central VALOUR HQ within the MOD will use data and insight to help ensure services are responsive to veterans' needs and local priorities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support face-to-face banking in rural communities.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking can access essential services, including in rural communities.

That is why we commissioned the independent Access to Banking Services Review, to gather data about current access to banking services and it’s why this Government intends to introduce the Financial Services and Markets Bill with a power to allow the Government to act on that review.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to households in Scotland for energy costs, particularly in rural and semi-rural communities.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises the specific pressures faced by households in Scotland, including rural and semi-rural communities, and understands that many off-gas-grid households rely on heating oil. The Government has provided over £50 million in support for low-income households reliant on heating oil, including £4.6 million for Scotland delivered through the Scottish Emergency Oil Heating Scheme.

The Government has also increased Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants for air source heat pumps from £5,000 to £7,500, which can help off-gas-grid households move to cleaner, more efficient heating where suitable.

Tackling affordability is this Government’s number one priority. The Government has taken action to remove VAT from electricity bills from October, providing breathing space to households facing cost of living pressures. The Government also acted at last year’s Budget by taking on average £150 of costs off energy bills, with those decisions now factored into bills for the years to come.

In addition, 5.7 million households in Britain benefitted from our expanded £150 Warm Home Discount last winter, and this will remain in place for the rest of the decade. The Government has also been contingency planning for a range of scenarios since the conflict in the Middle East broke out. We will continue to look at what more we can do to tackle unaffordable bills and make life easier for working people.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone on Scotland's computing capacity and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone will strengthen Scotland's computing capacity by accelerating delivery of large-scale AI data centre infrastructure and increasing the amount of compute available in the UK.

The Lanarkshire AIGZ is also supporting significant private investment, creating skilled jobs and apprenticeships, and is contributing to the infrastructure needed to support the UK's AI ambitions.

Work is already well underway at the AI Growth Zone, and frontier AI chips will be live at the site next year, supporting the UK’s computing capacity and AI infrastructure goals.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of Universal Credit claimants in Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

Monthly Universal Credit statistics showing the number of people on Universal Credit in each Westminster Parliamentary Constituency, are published in the People on Universal Credit dataset on Stat-Xplore, and are currently available to May 2026.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract information. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of children in Hamilton and Clyde Valley who have benefitted from the removal of the Universal Credit two-child limit.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The requested information is published and available in table 13B, row 591, column K at: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2026 - GOV.UK.