Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Scotland Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Gethins Excerpts
Wednesday 30th October 2024

(1 day, 18 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Martin McCluskey Portrait Martin McCluskey
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

We will take absolutely no lessons on employment rights from the Conservative party, which left us with a £22 billion black hole in the public finances that we are having to pick up. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor will address that in a moment.

Stephen Gethins Portrait Stephen Gethins (Arbroath and Broughty Ferry) (SNP)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

I join the hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Blair McDougall) in congratulating the hon. Member for High Peak (Jon Pearce) on the birth of his daughter. On the demographic challenge, just before the election the Scottish Labour deputy leader said

“there is something we can do to incentivise”

more people to come to Scotland. In terms of employment in Scotland, have the Secretary of State and colleagues sat down with the Home Office to discuss encouraging more migration?

Martin McCluskey Portrait Martin McCluskey
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The Government will work closely with the Migration Advisory Committee. We welcome the contribution that migrants make to the economy, but we will take no lessons from a party that has consistently said that the positive destination for people in Scotland is a zero-hours contract, and whose Members sat on their hands last night when we dealt with the Great British Energy Bill.

Stephen Gethins Portrait Stephen Gethins
- View Speech - Hansard - -

Let me try to challenge the hon. Member. In a spirit of collegiality, the UK Government have committed to working with the Scottish Government. The hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Torcuil Crichton), who is in his place, has said:

“When it comes to immigration policy one size does not fit all. It shouldn’t be beyond us to devise ways to attract more people to work and settle here.”

Will the Minister confirm that the Scottish and UK Governments should work together, and will he commit to a meeting between the Governments so that we can take forward the idea of more migration to Scotland, which the Labour party committed to and we committed to, and business is crying out for?

Martin McCluskey Portrait Martin McCluskey
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

We have committed to Scottish representation on the Migration Advisory Committee, which would go a long way to dealing with these issues, but it is for the Scottish Government to do things like build houses in areas where we need more migration in order to encourage people to come to live in Scotland.