Oral Answers to Questions

Torcuil Crichton Excerpts

Thursday 30th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Kate Dearden]

I welcome my hon. Friend’s support for sectoral collective bargaining and collective agreements as a key steer for improving living standards across workplaces in the country. As he knows, we are demonstrating our commitment to sectoral collective bargaining with the social care and school support staff sectors. The UK is committed to working internationally to strengthen workers’ rights and enhance Labour standards globally. We fully support the work of the International Labour Organisation and will continue to meet our obligations under the ILO.

[Torcuil Crichton (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab)]

12. What steps his Department is taking to improve the UK's trading relationships with other countries.

[The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Peter Kyle)]

This Government wasted no time when it came to trade deals—not just talking about them, but delivering them. We have already secured trade deals with the biggest economy in the world, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and our biggest trading market. The Government’s clear principle is to deliver for British businesses and the British people. That is why in the first month of my new role I travelled to three continents to further strengthen UK trade and investment.

[Torcuil Crichton]

I welcome the Secretary of State to his place and invite him to Benbecula Distillery in my place. It is a dramatic lighthouse distillery, and a great addition to the landscape. It recently secured £1.5 million from the British Business Bank’s investment fund. Benbecula’s distillery is one of a chain of small distilleries across the Western Isles and other islands. I had a wee dram in Raasay, where that distillery has revived the island as much as its product revived me. What is the Secretary of State doing to make sure that this new wave of small Scottish distilleries will be part of the next round of trade deals?

[Peter Kyle]

I am extremely grateful for the invitation. I can reassure my hon. Friend that when we have the opportunity to take delegations abroad, the Scotch Whisky Association and representatives of those distilleries are always with us. We fight hard for the Scotch whisky business. We know how important it is right across the United Kingdom and to the UK’s economy overall. The week before last I was in India with the Prime Minister where we were furthering the trade deal we have secured and making sure that we exploit all the opportunities that these trade deals present. It is important to not only secure trade deals but make sure that we exploit all the opportunities right across the economy. That deal alone will unleash over £1 billion-worth of opportunities for the Scotch whisky industry, and that is something we should all celebrate.