Kirsty McNeill
MP for Midlothian · Labour (Co-op) · United Kingdom
“I was delighted to meet key farming stakeholders at the Royal Highland Show, where we discussed the structural pressures facing the livestock industry in Scotland.”
“There is simply no excuse for this kind of senseless violence and antisocial behaviour, and I am very saddened to hear about the impact that it has had on my hon. Friend’s constituents. I agree that the vast majority of young people want to improve their lives and contribute to their communities.”
“Our Pride in Place programme is supporting local people to shape the future of their areas. We are investing up to £480 million in 24 Scottish neighbourhoods over 10 years, including Springburn and Sighthill in north-east Glasgow.”
“It is not a question of using devolution as a shield; it is a question of proper accountability. Farming is a devolved matter, and the SNP Scottish Government have not delivered for Scotland’s farmers.”
“Too many young people are spending their early years of adulthood out of work or education. The youth guarantee is our commitment to ensuring that every young person across Great Britain can access support in order to earn or learn.”
“It is absolutely no surprise to me that a representative of the Scottish National party does not want to talk about its own record on young people. Shamefully, youth worklessness is much more intense across Scotland—including the hon.”
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“Our Pride in Place programme is supporting local people to shape the future of their areas. We are investing up to £480 million in 24 Scottish neighbourhoods over 10 years, including Springburn and Sighthill in north-east Glasgow. Alongside this, our Pride in Place programme impact fund is investing £12 million in eight Scottish local authorities to improve public and community spaces. That includes £1.5 million for Glasgow City.”
“I completely agree with my hon. Friend, and I am absolutely delighted that somebody of Jim Hope’s stature has been appointed to lead Pride in Place investment in north-east Glasgow. It is a great example of those who know their communities best being empowered to lead, and I will follow the progress made in north-east Glasgow with very keen interest.”
“Too many young people are spending their early years of adulthood out of work or education. The youth guarantee is our commitment to ensuring that every young person across Great Britain can access support in order to earn or learn. Last month we launched the youth jobs grant, which will provide a £3,000 incentive for employers to recruit eligible young people aged 18 to 24 who have been on universal credit for six months.”
“There is simply no excuse for this kind of senseless violence and antisocial behaviour, and I am very saddened to hear about the impact that it has had on my hon. Friend’s constituents. I agree that the vast majority of young people want to improve their lives and contribute to their communities. This Government have committed more than £1.5 billion to support nearly 1 million young people and create up to 50,000 opportunities for them to earn and learn throughout Great Britain.”
“It is absolutely no surprise to me that a representative of the Scottish National party does not want to talk about its own record on young people. Shamefully, youth worklessness is much more intense across Scotland—including the hon. Gentleman’s constituency and mine—than it is elsewhere in the UK, because the SNP Scottish Government simply have not invested in young people’s futures.”
“The people of Scotland were given a choice on our constitutional future, and we gave an emphatic answer that we believe that we are part of a stronger United Kingdom.”
“I was delighted to meet key farming stakeholders at the Royal Highland Show, where we discussed the structural pressures facing the livestock industry in Scotland. This Government absolutely recognise that food security is national security, and while there has been a decline in herd sizes, we have seen higher productivity and changed genetics. We continue to work closely with Departments across Government to champion our producers, and to use Brand Scotland to promote Scotland’s export potential globally.”
“It is not a question of using devolution as a shield; it is a question of proper accountability. Farming is a devolved matter, and the SNP Scottish Government have not delivered for Scotland’s farmers. Take the Scottish Government’s future farming investment scheme: in some areas, rejection rates for ineligibility were as high as 94%, which is a typical example of the overly bureaucratic nature of SNP policies. [ Interruption. ]”
“I could not agree with my hon. Friend more. Our farms and farmers are vital to this country as providers of food, guardians of our countryside, and significant contributors to the economy. It is time that the SNP Scottish Government recognised that fact.”
“Friend the Member for Glasgow South (Gordon McKee), for devolution, not for the sake of it but because it will drive greater local autonomy that will in turn aid the reduction of inequality, the improvement of health outcomes and the creation of new jobs and opportunities across the region. This is the debate about the future of localism that Scotland needs now.”
“Friend the Member for Glasgow North said, for too long we have watched the centralisation of decision making at Holyrood pull powers away from local communities and regional leaders across Scotland. That stands—I am sorry to say—in stark contrast to the UK Government’s ambitious regional devolution agenda south of the border, which seeks to expand the economic success story of Manchester to more parts of the country. The 2025 report on regional economic growth by economist Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli asked whether we should consider a “realignment of powers” for Scotland. Similarly, the leader of Glasgow city council, Susan Aitken, has called for a “rapid devolution of the powers”. I hear the call from my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North, and from my hon.”
“The creation of partnerships, both internationally and at home, between the private and public sectors will unlock further private investment and drive growth. Together, that will leave the region best placed to navigate the challenges and financing barriers faced in delivering critical infrastructure improvements and developments. Such UK Government interventions are exactly the kind of long-term commitment that we believe is required to drive true growth. Crucially, building a truly dynamic economy is also about ensuring that the power to spend and to direct investment is with those who know the unique needs and opportunities of their area the best. As my hon.”
“That is why I am delighted to be joining Glasgow chambers of commerce on an upcoming trade mission to China as they return to the Shanghai international technology fair. We are determined to champion this region’s world-renowned strengths in technology, life sciences and advanced manufacturing to encourage export opportunities and create jobs. Closer to home, the strategic partnership between the National Wealth Fund and the Glasgow city region represents a colossal opportunity for the region. In Scotland, the National Wealth Fund has directly invested nearly £2 billion, mobilising over £3.5 billion of private investment into projects that will create or support upwards of 9,000 jobs.”
“Working in partnership with the Scottish Government and local leaders, we will provide up to £160 million of funding for this investment zone over the next decade, which is expected to generate around £300 million of initial private sector investment and support up to 10,000 jobs in the region. We must also continue to support the industries that helped to make this region great. That is why this Government have provided bespoke support to Inverclyde in the form of £20 million for the Inchgreen dry dock redevelopment, which will drive new maritime and defence industry opportunities into Inverclyde, and support the people living there to gain the skills they need to do this important work. Of course, we do not just want investment coming in, but Glasgow’s unique strengths to be exported out to the global market.”
“Its residents must have the skills and opportunities they need to chase the jobs of the future, as AI is put to work to transform communities and livelihoods. That is why Lanarkshire will host a new AI growth zone, backed by £8.2 billion of private investment and £5 million of direct UK Government investment, creating over 3,000 jobs and driving growth in line with the objectives of our industrial strategy. Simultaneously, our investment zone programme is driving regional economic growth and regeneration, targeting the high potential of the Glasgow city region’s advanced manufacturing sector.”
“The Glasgow city region is key to this work, with many of the eight growth sectors in our strategy already forming the backbone of this regional economy—from advanced manufacturing and life sciences to defence and financial services. To back up that transformational strategy with real funding, we are investing up to £500 million across the UK into new local innovation partnerships aimed at growing high-potential innovation clusters. Because of the Glasgow city region’s huge innovation potential, we have allocated £50 million to the region, building directly on the success of the Glasgow innovation accelerator pilot, which this Government backed with another £10 million to the region. We will not stop there when it comes to equipping the region with the tools needed to be a truly modern economy.”
“Funding is going to places in Glasgow city, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire. Of course, one of those places is the Springburn and Sighthill neighbourhood, which includes my hon. Friend’s constituents in Cowlairs and Port Dundas, and I cannot wait to see what priorities the community chooses to support in that area. We all know that the most enduring purpose of Labour Governments is to redistribute power. That is why we are putting decisions about such funding back into the hands of local people who know the places they love the best. Moving from the hyper-local to the national ambition, the UK Government are delivering a 10-year industrial strategy that is set to back Scotland’s strengths, unlock investment and deliver lasting economic growth.”
“The Glasgow city region is an excellent example of a region that knows exactly how to deliver true regional change, as exemplified through the success of the deal programme to date. At the same time, we understand that economic growth cannot be measured just on a balance sheet; as my hon. Friend said, it must be felt on the high street and on the doorstep. That is why we have introduced new hyper-local community funds that will empower local people to shape the future of their neighbourhoods. Through the Pride in Place programme and the Pride in Place impact fund, we are directly supporting the most in-need communities. Through those programmes, the Glasgow city region is receiving a total of £146 million to support communities across the city region to thrive.”
“Further, that deal has leveraged over £800 million in additional private and commercial investment since its inception in 2014, showcasing how effective Government investment can unlock wider commitments to build towards a brighter and more ambitious future. However, we will not stop there. We will be building on those foundations with the new £140 million Scottish local growth fund launched in January 2026. It is specifically designed to support areas that contain some of the lowest living standards to boost productivity and improve access to better-paid work. The Glasgow city region economic partnership is set to receive the single largest allocation in Scotland from the local growth fund: £60.9 million over the next three years.”
“That 20-year agreement stands as one of the largest such deals in the whole UK. With more than half a billion pounds of investment from the UK Government, it is set to deliver up to 29,000 jobs over its lifetime. To date, the deal’s infrastructure programme has completely reshaped the local landscape, delivering iconic new connections across the Clyde. It has also breathed life into the city’s most important public spaces, including the Canal and North Gateway project, which has been transformational for communities in my hon. Friend’s constituency, creating better connections to the city centre and upgrading their public spaces.”
“With more than £870 million invested into the region by the UK Government over 10 years, its future is looking even brighter, but to empower this region to reach its full potential we simply have to do things differently. To do that, we are actively moving away from the short-term, fragmented funded priorities that have held us back in the past. Instead, we are taking a targeted, long-term approach that puts power back where it belongs: in the hands of communities and regional leaders who know their streets and economies best. I want to share exactly how we are working to supercharge the Glasgow city region, secure high-quality jobs and restore pride in local places. I will begin by highlighting the immense success of the £1 billion Glasgow city region deal, which has delivered foundational benefits through its first decade.”
“It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. I warmly congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North (Martin Rhodes) on securing this vital debate, and on everything he does to represent one of the greatest parts of one of the world’s finest cities. Whether through the revival and modernisation of heavy industries such as shipbuilding on our beloved Clyde, or future-facing industries like satellites and life sciences, this region is truly stepping forward to lead globally. The Glasgow city region’s importance to the Scottish and UK economies cannot be overstated—the region is quite simply a powerhouse. It encompasses some of Scotland’s most vibrant local authorities, thousands of distinct enterprises and more than 1 million workers.”
“The UK Government’s investment of over £870 million into the Glasgow city region over the next 10 years, combined with empowering local spending decisions, has already delivered a truly transformational impact that can be felt in every corner of the region, but this UK Government do not look backwards. Instead we continue to focus on progressing delivery and achieving the economic growth outcomes that will make sure that the Glasgow city region, Scotland, and the UK as a whole can thrive. To deliver more we must seize all opportunities. That includes having a meaningful conversation on the future of regional devolution, because together we still have so much more to gain. Let us seize this moment, look to the future and continue to deliver for the Glasgow city region. Question put and agreed to.”
“Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) that I am in ongoing dialogue with Northern Ireland Office Ministers about how we can take lessons from the city deal programme and scale them UK-wide. My hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire (Douglas McAllister) made a very important point about the strategic sites right along the Clyde. I happily visited one such site in his constituency with him. We are fully appraised of the opportunities right along the river. I thank the hon. Member for Glasgow North for securing this debate and thank all hon. Members who have spoken.”
“Friend the Member for Glasgow South will find no greater champion of that local power agenda than me. We should at all times be guided by the fundamental principle that powers over local services and projects are often best exercised as close as humanly possible to the people whose daily lives they affect. The Scottish people need all levels of their Government to work together to make their lives and communities better. Strong, effective councils and empowered regional voices are key to a prosperous Scotland. We are fully committed to working alongside our local partners in the months and years ahead to deliver that better future for the Glasgow city region and beyond. Before I close, I want to reassure the hon.”
“My hon. Friend will know that that is felt right across the city region, and across other city regions in Scotland. The Scottish Government seem simply addicted to the centralisation of and hoarding of power. We have made an argument to the people of Scotland that has been incredibly well-received: they live in places that they know and love best, and they want the people they elect locally to have greater power. We are in ongoing dialogue with the Scottish Government but their driving political imperative is nation building, not place shaping. That stands in sharp contrast to the approach of this Labour Government, which is to put power in the hands of communities to change the places that they know and love so well. Scotland needs proper devolution inside Scotland, not just to it. My hon.”
“Through our ambitious Pride in Place programme, we are empowering local people to shape the future of their neighbourhoods. The Pride in Place impact fund is investing £12 million across Scotland over two years, including £1.5 million in North Ayrshire. We will invest up to £480 million in 24 Scottish communities over the next decade, including £20 million each for the Irvine and Three Towns neighbourhoods in North Ayrshire, and for the Fauldhouse, Whitburn and Blackburn neighbourhood in West Lothian. This locally led funding can be used to directly support regeneration, high streets and heritage. Best of all, decisions will be made by local people—those who know and love the places the most.”
“Huge congratulations to my hon. Friend and her constituents. These three towns have tremendous untapped potential that has been long neglected and underutilised. Our coastal towns are a huge part of our identity on these islands, and I look forward to working with her to champion the pride that people rightly feel about living in this beautiful part of Ayrshire.”
“The communities of Fauldhouse, Blackburn and Whitburn all face long-standing economic challenges, but as my hon. Friend rightly says, there is also so much pride and passion locally, and she is a great champion of that. Our Pride in Place programme is there to ensure that all local people have a stake and a say, and that they can work together for a future that is truly worthy of their ambitions for the places they love.”
“The hon. Member and I have had a chance to discuss this matter previously and, as I have indicated, these are Labour priorities guided by Labour values. We have committed to targeting funding at the places that need it most, based on a double deprivation index, and I am afraid her constituency simply did not qualify.”
“That is precisely one of the focuses of the Pride in Place programme. Our high streets have been neglected for far too long and are at the real heart of community pride. I am delighted that so many of the Pride in Place bids are focused on exactly that.”
“Tragically, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in Scotland. I want Scots to benefit from the very best research. The National Institute for Health and Care Research works in partnership with the Scottish Government to support and enhance health and social care research across the UK, even though healthcare is devolved. Researchers in Scotland can now apply for funding, which has, for example, allowed the outstanding researchers at the University of Dundee to identify a newer, simpler type of mammogram that can reliably show how breast cancer responds to chemotherapy before surgery.”
“I commend my hon. Friend for his ongoing and dogged advocacy for this cause. As he will know, the UK Government are committed to ensuring a partnership approach between the health services of Scotland and the rest of the UK, and we are focused on ensuring that higher education, and other forms of innovation, are part of our work on cancer.”
“I thank the hon. Member for his consistent and thoughtful engagement on the Bill. The Government are committed to delivering truth and accountability for those who were bereaved or seriously injured during the troubles, which is why we introduced the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill in October. The previous Government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 delivered no real support to veterans in legacy processes. The troubles Bill will put in place deliverable protections, designed in line with our human rights obligations and in consultation with veterans, including those from Scotland. I can confirm that the Scottish Veterans Commissioner met the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in December.”
“I would be delighted to meet the Scottish Veterans Commissioner but, as the hon. Gentleman will appreciate, the Northern Ireland Office leads on such matters. We should put on the record that we owe a huge debt to the quarter of a million Northern Ireland veterans who served with honour to bring about peace in Northern Ireland. It is the Government’s firm view that no veteran who properly carried out their duty should be forced to face an endless cycle of legal uncertainty.”
“This Government are firmly committed to those who have served receiving the support, respect and recognition that they deserve. Our new veterans strategy, underpinned by our commitment to bring the armed forces covenant fully into law, includes £50 million for Valour—the first ever UK-wide Government approach to veterans support. For veterans in Glasgow and across Scotland, that means clearer pathways to services, better advocacy and a system that understands and recognises their unique experiences.”
“Scotland’s hospitality businesses, at the heart of our high streets and communities, are the engines of Scotland’s economy. The UK Government have helped businesses across the country by stabilising public finances, focusing on driving economic growth and putting more money in people’s pockets. In Scotland, of course, key levers such as rates, business development, skills and planning are devolved to the Scottish Government. Perhaps hon. Members on the SNP Benches can explain why the Scottish Government have failed so miserably to support Scotland’s hospitality sector in the way that it deserves.”
“Our changes to employer national insurance were part of raising the revenue needed for the changes in public services from which his constituents and mine will benefit due to the record settlement for the Scottish Government. I will just say to the hon. Gentleman, however, that protestations of fealty to the hospitality sector would ring more true had 7,000 pubs not shut under the Conservatives.”
“My hon. Friend is, as usual, quite right. Scottish businesses are facing eye-watering rate hikes, while the SNP Government tinker around the edges of a fundamentally broken system. Meanwhile, Anas Sarwar has been clear: Scottish Labour would revive our high streets with a fundamental overhaul of business rates. Right now, jobs and businesses are at risk, and we want to reset the balance between our local businesses and the online giants.”
“I do not know if the hon. Gentleman heard me about the Conservatives’ record: 7,000 pubs lost under their watch. A package of support has, of course, been presented by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor for pubs in England, meaning that there is already extra money for the Scottish Government to spend in this area. I encourage Scottish Government Ministers to step up support for the hospitality sector using the Barnett consequentials that this Government have already provided.”
“The order has been specifically designed to ensure that the Scottish Parliament can create an overall framework for medicines and devices to be used in an assisted dying regime, should it choose to do so.”
“Both Governments agree that the specification of substances and devices, as well as their associated regulation, is fundamental to the operation of the Bill before the Scottish Parliament and the workability of the assisted dying regime, which the Bill seeks to introduce. I reiterate that the UK Government maintain their neutral stance on assisted dying and do not endorse any particular outcome of the consideration of the Bill before the Scottish Parliament. I recognise that there is interest in the existence of schemes across the UK in view of the legislation being considered by the Scottish and UK Parliaments. The position is not changed by this order.”
“Ministerial correspondence confirms that the Scottish Government were seeking agreement to a section 30 order on the narrow scope of substances and devices, with further consideration to be given to section 104 orders. The UK Government have agreed to further requests and consequential legislation, which is a normal occurrence. Of course, the order before the Committee is the order the Government have agreed to take forward with the Scottish Government on the matter of substances and devices. That is the matter that the Government is seeking the approval of the Committee on.”
“We have agreed to it in those circumstances. Consequential legislation is, however, routinely taken forward and is rightly considered by this House. Such consequential orders cover matters that cannot be legislated for by the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government asked the UK Government to consider section 104 orders in relation to professional regulation and opt-in measures, and subsequently, to consider a section 30 order in respect of those provisions. The UK Government position is that consequential legislation is the appropriate means of addressing or considering reserve provisions. Fundamentally, the Government are not seeking to substantially alter the devolution settlement via this order. Therefore, it is appropriate that the order is narrow and addresses the key questions asked of us.”
“Section 30 was considered appropriate as it enables the Scottish Parliament to introduce regulation-making powers within the narrow scope of the order. In essence, section 30 was in this instance the only means of achieving both of those outcomes. The Government therefore believe that their approach is appropriate in the circumstances. On the second point, the Government have been asked why the order does not include further subject areas that the Scottish Government have identified as being outside competence. The Government’s view is consistent: it is a matter for the Scottish Parliament to ensure that the legislation is within competence. Although section 30 orders have been used occasionally in the past as Bills have proceeded through the Scottish Parliament, it is not a regular practice nor would be expect it to be.”
“I take this opportunity to thank them for their scrutiny and to provide answers, as follows. The Government consider all requests for Scotland Act orders carefully. They look at what, if any, provisions made under the Scotland Act 1998 may be appropriate. That includes section 104 of the Act. Section 104 is routinely used to make provision in consequence of an Act of the Scottish Parliament—that is to say, once a Bill has Royal Assent. In this instance, it was not considered an appropriate option due to the limitations of the power. Section 104 cannot be used before a Bill achieves Royal Assent. The request was to take action before, because in the Scottish Government’s view, the provisions were fundamental to the operation of the Bill. Moreover, section 104 cannot be used to create regulation-making functions.”
“The time limits within the section 30 order mean that that would no longer be within the Scottish Parliament’s legislative competence to do. Subject to the Secretary of State’s approval, it would instead be able to revoke or amend the regulations that had been made under those powers. I am aware that the content of the draft order has prompted queries about the approach that the Government have taken: first, on why the Government have taken forward a section 30 order and not, for example, a section 104 order; secondly, on the scope of the draft order and the matters that are not included; and, thirdly, on the likelihood of other orders being brought forward under the Scotland Act 1998. A Committee scrutinised the draft order and the Scottish Affairs Committee considered it, and they both raised those points.”
“The draft order has been designed specifically to ensure that the Scottish Parliament can create an overall framework for medicines and devices to be used in an assisted dying regime, should it decide to do so. In particular, I take this opportunity to thank members of the Scottish Affairs Committee for their carefully considered report on the SI. On the question of whether the Scottish Parliament would be able to amend or repeal the regulation-making powers under any Act in a future Scottish parliamentary Session—if the Bill is passed and contains regulation-making powers authorised by section 30 order—it would not be possible for the Scottish Parliament to amend or repeal those regulation-making powers in a future Session.”
“I emphasise that this is a limited and temporary change to the Scotland Act 1998. To explain the time-limited nature of the draft order further, this section 30 order is time limited so as to reflect the circumstances of the Scottish Parliament Bill and the upcoming Scottish elections in May. The time-limited nature of the order reflects that, first, this is not a fundamental or permanent alteration to the devolution settlement and, secondly, it would not be appropriate to pre-empt consideration by a future Scottish Parliament. The time limit applies to the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament but will not affect the future exercise of any regulation-making functions conferred by the Bill beyond 7 May 2026, should the Scottish Parliament determine to do so.”
“The Scottish Government identified areas of the Bill as being outside legislative competence and, as such, requested a section 30 Scotland Act order from the UK Government in respect of substances and medical devices, as they considered that such provisions are fundamental to the operability of the Bill. The UK Government considered the request carefully and, following engagement with the Scottish Government, concluded that making a narrow, time-limited section 30 order would be the most appropriate action. That approach enables Members of the Scottish Parliament to consider the Bill in the Scottish Parliament with clarity as to how the matter of substances and devices that may be used for an assisted dying regime in Scotland could be dealt with, while protecting reserved matters such as medicines regulation.”