Scotland

House of Commons, 28 October 2026.

Devolution

Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party, Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the devolution of further powers to Scotland.

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

The UK Government are committed to deepening devolution across Scotland, working in partnership with the Scottish Government to push power out from Holyrood and into the hands of local communities. The Prime Minister has made an open and genuine offer to the Scottish Government, to work together collaboratively to design a new model of regional economic empowerment that is right for Scotland.

Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party, Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)

The Prime Minister was unequivocal last month when he told the House that “exactly the same situation” for a referendum applies in Scotland as in Northern Ireland. The legal mechanism for a referendum on Irish unification is detailed in the Northern Ireland Act 1988, but there is no equity across these islands for an equivalent law for Scotland. When will the Secretary of State deliver on the Prime Minister’s words, and bring forward legislation to amend the Scotland Act 1988 and enshrine the people of Scotland’s equal right to choose their own future?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

The Prime Minister on these Benches was making a very basic and clear comparison, which is that there is no consensus in favour of a border poll in Northern Ireland, and there is certainly no consensus in favour of a referendum in Scotland.

Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker, Chorley)

I call the Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee.

Patricia Ferguson (Labour, Glasgow West)

It is estimated that decisions by the Scottish Government cost my city of Glasgow some £347 million last year. Does the Secretary of State agree that devolution should not just stop at Holyrood but should be pushed down to local government, cities and towns across Scotland, that it should be accompanied by money from the record settlement given by this Government to the Scottish Government, and that until that happens devolution in Scotland will not be complete?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

I know how closely my hon. Friend worked with the late great Donald Dewar, Scotland’s first First Minister. He always anticipated that power would not stop at Holyrood’s door but would be pushed out to communities, yet we have ended up with the quite bizarre situation where Scotland is the most devolved nation in the United Kingdom, but still one of the most centralised nations in Europe. We believe that should change.

Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker, Chorley)

I call the shadow Minister.

Harriet Cross (Conservative, Gordon and Buchan)

Almost two weeks ago, the Prime Minister gave a speech about devolution in Scotland. Since then, the Government have not clarified anything. Is the Prime Minister suggesting more powers to Scotland, or does he think that just by asking nicely the SNP will stop hoarding so many powers at Holyrood? Holyrood is already one of the world’s most devolved Parliaments; the issue is not the powers but the party in power there that has created Europe’s most centralised Government. Will the Secretary of State confirm that this Labour Government will not devolve any further powers to the Scottish Parliament?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

There is a certain irony in being told how devolution operates by a Conservative party that was deeply resistant to devolution when we established it; and I voted for the Scotland Act 1998. In reality, if people take the trouble to read the Prime Minister’s speech, and it bears reading, he was very clear that deeper devolution in the context of Scotland does not simply involve the transfer of power from one Parliament to another, but instead involves the decentralised agenda that is being driven right across the United Kingdom.

Oil and Gas Sector: Jobs

Bradley Thomas (Conservative, Bromsgrove)

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for jobs in the oil and gas sector in Scotland.

Joe Robertson (Conservative, Isle of Wight East)

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on levels of employment in the oil and gas sector in Scotland.

Aphra Brandreth (Conservative, Chester South and Eddisbury)

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on levels of employment in the oil and gas sector in Scotland.

Jerome Mayhew (Conservative, Broadland and Fakenham)

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on levels of employment in the oil and gas sector in Scotland.

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

As shown by our decision last week to approve the Jackdaw gasfield, the United Kingdom Government are committed to a pragmatic approach to the North sea. We recognise that domestic oil and gas will continue to play an important part in our energy mix for decades to come.

Bradley Thomas (Conservative, Bromsgrove)

In 2024 the Scottish oil and gas industry supported 118,000 direct and indirect jobs, and after much dither and delay, thankfully the Government have approved Jackdaw, which will safeguard jobs that otherwise would have been lost, and create more. The Government need to do more to support Scottish oil and gas, so what steps is the Secretary of State taking?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

Conservative Members are experts in dither and delay, and over the decade preceding July 2024 and the election of the Labour Government, alas 70,000 jobs were lost. Of course, we hit peak production in the North sea more than 20 years ago. That is why we need a credible plan for transition, and that is what we are putting in place.

Aphra Brandreth (Conservative, Chester South and Eddisbury)

The Government are accelerating the decline of an industry that supports thousands of jobs across Scotland, while promising replacement jobs that are not materialising quickly enough. Scotland’s oil and gas workers are paying the price for the Government’s ideological opposition to the oil and gas sector. Will the Secretary of State confirm now whether he supports Labour’s ban on new licences?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

There is a certain irony in the Conservative party lecturing the Government on deindustrialisation in Scotland. In reality, it left an energy system in 2024 that was less secure, more exposed to international shocks, and slower to invest. The hon. Lady’s question might have more credibility had we not agreed Jackdaw just last week.

Jerome Mayhew (Conservative, Broadland and Fakenham)

The Government spent two and a half years virtue signalling about the North sea. They said there was no future for oil and gas and had a ban on licences, as well as increasing taxation. The result has been 25,000 job losses—1,000 every month and counting—not because of an external shock, but because of a crisis 100% caused by Government policy. When will this Government leave their student politics behind, back British business and get us drilling again?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

The Conservative party’s policy towards the North sea was a study in incompetence. The reason we took the decision on Jackdaw last week was that the Conservative Government so messed up the process that we ended up in court.

Chris Kane (Labour, Stirling and Strathallan)

For many of my constituents in rural Stirling and Strathallan, energy security also means being able to afford the heating oil they rely on to live and to run businesses from home. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with Cabinet colleagues about ensuring that support for jobs in the oil and gas sector is mindful of the need to deliver the affordable and secure energy that many rural homes and jobs rely on?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

The point that my hon. Friend makes is well taken. The supply chain supporting oil and gas, and the energy sector more generally, is not limited to the north-east but stretches right across Scotland, including in his Stirling constituency. I hope that he will listen with interest to the words of the Chancellor in just a few minutes’ time.

Elaine Stewart (Labour, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)

It is fair to say that there was a muted response from the First Minister at the good news from the UK Government on Jackdaw. Will the Secretary of State help to inspire and animate Mr Swinney by telling him more about the new energy wealth fund and how it will support jobs in Scotland?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

The SNP-led Government in Edinburgh are not short of opinions on anything, apart from their view on the Jackdaw decision that we reached last week. The First Minister opposed the decision in recent months and the former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that she wanted the “fastest possible just transition” away from oil and gas in the North sea—the SNP seems to have more positions than she has coffee machines.

Torcuil Crichton (Labour, Na h-Eileanan an Iar)

I commend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero for the decision to approve Jackdaw. It takes courage to lead, and the same logic applies to Rosebank. Does the Secretary of State agree that the £2 billion fund set up to transfer jobs from oil, gas and carbon into renewables sends a signal to workers that we are with them in the North sea, today and for years to come?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

My hon. Friend speaks with great authority because a number of North sea workers are based in the Western Isles. For many years, people have argued for the establishment of an energy wealth fund. Alas, we did not get much gratitude from the party in power in Edinburgh that failed to deliver a publicly owned energy company, and we have now delivered this energy wealth fund.

Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker, Chorley)

I call the shadow Minister.

Harriet Cross (Conservative, Gordon and Buchan)

Last week, the Government finally approved Jackdaw. The Secretary of State called that

“a win for Aberdeen, a win for Scottish workers and a win for Britain’s energy security.”

But there can be many more wins: Rosebank and other fields can also protect jobs and supply chains, secure investment and tax returns, and boost our energy security. Based on his own logic from last week, will he confirm that he fully supports approving Rosebank and ending Labour’s ban on new licensing?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

The shadow Ministers are like the Bourbons: they have forgotten nothing and learned nothing. The reason we took the decision about Jackdaw last week and the reason that I am appropriately cautious in relation to Rosebank, is that there is a process that needs to be followed, following the evidence and reaching a determination. Alas, that was not a process that the Conservatives chose to follow.

Harriet Cross (Conservative, Gordon and Buchan)

Oil and gas workers are fed up with the Government skirting around this. Some 25,000 linked oil and gas jobs have been lost since the general election. The Government know that new fields support jobs—they said that last week—and they know that UK production supports UK businesses. Last month, they signed off on new oil in the Falklands, but are too squeamish to do it in UK waters. The Secretary of State knows more is needed. When are the Government going to wake up to the damage they are doing to our crucial oil and gas industry?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

I get the impression that that question was drafted before the Jackdaw decision was issued just last week.

Economic Growth

Euan Stainbank (Labour, Falkirk)

What steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to support economic growth in Scotland.

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

This Government are taking action to give families breathing space. We are driving the long-term changes needed to create good jobs and growth in every postcode. The Prime Minister has been clear that pushing economic power out of Holyrood and into the regions of Scotland is key to reindustrialisation. The UK Government stand ready to work with the Scottish Government to do this. At the same time, we are empowering regions through action like the local growth fund, which will benefit my hon. Friend’s area.

Euan Stainbank (Labour, Falkirk)

I welcome my hon. Friend to her place on the Front Bench. To deliver good growth in my area, the reindustrialisation of the Grangemouth industrial cluster is essential. We must take steps to include Grangemouth in the strategic sites accelerator, unlock a final investment decision in the Acorn project and take concerted action to secure and reutilise the Syngenta site when the company withdraws next December. What action is my hon. Friend taking, alongside departmental colleagues, to enable the reindustrialisation of Grangemouth?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

The Prime Minister wants to see reindustrialisation, and we are committed to driving growth in Grangemouth and the wider region. We have acted swiftly at every stage as the Grangemouth site transitions, including through a £120 million commitment to safeguard the chemicals plant. I know that the Minister for Reindustrialisation and Cabinet Secretary Flynn are focusing especially on the preparation of ground conditions and the remediation of potential sites for new projects, which is key to unlocking the £200 million from the national wealth fund. I know that my hon. Friend will continue to push for his constituents.

Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat, North East Fife)

Scottish Government figures released yesterday show the lowest level of new house building in more than a decade. Ahead of the Budget, councils in England are expected to benefit from new investment to stimulate council house building and access low-interest borrowing. Will the Minister engage with her Scottish Government counterparts to encourage similar support in Scotland to help local councils to build more homes and, in turn, support local economic growth through construction?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

The hon. Lady makes an excellent point about this Government’s record on building new homes in England. My officials regularly engage with the Scottish Government on a range of matters to exchange learning. As she knows, housing and planning are devolved matters, so house building responsibility rests with the Scottish Government. Of particular concern are the increasing numbers of children living in temporary accommodation in Scotland and the increasing numbers of people sleeping rough. While our Prime Minister is determined to end rough sleeping, in Scotland it is on the rise, and that is not good enough.

Clean Energy Projects

John Grady (Labour, Glasgow East)

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support clean energy projects in Scotland.

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

The clean energy transition is a generational economic opportunity to reindustrialise Scotland, from the islands to the borders. Scotland is already a clean energy powerhouse, with the industry supporting 105,000 jobs and adding £10 billion to the Scottish economy. Last week, the Chancellor announced a new £2 billion energy wealth fund to further support the UK’s transition to low-carbon power. Berwick Bank is on course to be one of the largest windfarms in the world and is off the coast of Scotland.

John Grady (Labour, Glasgow East)

Large clean energy projects and transmission project lines need planning consent from the Scottish Government. Delays mean that Scottish electricity consumers pay more. In a recent report, CBI Scotland says:

“Planning is the concern business leaders across Scotland raise with us most consistently, and the frustrations they describe are…too much inconsistency, not enough speed”

and a growing sense that planning has become a barrier to investment and growth—a responsibility of the Scottish Government. Does the Minister agree that the Scottish Government need to get a grip on the planning system?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That is why we have worked with the Scottish Government to make approving energy infrastructure in Scotland simpler. Those reforms are intended to help Scotland to realise our clean power ambitions while providing investors with greater confidence, yet we continue to hear from industry that the Scottish planning system is holding back growth. Planning is also the mechanism that the SNP uses to block new nuclear energy projects in Scotland, costing us up to 5,000 skilled jobs in the last decade alone.

Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat, Orkney and Shetland)

The Minister saw for herself this summer the opportunities being developed around marine renewables in my constituency at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. Next month we will hopefully get the report from the taskforce commissioned by other Government Departments. Will the Minister engage with that and ensure that we get marine energy across the line and, as a consequence, win a home-grown supply chain in Scotland for her reindustrialisation policies?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

I greatly enjoyed my visit to the right hon. Gentleman’s beautiful constituency. He is right about the opportunities that we have for clean power in Scotland, which our Government are already taking advantage of. I saw for myself what is happening in Orkney with tidal, wave and wind power, and I will pay significant attention to the report that he mentions.

Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker, Chorley)

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat, Mid Dunbartonshire)

The SNP’s anti-nuclear position has already cost Scotland 5,000 jobs, as the Minister told Westminster Hall this month and has confirmed again this morning. What steps are the Government taking to bring the Scottish Government, industry and trade unions together so that new nuclear in Scotland finally gets the serious hearing that it deserves?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

The hon. Lady is absolutely right about the opportunities for new nuclear energy in Scotland, and the SNP Scottish Government have to tell the Scottish people why they are standing in the way of them. The National Economic Council is meeting in Scotland this Friday, at which the Prime Minister and the First Minister will have a chance to discuss such matters. I hope the First Minister will take those opportunities.

Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party, Angus and Perthshire Glens)

There is real fear in Scotland this morning that the Labour party is about to embark on another big betrayal of Scotland’s energy. After abandoning Grangemouth and costing thousands of energy jobs in Scotland, the UK Government now seem set on withdrawing funding for Scotland’s carbon capture industry. Will the Minister take this opportunity to quash that rumour?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

The hon. Gentleman is doing what he does best, which is to fire up the grievance machine rather than look at all the enormous opportunities that could be coming to Scotland. Perhaps he could tell us what his own party’s policy is on Jackdaw and on energy. When will we see an energy strategy for Scotland? It has been more than five years, and we are still waiting.

Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party, Angus and Perthshire Glens)

I note that the Minister has failed to quash the rumours about Acorn, so let me try another imminent Labour party betrayal of Scotland’s energy. At a time when bills are set to be £1,000 higher than the Labour party promised, the Chancellor is inexplicably going to increase the unit price of gas. We know that families in Scotland will be disproportionately hit by the Labour party gas price increase. The Minister says that she and her colleague the Secretary of State are Scotland’s people in the Cabinet. What is she going to do to protect people from the Chancellor’s gas price rise?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

Once again, a typical display from the hon. Gentleman—firing up the accusations of betrayal before he has even heard the Budget. I understand that he called for standing charges to be removed from gas bills some time ago, so I look forward to hearing him welcome some of the measures in the forthcoming Budget.

UK Energy Independence

Lillian Jones (Labour, Kilmarnock and Loudoun)

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support Scotland’s contribution to UK energy independence.

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

Scotland remains at the very heart of the UK’s energy system. Just last week, I was at St Fergus alongside the Energy Secretary to approve the Jackdaw gasfield, paving the way for domestic gas to flow ashore in the coming weeks. Over the course of 2025, nearly two thirds of Britain’s electricity came from clean sources, creating skilled jobs across Scotland, meeting our climate obligations and strengthening our energy independence.

Lillian Jones (Labour, Kilmarnock and Loudoun)

Having met apprentices and engineers at Hunterston, including many from my own constituency of Kilmarnock and Loudoun, I have seen at first hand the world-class nuclear talent that we have in Scotland. Does the Secretary of State agree that the SNP’s continued opposition to nuclear energy not only weakens our energy security but risks driving our skilled young Scots to seek opportunities south of the border, when Scotland should be creating those opportunities to keep them, their futures and their careers in Scotland?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

I can answer with real feeling, having visited the Torness nuclear power plant in my own constituency last week and met a group of young apprentices. Those are brilliantly skilled jobs and talented young people, yet because of the policy of the Scottish National party in Edinburgh, we are forgoing millions of pounds of investment, energy security, and good, well-paid, unionised jobs for decades to come.

Douglas Lumsden (Conservative, Aberdeen South)

The Labour Government’s answer to energy independence was to create GB Energy, which we were told was going to create 1,000 jobs in Aberdeen. Two years in, it has just 132 employees, and only 86 of them are based in Scotland. The chairman and the chief exec are not based in Aberdeen—the people of Aberdeen were sold a lemon with GB Energy. Does the Secretary of State now accept that the best way to boost employment in Aberdeen is to get Britain drilling again?

Douglas Alexander (Labour/Co-operative, Lothian East)

I understand that Conservative Members speak with some authority, given that the Conservatives grew the size of the civil service after Brexit. For us, the measure of the effectiveness of GB Energy was never the number of officials working in the headquarters in Aberdeen; it was how many jobs are created in the north-east, across Scotland, and across the whole of the United Kingdom. We are proud of having a publicly owned energy company that is getting down to work, and proud of the fact that consent has been granted for Jackdaw. I think the Conservatives could do better.

Impact of Government Policies on Businesses

Blake Stephenson (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of Government policies on businesses in Scotland.

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

The Prime Minister has been clear about our shared ambition with business to drive investment, create jobs and grow the economy. We are cutting red tape and striking new trade deals around the world to drive up exports, and boosting the role of Scottish small and medium-sized enterprises in sectors such as defence and energy. Our industrial strategy sets out a 10-year road map for the UK economy, backing Scotland’s strengths and providing business with the certainty it needs.

Blake Stephenson (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)

Scotland’s fishing industry makes a vital contribution to coastal communities in every part of Scotland. Last year, Labour negotiated away 12 years of access to our seas to the EU in a disastrous deal for the UK. Can the Minister guarantee that our fisheries will not suffer in any way from the sanitary and phytosanitary deal with the EU or lose any of our remaining freedoms outside the common fisheries policy?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

I was glad to meet representatives from the fishing sector across Scotland recently, and this matter will be on the agenda for the EU summit taking place at the end of next month. The Prime Minister has also rightly said that it is time for us to have an honest conversation with the country about our broader relationship with Europe. That stands to benefit Scotland in many ways, and I wish the hon. Member’s party would get behind that. Moreover, it is an interesting day to hear about measures that would benefit the economy from the Conservatives, given that Liz Truss has been talking about her mini-Budget, saying that she was right. Let us remember that the shadow Chancellor, the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Andrew Griffith), was one of the architects of that Budget, which torched our economy.

Douglas McAllister (Labour, West Dunbartonshire)

Does the Minister agree that a good example of a Government policy that will have a positive impact on businesses in Scotland is our youth guarantee, which is providing Scotland’s businesses with skilled-up young people ready for work? That includes our new youth hub in West Dunbartonshire, which is set to open this Friday.

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

My hon. Friend is a tireless advocate for the people of West Dunbartonshire, and I am delighted that it will benefit from a new youth hub opening this week. This Government’s investment in a generation of young people includes the expansion of youth hubs across the UK. There are now 12 youth hubs open in Scotland, with a further 27 planned across our nation. Each will provide a range of services to our brilliant young people, helping them to earn, learn and live the fullest possible lives.

Steel Industry

Pamela Nash (Labour, Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke)

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the steel industry in Scotland.

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

This Government are committed to supporting a competitive and sustainable steel sector across the United Kingdom, with Scotland a vital part of that. The UK’s first-ever steel strategy, published in March, sets out an ambitious long-term plan to rebuild the sector, return domestic market share to around 50%, attract new investment and position the UK as a world leader in clean, modern steel production. The significance of Scotland’s steel industry to local communities, jobs and supply chains is beyond doubt.

Pamela Nash (Labour, Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke)

I congratulate the Minister on a great performance at her first Scottish questions. She will know that yet again Dalzell’s staff in Motherwell were not paid on time this month by Liberty, despite pulling out all the stops to get the plant rolling steel again. It is simply intolerable for the team to live in this situation. They have been forced to find job security elsewhere, leaving a vital and unique piece of UK infrastructure in a potentially unsalvageable position. Will the Scotland Office work with me and colleagues to ensure that our Government take action imminently to ensure that the workforce are not left in this position again next month and to secure the future of the Dalzell plate mill permanently?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

My hon. Friend is a powerful advocate for those she represents, and I know she discussed the situation at Dalzell works with the Prime Minister when he was in Motherwell recently. Liberty’s failure to pay its workforce on time is a huge worry to her community. It is intolerable, as she says, and we share that concern. The UK Government want to see the Dalzell site operational once more, and we are looking at the situation closely. We will continue to work with her.

Graham Stuart (Conservative, Beverley and Holderness)

The present Foreign Secretary’s ridiculous policy on oil and gas has now been overturned, so will the Minister, in a similar vein, ensure that the right hon. Gentleman’s equally absurd refusal to allow localised electricity pricing can also be overturned, so that businesses, such as those in steel in Scotland, can enjoy the competitive energy prices that the considerable generation in that country deserves?

Melanie Ward (Labour, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)

It is astonishing to get lectures on energy policy from the Conservatives. The reason that the Jackdaw decision took longer than it otherwise might have taken was that they messed it up. The right hon. Gentleman’s party would do well to remember that clean, green, home-grown power is the only way to bring down bills in the long run, and that is what our Government are focused on doing.

Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker, Chorley)

Before we come to Prime Minister’s questions, let me welcome, in the Gallery, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita of the United States House of Representatives. May I also remind the House that this is the last attendance at the Table of Tom Goldsmith as Clerk of the House? Tom, we wish you well.