Oral Answers to Questions

The Secretary of State was asked—

1. What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the effectiveness of their relationship with the UK Government.

The UK Government are working closely with the Scottish Government to deliver for the people of Scotland. Since taking office, we have provided the Scottish Government with a record budget settlement, reversing austerity and years of underfunding and ensuring that communities get the support they deserve. I met the Deputy First Minister earlier this month. Labour, as the party of devolution, is already delivering an extra £11 billion for the Scottish Government’s budget, £120 million of investment for Grangemouth and a defence dividend for Rosyth and Faslane.

One example of what might politely be called ineffective relations between the Scottish and UK Governments concerns bovine electronic identification, where instead of agreeing to adopt the same radio frequency as the rest of the UK and Europe, the Scottish Government have chosen to use a high frequency spectrum. The implications for the UK’s largest auction mart, in my constituency, will be a doubling of costs, as it has to invest in two types of scanner. Will the Secretary of State press the Office for the Internal Market to look in detail at how auction houses and hauliers such as those in my constituency will be placed at a competitive disadvantage thanks to the SNP Government?

My hon. Friend raises an important point for not just her constituents but many others. Although animal health is a devolved responsibility, I am troubled—although not altogether surprised—to learn that the Scottish Government have chosen to diverge from the approach taken across the rest of the UK and indeed in Europe, with all the consequent difficulties she describes. The Office for the Internal Market produced a report on this issue in 2025 and recognised that some businesses, such as larger livestock auctions, could face higher costs if the system were not managed well. My hon. Friend can none the less be assured that the UK Government at least remain committed to seamless trade within the United Kingdom.

I begin by paying tribute to the former Scottish Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman, who sadly passed away this month. I dealt extensively with Jeane in the implementation of the Scotland Act 2016 and always found her very professional and personable. I also hope that the Secretary of State’s visit to New Zealand was particularly successful, although it did seem an extremely long way to go just to avoid Anas Sarwar.

The Secretary of State may be aware that there is a very successful HIV testing programme in England in HIV testing week. Could he make representations to the Scottish Government so that not only is there an HIV testing week in Scotland, but, radically, it is the same week as in England, so that it could benefit from national focus?

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for the characteristic grace and generosity with which he asked his question. I can assure him that it was a long planned trip to establish relations, which, frankly, should have been established some time ago by the Government in which he served. We are none the less very proud of our defence relationship with New Zealand, and I look forward to being with Anas in Paisley on Friday.

On the substance of the right hon. Gentleman’s question, I commend him for his advocacy over many years. The UK Government recently launched an HIV action plan for England with the aim of ending new HIV transmissions by the end of the decade, and our recent HIV testing week has helped to build public knowledge and understanding so that we can reconnect thousands with the healthcare they need, reduce stigma and, crucially, identify undiagnosed cases. While healthcare is a devolved matter for the Scottish Government, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, we support any initiatives that ensure that people across the United Kingdom get the testing they need.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

Transport in Scotland is devolved, but Labour’s new electric vehicle tax is not. Scotland is home to the largest constituencies by area in the UK. This will mean that many rural Scots, who already pay more for electricity at home, will pay more tax despite having less access to charging infrastructure. Can the Secretary of State say what discussions have been had with the Scottish Government on the impact of this tax and whether the Government will work with the Scottish Government to improve charging access and create a mandatory community benefit scheme for those who see the turbines of the green revolution from their windows, but not a fair reflection in their bills?

Many of us know, from the experience of family, friends and others, about the difficulty of many charging stations across Scotland, which causes the range anxiety of which the hon. Lady speaks, particularly in rural areas. The new electric vehicle excise duty introduces a fairer approach to sharing the costs generated by all vehicle drivers through wear and tear on roads and congestion.

As a former Transport Secretary, I know that, as we transition to electric vehicles, it is necessary to look at the appropriate taxation of electric vehicles. While those living in rural areas tend to drive more than those who live in urban areas, EV drivers are also more likely to have a dedicated home charger, which allows access to the lowest charging costs, thereby ensuring that EVs remain the cheaper, greener choice. None the less, I assure the hon. Lady that we talk to the Scottish Government on a range of issues.

I call the SNP spokesperson.

I associate myself with the comments from other colleagues about the sad loss of Jeane Freeman.

This has been a difficult few weeks—sorry, another difficult few weeks for Scottish Labour. For the benefit of the House, given that Scottish Labour’s senior politicians have no faith in this Government, will the Secretary of State outline the major policy differences between them?

First, as I should have done in response to the question from the former Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell), I associate myself with his remarks in relation to the late Jeane Freeman. She was a public servant of distinction who served in both the Scottish Cabinet and the Scottish Parliament for a number of years.

The SNP spokesperson talked about this being a difficult few weeks; the terrible truth is that we have had a difficult couple of decades under the SNP. Whether it is the SNP’s failure to build ferries in relation to transport, falling education standards, or its inability to get a grip on waiting times, the real issue of concern to Scotland is avoiding a third decade of SNP failure.

Unsurprisingly, the Secretary of State has not been able to tell me that there are any differences, because the sad truth is that when it comes to every issue, the Prime Minister’s most loyal supporters are in Scottish Labour. When it came to raising tax on small and medium sized enterprises—no problem; when it came to scrapping the winter fuel allowance—no problem; when it came to the two child benefit cap, they even kicked people out of the party—no problem. But when it comes to their own jobs, then there is a problem. Does the Secretary of State understand why Labour is falling so far and so fast?

The hon. Gentleman talks about sad truths; the sad truth is that one in seven young Scots between the ages of 16 and 24 are not in employment, education or training. The Scottish Government, in which he served, also uphold another sad truth: it is hard to think of a single area of Scottish public life over the past 19 years where we have seen an improvement. Scottish schools used to be the envy of the world, but the hon. Gentleman’s Government have delivered falling standards. The Scottish national health service, with brilliant staff, contrasts very badly with the level of progress on waiting lists that is being made by colleagues down here. Whether it is because of being weak on defence, inadequate on further education colleges, or generally just a secret and inadequate Government, there is a whole lot of change coming in May, I hope.

2. What discussions he has had with the Scottish Veterans Commissioner on the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.

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.

First, may I join the commemoration of Jeane Freeman, having served with her during her period as Scottish Health Secretary?

The question I asked was actually about whether the Secretary of State for Scotland had met the Scottish Veterans Commissioner in respect of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. That legislation will have a dramatic effect on veterans across the United Kingdom, no matter where they served, and it would be best if the Scotland Office also knew about its impact.

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.

Labour promised to renew the nation’s contract with those who served our country. Therefore, can the Minister set out what support the new veterans strategy will provide for the around 10,000 veterans in Glasgow?

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.

3. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support jobs in the defence manufacturing sector in Scotland.

9. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support jobs in the defence manufacturing sector in Scotland.

Scotland is at the heart of keeping the UK secure at home and strong abroad. As has been referenced already, just last week I visited Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, working to strengthen our defence partnerships and increase export opportunities for the Scottish defence industry. That defence dividend has already delivered record orders worth £10 billion for the Clyde shipyards, new investments of £340 million in Rosyth and £250 million in Faslane, and a contract of £453 million for Leonardo in Edinburgh.

This Government’s increase in defence spending is delivering £2 billion a year for Scotland as well as 12,000 jobs. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the greatest threat to my constituents is an SNP Government who are playing student politics with defence and will not use their existing powers to back Scottish industry, young people and our national security?

Not for the first time, I find myself in agreement with my hon. Friend. The UK Labour Government have committed to the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war, totalling £270 billion in this Parliament alone. In contrast, the SNP led Scottish Government’s position on public funding for defence is risking jobs, skills and investment in Scotland. Despite record funding provided by the UK Government, they are weak on defence and dismal on further education. Scotland deserves better than a third decade of a failed SNP Government.

Labour’s defence industrial strategy will strengthen our security across the whole United Kingdom and deliver an unprecedented growth deal for Scotland that includes £250 million of UK wide investment and £182 million for skills. For me, this is personal. My grandfather worked in the Glasgow shipyards, part of a proud tradition that has served the whole UK. Does my right hon. Friend agree that a strong Scottish defence sector delivered by a UK Labour Government strengthens all of us?

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. My own grandfather worked as an engineer in Glasgow, so I appreciate the proud heritage of which he speaks. The Government’s defence industrial strategy will deliver a record boost for Scotland’s economy, creating highly skilled jobs for years to come. Alas, when the SNP led Scottish Government stepped back, it took the UK Labour Government to step in and give young people the welding skills that they needed. As we mark the fourth anniversary of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the security challenges facing NATO are clear for almost all of us to see, yet the Scottish Government remain committed to unilateral nuclear disarmament.

Many of my constituents work in the Leonardo factory, which the Secretary of State mentioned. They contribute hugely to this economy, but they are concerned about the contradiction between what the UK Government say and what the Scottish Government say about defence spending. Can he detail exactly how the Government will support them going forward?

I had the chance to visit the Leonardo facility with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in recent weeks and saw for myself the transformation it had witnessed since it was originally Ferranti, with the strong support of the UK Government behind it. The hon. Member raises a really important question. The defence prime companies in Scotland cannot get Scottish Government civil servants even to explain the policy that the First Minister announced last September. That is imperilling investment, apprenticeships and jobs in Scotland. Scotland deserves better.

Does the Secretary of State agree that increased defence orders in Scotland have the potential to strengthen the defence industry and the industrial base across the whole of the United Kingdom, and will he make an assessment of the opportunities that that presents, in particular for Northern Ireland companies?

I find myself in agreement with the hon. Gentleman. With that biggest sustained increase in defence expenditure since the cold war—not simply in Scotland, where defence supports about 12,000 Scottish jobs, but in Northern Ireland, Wales and England—there are real opportunities for a defence dividend. That is why the defence industrial strategy is UK wide and why, notwithstanding the Scottish Government’s weakness on defence and economic support, we remain committed to that strategy.

4. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the energy profits levy on the oil and gas sector in Scotland.

First, I respectfully remind the hon. Gentleman that it was the Conservatives who brought in the energy profits levy in 2022. Oil and gas will be a central part of the energy mix in the UK for decades to come, but it is also right to recognise that there is a transition that needs to be managed and there was an abject failure by the previous Government to manage that transition. The Chancellor confirmed at the Budget that we are ending the EPL on 31 March 2030.

It is clear that the Secretary of State is totally uninterested in the reality of what is happening in the industry because of the EPL. A thousand jobs a month are being lost as a direct result of the Government’s decision, all the while we are importing more at a higher cost with high emissions, jobs are being lost, investments are being turned away and our energy security is being undermined. At the same time, despite what the Secretary of State says, bills are going up for my constituents. Why will he not rectify that and sort out the problem for the whole country?

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman had a chance to listen to what was on the radio this morning about bills and the progress being made. [Interruption.] Well, let us introduce some facts to the debate. This trend in the North sea did not emerge yesterday; it is a mature basin where there was a 75% reduction in production between 1999 and 2024. We have been a net importer since 2003, and we lost more than 70,000 jobs from the basin in the last 10 years of the Conservatives being in power.

I associate myself with the remarks about Jeane Freeman.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that while oil and gas will play a vital role in the UK for decades to come, we have great opportunities for Scottish businesses in renewables, including at the Methil yard in my constituency, which is ideally placed to deliver renewables infrastructure as well as vital defence contracts such as Programme Euston?

My hon. Friend is entirely right. I had the opportunity to visit the Navantia yard in Methil just a couple of weeks ago. It is just over a year ago that we as a Labour Government stepped in to secure the future of both the Methil and Arnish yards. Since then, Navantia has announced a further £12 million of investment in the Methil site, which is just another example of what is possible when a UK Labour Government and industry work together for Scotland’s benefit.

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

Mr Speaker, “I would have preferred that Europe could make do with green energy, but the reality is different, and I fundamentally believe that it is better for Europe to get gas from Denmark than from countries outside our continent.”

Those are the words of the Danish Energy Minister—a Minister in a Government looking to extend licences in that country. The Danes can see what is blindingly obvious: we will continue to have a demand for oil and gas for many years, and it is better that we use our own to support our own economy, support our own workers and support the existing industry that will invest in the future. Who does the Secretary of State agree with—the Danish Energy Minister, the head of GB Energy, Scottish Renewables, the trade unions and everyone else, or his colleague the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero?

It is worth reminding the hon. Gentleman that it was actually a Conservative Government who introduced the EPL. We have been clear that the EPL will come to an end in 2030. It is also worth pointing out that oil and gas in the North sea is sold into global markets, and that we lost a third of the jobs in the North sea under the Government in which he served. I am happy to listen to other voices, but the last voice that would I listen to is that of the Scottish Conservative party.

The Secretary of State talks about global markets. Supporting the Scottish oil and gas industry supports 90 times more jobs than imports. Supporting the oil and gas industry yields 150 times more income tax and national insurance revenue than imports. Supporting the Scottish oil and gas industry delivers 400 times more oil and gas company taxes than imports, and supporting the Scottish oil and gas industry has a gross value added of £96 million for the UK, compared with zero from imports. Everyone else understands it. Will the Secretary of State please explain to everyone in the country what on earth the Government are playing at?

There is an aching gap the width of the North sea between what the hon. Member says and what the Conservatives did. The reality is that for all his conversations and protestations now about supporting Scottish oil and gas industry workers, under his Government, we lost a third of the North sea’s workforce. They failed time and again to come up with a plan. It falls to Labour once again to clean up their mess.

5. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support Scottish football fans travelling to the FIFA world cup 2026.

My hon. Friend and I both know that the tartan army will be out in full force supporting Scotland’s FIFA world cup campaign this summer. The UK Government are working with partners in the host countries and the Scottish Football Association to provide guidance to supporters on travel, security and consular assistance. We are determined to help everyone have a fantastic and safe world cup, hopefully beyond the group stages.

Despite fears of trade tariffs, I have checked and the price of a pint of beer in Boston, Massachusetts, where Scotland is due to play its first game, is about $8. That is a bargain, because the SNP wants to charge its fans £750 a pint to have a drink with the right hon. Member for Aberdeen South (Stephen Flynn), who, unusually, is not in his seat today. I am always open to a pint with the Opposition, but would the Secretary of State rather have a beer in Boston with the tartan army or a pint of bitter with the SNP?

I commend my hon. Friend for his question. I am not sure that I’ll be coming down the road to have a pint with the right hon. Member for Aberdeen South (Stephen Flynn) any time soon. Come to think of it, I would walk 500 miles to avoid having a beer and a blether with him.

I am quite surprised at that last question, because one of the things that Scotland qualifying for the world cup brings is a unity to the nation. We are all looking forward to Scotland competing for the first time since 1998. We will all get selfies—it will be us with the tartan army. Does the Secretary of State think that there is any chance that we will get a photograph with the Prime Minister and Anas Sarwar?

I respectfully point out that we qualified under a Labour Government this time, and the last time, when I was there in the Stade de France, there was a UK Labour Government.

6. What discussions he has had with the First Minister of Scotland on support for the Scottish hospitality sector.

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.

Last week, I met Nick and Trish who own Burts Hotel in Melrose. Like many other people, they explained the immense pressure that they are under as a result of the Minister’s Government’s jobs tax and the SNP Government’s eye watering hike in business rates. Does she think the Government’s increase in employer national insurance has helped or hindered the hospitality sector?

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.

Any support for Scottish hospitality businesses is welcome; however, the recent Scottish Budget simply tinkers around the edges, with many businesses still in line for a 400% tax hike. Does my hon. Friend agree that a fundamental overhaul and redesign of the current system is required so that we can deliver stronger economic growth in Scotland?

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 call the shadow Secretary of State.

Given that the Secretary of State still expects us to believe that the Prime Minister has faith in Anas Sarwar’s judgment, it is quite clear that the Labour party can still have a laugh—although it does seem to have an aversion to having fun. Why else would it be waging a war against Scottish pubs? Just like Scottish Labour’s election campaign, the sector in Scotland is hanging by a thread. Last year, one pub in Scotland closed every single week. But it is not just pubs: cafés, restaurants and chip shops all face the same. Will he and his Scottish Labour colleagues join Russell Findlay and the Scottish Conservatives in our call for pubs and hospitality businesses to be exempt from business rates rises this year, and will he do what he can to ensure that his Government stand up for Scottish hospitality? That would surely be something to raise a glass to.

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.

Before we come to Prime Minister’s questions, I welcome to the Gallery the Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji and the President of the European Parliament.

The Prime Minister was asked—

Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 25 February.

Four years into Putin’s barbaric assault, the courage of Ukrainians burns bright. We are extending sanctuary to Ukrainians in their time of need and providing the weapons and aid to support them in their fight for a just peace. We are degrading Russia’s economy and planning for a ceasefire that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty. That support will never falter. Yesterday I recommitted to President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people that we stand with them in the fight for freedom, democracy and the values that we all hold dear.

Let me also congratulate Team GB for their superb performance in the winter Olympics. They are brilliant ambassadors for our country, and I know that ParalympicsGB will also do us proud. This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

May I associate myself with the remarks of the Prime Minister in respect of Team GB and Ukraine?

A great former Prime Minister once said, “You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.”

Like the leader of my party today, she was a leader of principle and backbone, but we know this current Government are no stranger to the U turn. Given that, can I gently tempt the Prime Minister to add one more to the current tally and help get Britain working again by backing the fantastic shops and businesses in Melton Mowbray town centre and in high streets across my constituency and beyond to succeed and grow by scrapping the Government’s business rate changes, which will hit so many of them hard in April?

It is good to see the right hon. Member in good form, particularly—if I may say so—after his health scare, which he and I have discussed a number of times.

The right hon. Gentleman discusses a former leader of his party. He was the former Health Minister who presided over record waiting lists; he was the former Prisons Minister who left the prisons overcrowded; and he was the former economy Minister under Liz Truss. We are picking up the mess and turning it around.

Q2. I very much welcome the fact that our Labour Government have recognised the state of Palestine. I also welcome the Foreign Secretary’s statement last week as chair of the UN Security Council, setting out the UK’s commitment to increasing humanitarian access to Gaza and advancing a two state solution. Does the Prime Minister agree that protecting civilians, upholding international law and supporting Palestinian led governance are essential for a lasting peace?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue, because the ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile, and protecting Israeli and Palestinian civilians is critical to the next phase of the peace plan. I am proud of our commitment to a two state solution, and we will be hosting the peacebuilding conference in March to build lasting peace and security for both Palestine and Israel. Hamas must decommission their weapons and destroy their terrorist infrastructure and can have no future role in running Gaza. While aid flows have increased, the level of need is still dire. The Israeli Government must stop blocking supplies and preventing the work of international non governmental organisations. That is unconscionable, and it is costing Palestinian lives.

I call the Leader of the Opposition.

May I associate the Conservative party with the Prime Minister’s comments about Ukraine and Team GB?

Before the Prime Minister and I became MPs, parties of every colour increased the cost of going to university. The system is now at breaking point for graduates. I believe that student loans have become a debt trap. It is time for all of us to do something about it. Will he cut interest rates on student loans?

I have to say I was glad to learn that the Leader of the Opposition has finally admitted that the Conservatives scammed the country on this— and that applies to everything that they did in government. We inherited their broken student loans system. We have already introduced maintenance grants, which they scrapped, to improve the situation and we will look at ways to make it fairer. We will do other things within the economy to help students. [Interruption.] What other things, Conservative Members ask? There was some news this morning, at 7 am, that energy bills are coming down by £117 for millions of families and young people struggling. That is guaranteed money off bills in April, driven by the action that this Labour Government have taken. We have promised to cut the cost of living—we are cutting the cost of living.

I asked the Prime Minister if he would cut interest rates on student loans—no answer. For the record, energy bills are still higher than when he came into office. He keeps talking about the last Government. In case he has not noticed, my party is under new leadership—a lot of people wish his was too, including his own Back Benchers.

Let us talk again about student loans and student fees, even, because to win the Labour leadership, with Labour Together, the Prime Minister promised to abolish tuition fees. In opposition, the Education Secretary said: “Graduates, you will pay less under a Labour government.”

I wonder what happened to those people? Will the Prime Minister tell us whether graduates are paying more or less under Labour?

Many in her party are under new leadership, Mr Speaker—they are sitting on the Reform Bench. The only change the Leader of the Opposition has brought to her party is to make it smaller. She talks about interest rates on loans. Not only have energy prices come down this morning, but since we were last debating across the Dispatch Box, inflation has fallen as well, which has a huge impact on interest rates. It has fallen to 3% and the Bank of England says that it will keep on falling. That is only happening because of the decisions that we made at the Budget, opposed by the Conservatives. They talk about the cost of living: this Government are taking action. Under the Conservatives’ watch, inflation was 11%, which crippled students’ finances as their low rates went up.

I am amazed that while we are trying to talk about student loans, the Prime Minister has the cheek to talk about my party being smaller. His party is smaller too, including one MP who was arrested for child sex offences. Perhaps before he gets on his high horse, he should ask why his Back Benchers are saying that they are being called “the paedo defenders party”. [Interruption.] I did not say it—

Order. Okay—let’s have less.

I know that they do not like it—[Interruption.]

Does the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr Perkins) want to leave at this stage?

indicated dissent.

Just understand: it is very important that I hear the questions because I may have to make a judgment. I do not need any more shouting.

I know that Labour Members do not like it, but I have not said anything that is not true, have I? Perhaps they should get off their high horse and stop making stupid jokes.

Why don’t we talk about student loans? Policies that may have been fine for 2012, with low interest rates, are not fine for 2026. The fact is that graduates are paying more, not less. On Monday, the Schools Minister was asked on the BBC why Labour froze the repayment thresholds. She said that the Government have “huge pressures”. Those pressures have been created by the Prime Minister’s taxes and borrowing to pay for more welfare. Why is the Prime Minister taking from students to give to “Benefits Street”?

What a nerve! Under the Conservative Government, student loan thresholds were frozen for 10 years. They broke the system—they did it with the bloke over there, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey), when they were in coalition together—and we are fixing it.

The right hon. Lady used to say, just a few weeks ago, that she was going to focus on the economy to the exclusion of everything else, so I am doing her a favour by bringing us back to the economy. [Interruption.] Yes, desperate to talk about the economy. We have taken £117 off energy bills, and inflation is going down. The other thing that was confirmed on Friday was that borrowing is coming down, and we have the biggest surplus on record. That means that we have got the economy back under control, and we are fixing the public finances. I know that the party of Liz Truss does not understand any of this, but the Leader of the Opposition should welcome those changes when she next stands up.

The Prime Minister says that the Government are fixing the student loans system. How? He was not even talking about this until I raised it. The fact is that those policies—[Interruption.]

Order. What I said earlier goes for the row of Benches over there as well. I expect a standard of a Chair of a Select Committee, not for them to shout somebody down.

Mr Speaker—[Interruption.]

Order. I do not need any backchat.

The Prime Minister is only talking about student loans now because I raised them. He says that the Government are fixing the problem, but the fact is that he is not. Why is it that I am willing to ditch old Conservative policies that do not work, but he wants to keep them? He is not going to do anything about it at all. On Monday, the Government voted to increase benefits yet again. The fact is that the Prime Minister is taking money out of the pockets of graduates and giving it to people who are not working. It is not fair.

It is not just that the Prime Minister is saddling graduates with debt. Yesterday, the Bank of England, where the Chancellor used to work—in customer services—said that the Prime Minister’s policies are fuelling youth unemployment. That is not coming from us; that is from the Bank of England. For the first time ever, youth unemployment is now higher here than it is in the EU. While he blames everyone else, our young people cannot get jobs; they are losing hope and even leaving the country. Will the Prime Minister tell us how he plans to deal with that?

The right hon. Lady says that she is ditching failed Tory policies. That is a very long list—14 years of it—and it starts with the word, “Sorry”. When she says that word, we will take her seriously.

The right hon. Lady talks about the Bank of England. The Bank of England has reduced interest rates six times. We have seen a fall in energy bills. Inflation is coming down. Borrowing is coming down. She has not welcomed any of that. I know that she wanted to talk about the economy—she did not want to talk about anything other than the economy—so perhaps she will welcome the surge in retail sales as well. People are spending more on our high streets because of the action that we took. Wages were boosted for millions of workers—opposed by the Conservatives. Free breakfast clubs—opposed by the Conservatives. Free childcare—opposed by the Conservatives. On every measure that we are taking to improve the economy, what do they do? They oppose it.

The Prime Minister is desperate to talk about the last Government so that he can distract from the mess that he is making now. The fact is that he is the Prime Minister today. This is a man who got legislation in to fix his own pension—just his, no one else’s. He will not sort out student loans for other people. He has no plan to get young people into work. He has no plan to help graduates to get out of the debt trap. [Interruption.] Labour Members can complain as much as they like, but these are facts. There are 411 Labour MPs, and not a single one of them has any imagination. We are the ones doing all the thinking.

The Prime Minister has already made 15 U turns. Will he make another one next week at the spring statement to fix the student loans system?

The right hon. Member wants me to talk about this Government. Bills are down £117 under this Government. Inflation is down under this Government. Surplus is up, at a record. Resales—[Interruption.] She will not welcome the economic news, but the business community is welcoming the plan. Business confidence is up. The FTSE is at a record high. The president of the British Chamber of Commerce has said that this is the year our economy could turn around. The right hon. Member’s miserable strategy of talking down the economy is not working because Labour has a plan for Britain.

The economy will only turn around this year if the Prime Minister stops being the leader. Perhaps his party can do something about that. He wants us to welcome the economic news; I am sorry, but I am not going to welcome the fact that youth unemployment is at its highest ever. I am not going to welcome the fact that unemployment has increased every single month under this Labour Government. He is not doing anything about student loans because he is not governing, and he is not governing because he cannot govern. He is distracted by Labour scandal after Labour scandal. Even today, there is an inquiry into the inquiries Minister! That is all his party has offered since it came in.

The defining moment of this man’s premiership will not be breakfast clubs; it will be the sight of the man he appointed ambassador to Washington just last year getting arrested. No wonder Labour Members are calling themselves all sorts of things. He needs to stop moaning about us, and start fixing his useless Government. Why should the country have to put up with three more years of this?

Yet again, the right hon. Member has shown why she is so utterly irrelevant—carping from the sidelines and trying to talk down the economy. [Interruption.]

Order. Hello? Please, I want to hear the questions, and so do your constituents.

All the right hon. Member does is carp from the sidelines, talk the economy down and talk the country down. In the meantime, because of our work, what is happening? Energy bills are down, as announced this morning. Inflation—down. Borrowing—down. What is up? Retail spending is up. Investment is up. Business confidence is up. That is the difference a Labour Government make.

Q3. Residents in Stanley in my constituency are very excited about having their say on how to spend the £20 million of Pride in Place funding that Stanley South has received as one of the 250 most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. There are other villages and areas in North Durham that are too small to qualify for Pride in Place at the moment, but that are also urgently in need of investment—for instance, Grange Villa, New Kyo and the Avenues area of Chester le Street. Will the Prime Minister consider an additional wave of Pride in Place funding to target smaller, more concentrated areas of deprivation?

I know how meaningful Pride in Place investment is to my hon. Friend’s constituents. We are backing communities with the funding and powers they need to invest in their priorities: unleashing jobs, growth and opportunity. In answer to his question, I can confirm that the next wave of Pride in Place will invest in an additional 169 neighbourhoods, focusing on smaller areas and looking closely at deprivation. We are reversing the austerity that ripped the heart out of our high streets and our communities, and giving local people a real say over how money is spent.

I call the leader of the Liberal Democrats.

I join the Prime Minister in congratulating Team GB on our most successful winter Olympics ever. I also join him in solidarity with our Ukrainian allies and friends after four years of them resisting Vladimir Putin’s war machine.

The former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has raised deeply shocking concerns that Jeffrey Epstein may have used British airports, and even RAF bases, to traffic young women and girls in and out of our country. This is appalling. The Prime Minister knows that I agree with Gordon Brown that there needs to be a full public inquiry into all this. If he does not agree with Gordon Brown, will he at the very least commit to releasing the flight logs and related documents—or will he wait for the House to force the Government to do that?

I think it is important to appreciate that there is obviously a police investigation going on, and I think it is right—I am sure the right hon. Gentleman agrees with this—that that has to go wherever the evidence takes it. We have to let that investigation run its course before deciding what next action needs to be taken.

I think we all agree that police investigations should take priority, but that does not rule out a public inquiry, and it certainly does not rule out releasing the flight logs, which I think really should be released.

On a different note, it has been revealed that a trustee of William Blake House, a care home for adults with profound disabilities, embezzled £1 million. There are very few homes in the country that offer this sort of care, and now it faces closure. As a father of a disabled son, I can tell the Prime Minister that this situation is one of my worst nightmares, and it is one of the worst nightmares of many parents with disabled adult children. The families of the residents have put forward a rescue plan to take over William Blake House and run it themselves. It will require His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to resolve the debt issue and the Charity Commission to appoint an independent board, so will the Prime Minister meet the families and back their plan?

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for raising this case, which is obviously a cause of considerable concern. Of course, I will make sure that the relevant meeting is put in place for all the individuals who need it.

Q4. Given the recent challenges to the Equality Act 2010, will the Prime Minister commit to protecting laws that prevent discrimination at work and in society, make sure that women are not fired for being pregnant, and ensure that everyone is treated fairly, regardless of their sex, race or disability?

I am proud of the Equality Act, which was passed by the last Labour Government; we will always fight for working people. Compare that to Reform, who want to go back to the dark days, when people could be discriminated against because of who they are—ripping up protections for workers and renters, and ending the right of grieving parents to take a few days off work if the worst should ever happen to their child.

I also have to raise this: a death threat against my hon. Friend, the brilliant Member for Bolsover (Natalie Fleet), was shared by Reform’s deputy council leader in Lancashire. It said that she “should be shot”. When death threats were made against the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), I stood at this Dispatch Box and condemned them outright. If he has any decency or backbone, he will stand up, apologise, condemn the comments, and sack the individual in his party. Will he do so?

At the age of 14, Michel Mandarin was forcibly removed from his home, the coral atoll of Île du Coin, dumped on the quayside in Mauritius, and forced to live on food scraps out of bins. He has resettled on those islands, yet he now faces a removal order from yet another Labour Government. Maybe twice in one lifetime, he is going to be asked to leave his homeland. Can I ask the Prime Minister this? This Government are full of human rights lawyers, within and without; why do the opinions and human rights of indigenous Chagossians not matter to him at all?

So the hon. Gentleman has neither the decency nor the backbone to condemn a death threat against a Member of this House, whichever party they are in. He does not have the decency or the backbone to condemn it and sack the individual. That just shows that his party has nothing to offer the country but grievance and division. Look at its candidate in Gorton and Denton—a man who says that anyone who is not white cannot be English. No wonder he has been endorsed by Tommy Robinson. That does not represent our country, and anybody who wants to stand against that hatred and division should vote Labour on Thursday—tomorrow—in Gorton and Denton.

Q5. Can the Prime Minister update the House on how the Government are tackling the misuse of illegal drugs, and will he reassure parents in my constituency of Rugby and throughout the country that Labour will continue to disagree with the views and the voices of those who think that it is a good idea to legalise class A drugs like heroin and crack cocaine?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue. We are working relentlessly to tackle the supply of illegal drugs, and expanding police powers to test more suspects on arrest. The Green party’s policy is not just irresponsible but reprehensible— a policy of legalising cocaine, heroin, ketamine and the date rape drug GHB, a drug that we know is used to spike the drinks of women. While we are making that an offence, the Green party’s proposals would shatter lives, increase antisocial behaviour, and see drug use running rife. I have to say, as the father of a 17-and a-half year old son, that the idea that the argument is being made by the Greens that when he turns 18, in just a few months, it would be lawful to provide him with heroin and crack cocaine is absolutely disgusting.

Q6. The Prime Minister recently stated:“we will not allow the powerful to treat justice as optional.” He was talking about Epstein’s enablers, but one of my constituents, who uses the pseudonym “Isabella”, has asked me to ask the Prime Minister whether his words also apply to those who assisted Britain’s Epstein, Mohammed al Fayed, a monster who, with others, abused her and hundreds of other women and girls in a human trafficking scandal that the Met, unlike the French authorities, is still refusing to treat as such. Will the Prime Minister ensure that sufficient resources are committed to fully investigating this multi perpetrator, multi jurisdictional, multi decade trafficking outrage, and will he meet Isabella and her fellow victims, in order to understand the terrible scale of this shocking crime?

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that really important case on behalf of really important victims, and I am sure that the thoughts of the whole House are with those victims. Every report of a sexual offence should be treated seriously, every victim should be treated with dignity, and every investigation should be conducted professionally. The safeguarding Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Yardley (Jess Phillips), is meeting the victims, and if the hon. Gentleman gives me the full details, I will make sure that his constituent is part of and included in those meetings.

Q9. We have all heard the horrific news that a man entered Manchester Central mosque last night in this, the holy month of Ramadan, carrying weapons including a hammer, a knife and an axe. Violent and Islamophobic attacks against the Muslim community are becoming far too frequent in our country. Prime Minister, is it not the case that every single politician in this place, and I mean every politician, especially that lot over there—[Interruption.] They may nod their heads, but this morning we could have woken up to news of a horrific terrorist attack, in which innocent Muslim worshippers were killed only for being Muslim. Prime Minister, is it not the case that every single politician in this place, and every single journalist, has a responsibility to stop fanning the flames of hatred against the Muslim community?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that really important case. Let me tell him that I share his deep concern, and the deep concern of the community, over the incident at Manchester Central mosque—particularly as it took place during the holy month of Ramadan—and that we will not, and must not, relent in the fight against anti Muslim hatred. We must not.

I remember visiting Peacehaven mosque in the wake of the awful attack there, and when I did, I committed £40 million to protecting mosques and community centres. It is a shame that we have to do that, but we do have to do it, and we are establishing a new fund to monitor anti Muslim hatred and to support victims. I want to reassure my hon. Friend and the House that we will fight hatred and protect freedom of worship in this country.

Q7. Bicester is one of the fastest growing towns in the country, but the town will be cut in two when rail services start between Oxford and Cambridge and the London Road level crossing closes. Campaigners were ignored by the Conservative Administration for over a decade, but today we are in touching distance of a solution. East West Rail has a detailed plan for an underpass, the Rail Minister is fully engaged, we have financial support from the county council, and thousands of local residents have pledged a pound to go underground. Can the Prime Minister now confirm that the Government will back the plan and keep London Road open?

I know that the hon. Gentleman shares our support for East West Rail, which is a vital project that will deliver better journeys and tens of thousands of jobs, and unlock up to 100,000 new homes. I agree that access to Bicester Village must be maintained—my children say that as well—and I think the company has put forward two options for replacing the crossing. I reassure him and his constituents that they will have the opportunity to express their views on what would work for them during the upcoming consultation.

Q10. The regeneration of Belper mills—a large site with buildings, including grade I listed ones dating from the start of the industrial revolution, at the heart of the east midlands’ only UNESCO world heritage site—took a significant step forward last week, when planning permission for its redevelopment and conservation was finally granted. The Government want to provide more housing—rightly so—and sites like this, though very challenging, provide a very important opportunity to support that aspiration and share our national story. Can the Prime Minister tell me what support the Government are giving to regenerate at risk listed buildings, and whether we are delivering support to train construction workers in heritage building techniques? May I ask him to take a personal interest in Belper mills, because it is an internationally significant site?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue, because restoring Belper mills is not just about delivering the housing that his constituents want, but about restoring an iconic world heritage site in the east midlands. We are investing over £1.2 billion in skills, supporting apprenticeships—including courses focused on heritage construction—recruiting 60,000 more construction workers, and backing new technical excellence colleges, so that we have the workforce to build the homes the country needs.

Q8. In January last year, Somerset received around 2,000 pothole reports. This January, there were nearly 7,000—a 250% increase. I recently stood on the Fosse Way in my constituency, where one resident had blown a tyre and another was checking the damage under his car. Families and small businesses are paying the price. Rural counties like Somerset have some of the largest rural networks in the country, yet the funding does not reflect that reality. Will the Prime Minister commit to fairer funding for rural areas so that we can properly maintain and resurface our roads, rather than constantly patching them up?

I know how important it is that we fix the crumbling roads that we inherited from the Conservative party. The hon. Gentleman’s county council will receive over £225 million as part of our £7.3 billion investment to tackle potholes. We are also implementing tough new standards so that councils have to prove that they are fixing the roads properly, and delivering £78 billion for councils to ensure that they can deliver excellent local services.

Q11. In 2024, 2.64 million animals were used in medical experiments in the UK. As chair of the all party parliamentary group on phasing out animal experiments in medical research, I think it is important to note that an estimated 92% of drugs fail in human clinical trials, even though they have passed pre clinical tests, including animal tests. Innovative non animal research methods are increasingly available and provide viable alternatives. I very much welcome our “Replacing animals in science” strategy, but for this to be meaningful, a robust implementation timeline must be set. I ask the Prime Minister to consider leading the way by introducing an immediate ban on the use of dogs in these often horrific experiments.

May I thank my hon. Friend for her dedicated work on this issue? We are committed to phasing out animal testing wherever possible. Last year’s strategy, backed by £75 million, will accelerate new alternative testing methods. Alongside banning puppy farming and introducing stronger standards for zoos, we are ensuring that the UK is a world leader in animal welfare.

In 2014, a man in my constituency was ambushed, violently beaten with a pickaxe handle and left lying in the street with serious injuries. At the time of the conviction, the judge called it a “brutal attack”. Many constituents have contacted me to express their concern that the perpetrator of this attack is still a sitting Labour councillor in Keighley and was recently pictured celebrating an election with convicted crack cocaine and heroin dealers. Prime Minister, on behalf of all victims of serious crime, will you, as the leader of the Labour party, ensure that Councillor Mohsin Hussain is not permitted to stand in the local elections this May?

I thank the hon. Member for raising this matter. I will look into it straightaway and give him a full answer. [Interruption.]

Order. Mr Fenton Glynn, you are getting carried away with some other colleagues behind you—Mr Davies and others—but please!

Q13. Prime Minister, I need your help. Today, alongside leading trade bodies, including UKHospitality, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Startup Coalition, I am launching the TNT charter—trust and transparency in business energy—to blow up the status quo and support SME access to fair contracts, clearer pricing and stronger accountability. I know that the Prime Minister recognises this as an issue, so can I ask him to deploy powers to bring greater transparency, fairness and competition to the wild west that is commercial energy?

We inherited the highest industrial energy costs in Europe because of the failed policy of the Conservative party. Our British industry supercharger is cutting bills for major industries, but my hon. Friend is right to champion SMEs as well. I can confirm that we will appoint Ofgem to regulate and stamp out exploitation by third party intermediaries, helping to reduce bills, and I will make sure that she gets a meeting with Ministers to discuss the issues that she has raised with me.

Even the embarrassingly loyal Scottish Labour party seems to have lost confidence in the Prime Minister. I say to the Prime Minister, “Please don’t let that put you off coming and campaigning in Scotland on your Government’s record,” but can he tell us why it is that those who were so close to him have abandoned him, given the Government’s record?

I remember when SNP Members used to sit down here on the Front Bench, did they not, before the election, and now they sit up there, because we won the general election in 2024 with a landslide majority.

Q14. From this April, Springside special school in Rochdale will open its first ever free breakfast club. That is a big change enabled by this Labour Government, and one that the headteacher, Mrs Fierro, said will make a big change to all the parents and children at her school. However, Rochdale’s growing popularity and growing population mean it desperately needs a new secondary school. Will the Prime Minister arrange for me to have a meeting with the Department for Education to get our secondary school over the line to help all children in mainstream and in SEND get more provision?

We are determined to halve the disadvantage gap and give all children the best start in life. I am delighted to see that a free breakfast club is opening in his constituency of Rochdale. Our actions will lift over half a million children out of poverty, and the Conservatives’ policy is to say they would plunge them straight back into poverty, which is disgraceful. Through our actions to reform the SEND system, we will create an inclusive system so that every child can go as far as their ability and talents will take them.

Mr Speaker, you will recall that, some months ago, I asked the Prime Minister why, as the Director of Public Prosecutions, he did not bring charges against Mohammed Fayed for rape and assault, and the Prime Minister replied that this did not cross his desk. I understand that the Met police delivered two dossiers to the Crown Prosecution Service, so if the Prime Minister did not see them, who did, and could he tell the House when he expects the Metropolitan police to bring charges against those who aided and abetted Fayed?

I stand by my answer. Hundreds of thousands of files are submitted to the prosecution service every year. It is important that the investigation is going on. I cannot tell the right hon. Member when the decision will be made or what the decision will be, as he well knows, but it is important that every allegation is properly investigated and properly dealt with according to the law.

Q15. Four years after Russia’s illegal invasion, Britain backs Ukraine’s fight for freedom—the same freedoms that Labour forged NATO to defend. But while Ukraine fights to join NATO, the Green party wants to break it up, so does the Prime Minister agree that, as war continues and as Russia broadens its attacks across Europe, those who attack NATO are betraying our security and, to coin a phrase, are becoming Putin’s useful idiots?

My hon. and gallant Friend is absolutely right. Our support for Ukraine is unwavering, and yesterday I chaired the call of the coalition of the willing and announced new sanctions to weaken Putin’s war machine. The Greens, by contrast, want to pull out of NATO and negotiate with Putin on our nuclear deterrent, and Reform is still parroting Kremlin talking points after its leader in Wales was jailed for taking Russian bribes. Both of them are weak on NATO and soft on Putin.

On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Points of order come after urgent questions and statements. We are not going to change the policy of the House.