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Debate between Alister Jack and John Lamont
Wednesday 2nd February 2022

(2 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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As the hon. Lady will know, connectivity is important. It is not just about air; it is also about rail and road. We are very keen to improve connectivity because we realise that that leads to economic growth and improves people’s livelihoods. We are engaging with the Scottish Government in a spirit of good will with a view to improving connectivity for all parts of the United Kingdom.

John Lamont Portrait John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)
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2. What progress his Department has made on implementing growth deals in Scotland.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alister Jack and John Lamont
Wednesday 8th September 2021

(2 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Our focus is on rebuilding our economy. Our focus is on restoring our NHS. I think most right-minded Scots would agree that using civil service resources to design a prospectus for independence is the wrong thing to be doing at this time.

John Lamont Portrait John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)
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Over the summer, new data published by the SNP Scottish Government showed the Union dividend to be worth £2,210 a person in Scotland. Does the Minister agree that those figures simply confirm the benefit of Scotland remaining at the heart of a strong United Kingdom?

Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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I absolutely would agree with my hon. Friend. I would add that the recent “Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland” reports in August showed that the deficit last year for the Scottish budget was £36.3 billion. That is more than the Scottish Government spend on education, housing, transport, culture and health.

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Debate between Alister Jack and John Lamont
Wednesday 28th April 2021

(2 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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What I would say on the bodies remark is that in every conversation I have had with the Prime Minister in the past year his desire, at all levels, has been to save lives and protect the NHS; we have had many conversations, in Cabinet Committees, in Cabinet and in private, and I have no recollection of him being anything other than totally focused on saving lives and protecting the NHS. He has been entirely focused on this pandemic all the way through. He has not been distracted, as others have, for example, the nationalists, with Nicola Sturgeon admitting that she took her eye off the ball. He has not taken his eye off the ball. He has been focused on the pandemic. He has tackled vaccines and the programme, and he now wants to lead our economic recovery. Those are the things we should hold him to account for; those are the things that strengthen the United Kingdom.

John Lamont Portrait John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con) [V]
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There has been much reckless chat from Scottish National party politicians about creating a hard border between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. My constituents in the Scottish Borders want to see the threat of a border—and the threat of another referendum—removed. Does the Minister agree that the voters of Scotland have an opportunity to remove that threat next week in the Scottish elections by depriving the SNP of a majority and that the best way of doing that is by voting Scottish Conservative?

Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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Bit of a toughie.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alister Jack and John Lamont
Wednesday 10th March 2021

(3 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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Mr Speaker, why should I not just completely agree? Improving connectivity across the entire United Kingdom, including through the north-west of England, will boost tourism opportunities for both Scotland and Wales.

John Lamont Portrait John Lamont
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The Minister will know that cross-border transport routes are vital for my constituents, for educational and career opportunities as well as many other day-to-day tasks. That is why I want to see the Borders Railway extended and to see improvements to the A1; these are both vital routes for the Scottish borders. Does he share my frustration and shock that the SNP Scottish Government are failing to engage with and support the connectivity review, which could be an opportunity to accelerate these two projects?

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Debate between Alister Jack and John Lamont
Wednesday 27th January 2021

(3 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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Government Ministers in both the UK and the devolved Administrations are committed to transparency around the numbers of people who have been vaccinated. There are also a number of mechanisms for sharing best practice between Ministers and officials of all Administrations. The faster we can vaccinate, the more lives we can protect and the quicker we can return to normal.

John Lamont Portrait John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)
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May I start by thanking the GPs and other NHS staff across the Scottish borders, who have been working incredibly hard over the last few weeks to get vaccines into people’s arms? I have been speaking to GP practices across my constituency. One of them said:

“Our English counterparts over the border seem to have access to a lot more vaccines than us and that is causing a lot of unrest within the community.”

She went on to say that

“if we could have a guarantee of a definite amount of vaccines”

from the Scottish Government, it would make it a much easier job to plan and administer. What assistance can the UK Government provide to ensure that vaccines are delivered to GPs more quickly and efficiently across Scotland?

Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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The UK Government are ensuring that NHS Scotland gets an equitable share of those vaccines. How it is distributed is a matter for NHS Scotland and, rightly, as health is devolved, that is a matter for the Scottish Government. If my hon. Friend’s constituents are concerned about any aspects of distribution, the best thing for them would be to take up their concerns with the Scottish Government.

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Debate between Alister Jack and John Lamont
Wednesday 9th December 2020

(3 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. Scotland has always played a crucial role in the UK’s defence, and the projects that are supported by this spending, including shipbuilding on the Clyde, will directly benefit the people of Scotland, bringing security and economic benefits. This level of spending and investment is only possible through Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom.

John Lamont Portrait John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)
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I very much welcome the Secretary of State’s response, but can he set out what support the British Army is providing to the Scottish Government to ensure the efficient delivery of the coronavirus vaccine in my constituency in the borders, but also across Scotland more widely?

Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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The Scottish Government requested a military planning team to assist with the planning for the roll-out of the vaccine in the borders and across Scotland, and I am very pleased that I was able to approve that request. The scale of the task is very considerable, but the logistics expertise with the British armed forces is making a huge difference.

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Debate between Alister Jack and John Lamont
Wednesday 11th November 2020

(3 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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Absolutely not. The Prime Minister was clear from the get-go, following Cabinet on the Saturday when we discussed the new economic situation in England, that it was a UK-wide scheme. It is 80% for the whole of the United Kingdom. It is a simple scheme and it is for our whole country and he has been absolutely clear about that from the start.

John Lamont Portrait John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)
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The UK Treasury has provided an up-front guarantee of £8.2 billion to the Scottish Government to help protect jobs and to help the Scottish Government tackle coronavirus, yet we are still to hear from the Scottish Government about where more than £2 billion of that funding is to be spent. Does the Secretary of State agree that the Scottish Government need to provide details urgently about how they will use that funding to support Scots?

Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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I agree with my hon. Friend. There has been substantial extra funding, guaranteed funding, to the Scottish Government—£8.2 billion, as he correctly identified. That is money received through the Barnett formula. The Scottish Government must not shirk their responsibility to be open and transparent about how that money is being spent. We need accountability so that the people of Scotland can judge whether it is being spent wisely.

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Debate between Alister Jack and John Lamont
Wednesday 8th January 2020

(4 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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May I start by thanking my predecessor for his four years as Secretary of State for Scotland and, prior to that, five years as Under-Secretary and four years as a shadow spokesman? In all, he spent 13 years as a spokesman on Scottish affairs in this House, and I think the last person to do so for that length of time was Willie Ross under Harold Wilson. I thank him for all the hard work and service he has given to the people of Scotland.

It is quite clear that the Scottish Government constantly harp on about independence and separation because they want to deflect from the main issue, which is that they are failing on our school standards and failing our NHS.

John Lamont Portrait John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)
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I welcome the new ministerial team to the Scotland Office. In Scotland, education standards are falling and the NHS is failing patients with missed waiting-time targets. Does the Secretary of State share my embarrassment that the First Minister of Scotland, rather than sorting out these important issues, is obsessing with independence?

Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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Yes.