Business of the House

Johanna Baxter Excerpts

Thursday 27th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I invite the hon. Lady to apply for an Adjournment debate as this matter has been raised a number of times in business questions. I know that there has been an attempt to get a banking hub, but I suggest that she pursues that and draws that to the attention of Ministers. We changed the law to ensure that, where they are necessary, face-to-face banking can take place through banking hubs, so I would not give up on it.

[Johanna Baxter (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) (Lab)]

Recent figures from Police Scotland show that Paisley now has the highest sickness absence rate of any police area in our country, which is a clear sign that our dedicated officers are being pushed to the brink by relentless workloads and constant pressure. The fallout is hitting my constituency hard, with antisocial behaviour in Paisley town centre putting people off visiting our beautiful town and hammering local shops that should be thriving. Will the Leader of the House join me in calling out the SNP’s reckless mismanagement of Police Scotland and urge it to invest in our public services the £10 billion that it has had from this Labour Government since we were elected?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I hope that the SNP has heard my hon. Friend’s remarks, because keeping people safe is the first responsibility of any Government. It is important that we support the police in both the powers and the resources we give them. Our Crime and Policing Bill will equip the police in England with new, stronger powers to tackle the crimes that matter most to communities. I urge the SNP Government to listen carefully as, after all, they received the largest funding settlement since devolution at the recent spending review.