Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lucy Frazer and Gavin Newlands

Thursday 16th November 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am sorry, but we have only eight minutes for topicals and I really am struggling to get everyone in. I call Gavin Newlands.

[Gavin Newlands]

Tonight, Scotland will play what amounts to a dead rubber because we have qualified for the Euros with two games to spare. It is an unusual feeling for us and we do not know quite what to do. Generations of young Scottish football fans, unlike their English and Welsh counterparts, are unable to see their national football team on free-to-air television. Scotland is one of only seven out of 55 UEFA countries where the national team is hidden behind a paywall. In these times when families are really struggling, does the Secretary of State think that is fair in principle?

[Lucy Frazer]

I did not catch all of the hon. Gentleman’s question, but I think he asked about broadcasting rights and Scottish teams. He needs to understand, because he raises this question from time to time, that there is a balance between audience numbers and commercial revenues for sport. As he knows, sport is devolved to the Scottish Government—

Levelling-up Fund Round 2

Debate between Lucy Frazer and Gavin Newlands

Thursday 19th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

As I mentioned, the criteria will be published in due course. Forty-five per cent. of the funding has been allocated to Opposition areas.

[Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP)]

Further to your point at the start of proceedings, Mr Speaker, I am led to believe that Conservative list MSPs were also told well before the MPs who sponsored the project applications.

Some of the most deprived areas of the country are in my constituency, which also missed out on its green freeport bid, which went to the much wealthier east. The fraudulently titled levelling-up fund is meant to replace EU funding previously allocated to deprived areas. How is it possible that areas of multiple deprivation missed out while the Prime Minister’s constituency, one of the wealthiest in the UK, nabbed £19 million, and while £45 million went to help fix the mess of the roads in Dover caused by the Government’s kamikaze Brexit? Is the Minister not utterly ashamed at some of these announcements? If not, why not?

[Lucy Frazer]

Well, I hope the hon. Gentleman is very pleased with his very successful first-round bid of £38 million for improvements related to the advanced manufacturing innovation district Scotland.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lucy Frazer and Gavin Newlands

Monday 21st November 2022 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

I am sorry that Barnsley has not been successful in its levelling-up fund bids, but of course a variety of schemes have been put forward to improve local areas. Those are not finished and I wish her area every success in future bids.

[Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP)]

8. What recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on the potential impacts of (a) levels of Government spending and (b) the cost of living on the levelling-up agenda.