Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that economic growth delivers higher real wages for workers in Hamilton and Clyde Valley.

To deliver higher wage growth across the UK, the Government is prioritising economic growth. The UK saw the joint-fastest growth in the G7 in the first half of this year, and the IMF predicts the UK to be the joint second-fastest growing G7 economy in 2026

To ensure economic growth and real wage growth is felt in Hamilton and Clyde Valley, the Government has confirmed £20 million of co-funding with the Scottish Government for two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in the east and west of Scotland, supporting routes into high-wage careers in the defence sector

In addition, the government has announced a 3.9% increase in the National Living Wage, to £13.21 per hour, and a 3.9% increase to the National Minimum Wage, from 1 April 2027. This follows the government’s uprating in April 2026, which was estimated to directly benefit 180,000 workers in Scotland.