Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Town Centre Regeneration

Wednesday 4 June 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Dr Lauren Sullivan questioned the SNP's voting record on the 8 million regeneration fund for Hamilton town centre.
  • Becky Gittins highlighted the shared sentiment of being under-invested in by the previous Conservative Government across constituencies in Wales and Scotland.
  • Stephen Flynn criticized the Government for job losses in the North Sea oil and gas sector.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lauren Sullivan Lab Gravesham
Scotland Local Government
Context

The SNP voted against an £8 million regeneration project for Hamilton town centre. Dr Sullivan criticizes the SNP's decision.

Question

Does the Secretary of State agree that it was astonishing that the SNP voted against the £8 million to regenerate Hamilton town centre and that only Labour’s Davy Russell will stand up for local people, jobs and services?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Scotland (Ian Murray)

I have brought glasses to see if I can find an ounce of credibility in the SNP’s candidate in Hamilton for voting against that £8 million. The SNP candidate is a councillor from Cambuslang who stood for election twice in Rutherglen, sought selection in Shettleston and then voted against £8 million for the Hamilton town centre before seeking selection there.

Answered
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Q2 Becky Gittins Lab Clwyd East
Scotland Wales
Context

Wales has a Labour programme that invests in towns. Becky Gittins asks for support from the Secretary of State to urge the SNP to back Labour's plans to regenerate Hamilton.

Question

A proud industrial heritage, a strong community spirit and an overwhelming feeling of being let down and under-invested in by the previous Conservative Government unite towns in my constituency with those across Scotland, including those in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. In Wales, Labour’s transforming towns programme has invested in Holywell in my constituency. Will the Secretary of State join me in calling on the SNP to U-turn and finally back Labour’s plans to invest in Hamilton town centre?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Scotland (Ian Murray)

What a wonderful representative my hon. Friend is for her constituency. I could not agree more. The SNP candidate is yet to explain to voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse why she voted against the much needed £8 million investment in Hamilton town centre. I hope she will explain before tomorrow’s vote. If she does not, everyone should back Labour’s Davy Russell.

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Q3 Stephen Flynn SNP Aberdeen South
Employment Brexit Business & Trade
Context

Robert Gordon University published a report indicating potential job losses in the North Sea. Stephen Flynn questions how many jobs need to be lost before the Government acts.

Question

I will tell the Secretary of State what is bad for town centres, and that is job losses. On this Government’s watch, Robert Gordon University has been forced to publish a report that outlines that there could be 400 job losses in the North sea every two weeks. That is a Grangemouth-type shutdown every two weeks. How many jobs have to be lost in my constituency for his Government to act?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Scotland (Ian Murray)

The leader of the SNP in this House voted against the setting up of Great British Energy in his constituency, which is creating jobs in Scotland. He is against the EU trade deal, he is against the US trade deal, he is against the India trade deal; he is bad for jobs and should go.

Not addressed: Job losses in the oil and gas sector

How: Attacking The Opposition

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Q4 Harriet Cross Con Gordon and Buchan
Scotland Energy
Context

The oil and gas sector is facing challenges, including job losses. Harriet Cross asks for new licences and a reduction in the energy profits levy to support regeneration.

Question

Towns and villages across north-east Scotland, such as Aberdeen, and Inverurie, Kintore and Ellon in my constituency, will all need regenerating in future if the Secretary of State’s Government keep decimating the oil and gas sector. The best thing his Government can do for the north-east of Scotland is allow new licences and cut the increase to the energy profits levy. Will he commit to that? Otherwise, more and more money will need to be put into north-east Scotland to regenerate our towns in future.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Scotland (Ian Murray)

This Government are putting money into Scottish towns to regenerate them. As we keep saying from this Dispatch Box, oil and gas will be with us for decades to come. The industry itself is making the transition, and we have to make sure that it happens, and happens for the benefit of workers in the north-east and all over Scotland.

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