Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Spending Review 2025: Scottish Public Services

Wednesday 9 July 2025 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Gregor Poynton questioned the SNP Scottish Government's management of the 9.1 billion budget for Scottish public services.
  • Katrina Murray criticized proposed cuts to Cumbernauld fire station, citing concerns about the station's ability to respond to incidents.
  • Stephen Gethins asked why the government is not prioritizing child poverty reduction, despite increased departmental spending.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gregor Poynton Lab Livingston
NHS Scotland
Context

The MP references the UK Labour Government's delivery of a historic budget for Scotland, noting that despite this large funding increase, there has been no corresponding improvement in public service provision under the SNP.

Question

This UK Labour Government are delivering the largest budgetary settlement in the history of devolution, with an extra £9.1 billion to invest in Scottish public services, yet the SNP Scottish Government continue to squander opportunity after opportunity and waste the public’s money. Will he join me in urging the SNP Scottish Government to get a grip and invest in projects that matter to our communities, such as the East Calder medical centre, which has not materialised after SNP dither and delay?

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

I absolutely join my hon. Friend in that call, and I pay tribute to his tenacious campaigning to see East Calder’s new medical centre delivered. I am 10,000 GP places short in my own constituency, and the SNP needs to take that seriously. The spending review generated £5.8 billion in health-related Barnett consequentials for Scotland.

Answered
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Q2 Katrina Murray Lab Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch
Scotland Local Government
Context

The MP expresses concern over proposed cuts to the Cumbernauld fire station, which she believes will undermine its ability to respond effectively to incidents in one of Scotland's largest towns.

Question

I have previously praised in this Chamber the efforts of the fire and rescue service in responding to more than one major incident in Cumbernauld. Both my constituents and I are therefore concerned that the proposed cuts to Cumbernauld fire station will undermine its ability to respond to incidents and put lives at risk. Will the Secretary of State make representations to the Scottish Government to invest in fire services in one of Scotland’s largest towns?

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

My hon. Friend quite rightly speaks out against the cuts to Cumbernauld fire station, which sadly is just one example of the SNP’s dangerous mismanagement of Scotland’s fire services, as the Fire Brigades Union in Scotland told me just last month.

Answered
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Q3 Stephen Gethins SNP Bristol West
Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

The question references voting against the two-child cap policy, pointing out that UK Departments are receiving larger spending increases than the Scottish Government.

Question

If there is cash to go around and UK Departments are getting bigger spending increases than the Scottish Government, why will he not prioritise child poverty? The Child Poverty Action Group described getting rid of the two-child cap as “the most cost-effective way” to cut child poverty. It was described by the Pensions Minister as “immoral”. The Cabinet Office’s recent report “Tackling Child Poverty” stated: There is a lot we can learn from action already being taken in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Will the Secretary of State make scrapping the two-child poverty cap a priority, or will he insist on failed Tory policies?

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

What we have done as a Government is a pay rise for 200,000 Scots, day one rights for sick leave and parental leave and £150 off energy bills for more than half a million Scottish households, and we have banned exploitative zero-hours contracts. There are 10,000 children in Scotland every single night going to bed without a home. That is a dreadful record for the Scottish Government.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific ask about scrapping two-child poverty cap and prioritising child poverty was not directly addressed

How: Redirecting To Government Achievements

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