Parliamentary Contributions

Oral Contributions:

• 11.11 – Alcohol Duty: UK Wine Sector – I delivered a speech in a debate on alcohol duty calling for the government to consider introducing an alcohol duty system that will improve health throughout the nation, while also supporting our burgeoning wine industry, north and south of the border
• 11.11 – Support for Dyslexic Pupils – I delivered a speech in a debate on dyslexia calling for the government to urgently adopt a strategy that will provide maximum benefit to young people with dyslexia
• 12.11 – Nolan Principles – I challenged an SNP MP to accept that many of his colleagues at Holyrood are guilty of accepting freebies, and behaving in a generally corrupt manner
• 12.11 – Taxes – I intervened in the opposition debate on the upcoming budget to challenge the legitimacy of trying to debate the budget before it has been announced

Written Questions Answered:

• Community Health Services –  additional resources to neighbourhood teams to enable equitable access to HPV vaccination and cervical screening
• Broadband and Telecommunications: Prices – discussions with Ofcom to ensure that broadband and telephone customers who do not move suppliers at the end of their contract are not charged more, and providers automatically apply the best available tariff without requiring customers to renegotiate
• Childcare – assessment of the economic impact of improving access to childcare out of school hours
• Human Papillomavirus: Screening – whether HPV self-sampling will be offered less frequently than clinician screening, given uncertainties in relation to the accuracy of the self-sampling test

Media Mentions:

• 12.11 – The Evening News covered the public meeting I held with our candidate for the Scottish elections, Catriona Munro, on the topic of dangerous dirt bike use – Anti-social bike use in south west Edinburgh discussed at public meeting attended by politicians and residents
• 14.11 – The Daily express highlighted my contribution in a recent debate on alcohol duty, where I raised the profile of Scottish wineries – English MPs are gobsmacked to learn that Scotland has a homegrown wine industry
• 14.11 – The Express also covered my debate with SNP MP, Seamus Logan, where I pointed out his hypocrisy on the topic of freebies – Hypocritical SNP MP seems to think sleaze and misconduct in politics stops at the Border – Scottish Daily Express