Susan Murray

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1. 29 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

   Business of the House

   My constituent has spent eight years trying to recover child maintenance owed by their former partner. An investigation identified undeclared income and a failure to pay, yet there has been no enforcement action. The case was also recently found to have been left unassigned for seven months after being returned to the Child Maintenance Service by the Financial Investigation Unit. Will the Leader of the House help to arrange a meeting with a Minister to address this case and the wider failures in CMS case handling?

   Hansard source
2. 29 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

   Budget Resolutions

   It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Glasgow South West (Dr Ahmed). The Chancellor has said that his Budget carries through the Prime Minister’s vision, but that there is still much to come, in his 10-year plan and in next year’s spending review, so there is still an opportunity to change fiscal policy in a way that could help the Government to achieve their housing targets, and help councils, developers and communities to revive town centres and bring derelict and long-term empty buildings back into use. I start by congratulating the Friends of Campsie High Kirk, the first group in Britain to take ownership of an A-listed heritage building through the ownerless property transfer scheme run by the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer. The work of that group has led me to raise this issue today, and I am incredibly proud to have it in Mid Dunbartonshire. It has taken ownership of a derelict A-listed church, with plans to renovate it for community use, but nearly every piece of work that it carries out on the site will be subject to VAT at 20%. Until recently, Scotland’s historical churches could claim <span id="516" class="column-number" data-column-number="516"></span>back VAT on repairs through the listed places of worship grant scheme, but that scheme has closed, and the fund that has replaced it covers England only. The UK Government say that Scotland’s share of the money has gone to the Scottish Government, yet no fund has been set up to spend it, so even the buildings that could once claim that 20% back are now caught. Will the Minister take this issue up with the Scottish Government, and press for a fund to be created? It is not just community groups that face this hurdle to restoring our historical sites. Should a developer wish to restore a similar historical building and make it into housing, they would pay VAT at 5% if the conversion qualified, or at the full 20% if it did not. Meanwhile, if it were to demolish the building and start anew, it would pay no VAT on the new homes. The Government’s explanation is that the zero rate on new homes is there to “stimulate the construction of new homes”, but it should not matter whether or not a home is new; if any building is lying long-term vacant or derelict, bringing it back into a habitable, eco-friendly condition gives us the same benefit as building a new house. On top of that, restoring a building preserves the character and heritage of an area, saves carbon by reusing existing materials rather than making and transporting new ones, and often meets less local opposition. We all know how difficult it can be to get permission to build a new home, and we all know the impact a derelict property can have on a street. His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has told my office that it does not hold figures on how much VAT it raises from building repair and restoration. Before ruling anything out, the Treasury should be able to tell this House how much that tax brings in. With that in mind, I have three asks of the Treasury. First, I urge the Minister to investigate and publish how much VAT is raised each year from the renovation and repair of historical buildings. Secondly, will the Treasury assess the case for treating renovation, repair and conversion in the same way as new build? Thirdly, will it confirm that Scotland will benefit from its fair share of the derelict buildings fund? Our historical buildings help us make our communities what they are. The tax system should help people to save those buildings and bring them back into use, not charge people more to repair than to build new.

   Hansard source
3. 28 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

   Clean Energy Projects

   The SNP’s anti-nuclear position has already cost Scotland 5,000 jobs, as the Minister told Westminster Hall this month and has confirmed again this morning. What steps are the Government taking to bring the Scottish Government, industry and trade unions together so that new nuclear in Scotland finally gets the serious hearing that it deserves?

   Hansard source
4. 27 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

   Topical Questions

   <Question HRSContentId="{DF9D756E-BBD1-4147-9DF5-9D8345DE7918}">T6. <QuestionText HRSContentId="{D1B27F33-428F-4DB4-B655-1BBF05662D6A}"></QuestionText>Canada is now part of the EU’s €150 billion fund to rearm Europe while British firms are stuck on third country terms. Will the Minister prioritise joining that fund as part of a wider growth and defence partnership so that British firms can compete on equal terms with European firms?</Question>

   Hansard source
5. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

   Civil Service Pensions

   I have been contacted by constituents whose complaints Capita has closed without resolution and whose pension quotes have disappeared. I heard the Minister say that old cases will not be allowed to sit in backlogs without progress, but my constituent, who served 43 years in the Department for Work and Pensions, alleges that this is an example of Capita manipulating closure figures. Will the Minister say how the Government are monitoring Capita to ensure that complaints are closed only once they have been resolved and that quotes do not disappear?

   Hansard source
6. 26 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

   Securing Scotland’s Future: Defence Skills and Jobs

   I thank the hon. Lady for her statement and for leading our inquiry. There are around 40 applicants for every apprenticeship and engineering place in Scotland. The UK Government have offered funding for two defence technical excellence colleges, and the Scottish Government have agreed to match that funding. Does she agree that both Governments should continue to work together so that Scotland gets as many apprenticeships as possible?

   Hansard source
7. 21 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

   Jackdaw Gasfield

   The Minister says officials are starting talks with industry leaders on refreshing the North sea transition deal. Will the Minister commit to putting money for retraining offshore workers, such as those in my constituency, at the core of that deal, funded by money from the new wealth fund?

   Hansard source
8. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

   Topical Questions

   I suspect I am going to add to the Secretary of State’s frustration when I ask on behalf of Scottish food and drink exporters, who still face paperwork and border checks that did not exist before breakfast—before Brexit—<em>[</em><em>Laughter</em><em>.</em><em>]</em>

   Hansard source
9. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

   Topical Questions

   Hungry, yes. If growth is the mission, will the Secretary of State open talks on a customs union with the EU?

   Hansard source
10. 14 Oct 2026·Parliament·Susan Murray

    Nuclear Energy: Scotland

    I beg to move, That this House has considered the future of nuclear energy in Scotland. It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stuart. I am grateful to see that so many Members wish to speak about this issue. I welcome the Minister to her first debate. I grew up in Aberdeen, the home of North sea oil and gas. I was there when Aberdeen became a cosmopolitan city. At first, workers from the US and Australia arrived to work on the rigs; then came people from all over the UK. Local Scots developed the skills to join the offshore workforce. Our economy boomed, local businesses grew, businesses relocated and new businesses emerged. New housing was built, and the price of existing homes skyrocketed as incomes rose. The oil extraction bandwagon arrived and communities thrived. Scotland benefited from the economic boost and became known as an energy producer. Now, those oilfields are in decline, the reserves are depleted and the oil and gas bandwagon is leaving town. We must ensure that we do not lose the skilled workforce, and offer it an alternative future in Scotland. Although the climate emergency means that we need to move away from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy sources, no country has achieved that with renewable electricity alone. Scotland already produces the electricity that it needs from renewables, including hydro and onshore and offshore wind, with the balance of demand coming from Torness nuclear power station—although that is due to end in 2030. With a much greater demand for energy across the UK, Scotland could again be known for energy production and the good-quality, high-paid jobs that it brings. Our green transition has been successful—I welcome that, and the continued economic growth that it brings—but the wind does not always blow, and we import much of the equipment. We still rely on gas power stations to meet demand and keep the grid stable. Nuclear offers something different. Rolls-Royce is designing small modular reactors that could be built by British workers and give us steady, low-carbon power, whatever the weather. Nuclear offers a future for the people who work in oil and gas, ensuring that they are offered real opportunities outside oil and gas and that we do not lose them to work abroad.

    Hansard source