Susan Murray MP: speeches

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Speeches

15 Sept 2025 · Employment Rights Bill · Hansard source
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My husband suffered a catastrophic brain haemorrhage, which meant that he could not return to his work, but after he began to recover, he started to work again in another job, helped by a zero-hours contract. It meant that if he was not well enough to work, he could agree with his employer that his hours could be adjusted to suit. The practical and fair solution is to give staff a right to request a zero-hours contract, rather than replacing a requirement for businesses to offer a zero-hours contract.
15 Sept 2025 · Employment Rights Bill · Hansard source
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I think we have a difference in how we look at Lords amendment 1. It does not water down the Bill; it adds more flexibility so that people get the opportunity to have the kind of employment that works for them. That is particularly important in an environment where we are trying to get people off disability benefits and back into work.
11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source
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One of my constituents has raised their concerns with me about the SEEMiS software used in the Scottish school system and the ability of staff to alter cases with no record of changes being made. Transparency in our public bodies is vital to the public trusting both our institutions and us. In these times when public trust in bodies is so low, will the Leader of the House grant time for a debate on upholding the Nolan principles across all public bodies, so that taxpayers can have confidence that decisions are made with integrity and transparency?
10 Sept 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
10 Sept 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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I, too, welcome the right hon. Member to her place. Her predecessor, the right hon. Member for Hove and Portslade (Peter Kyle), warned that losing control of artificial general intelligence would be catastrophic, yet he failed to deliver legislation to protect the public. Will the new Secretary of State deliver on an artificial intelligence Bill, and ensure that the British people benefit from the advantages of AI, without becoming its victims?
10 Sept 2025 · Occupied Palestinian Territories: Humanitarian Access · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (Melanie Ward) for bringing this important debate to the Minister. The situation in Palestine has been the single most pressing issue raised with me by my constituents in Mid Dunbartonshire. What possible justification can there be for the deliberate creation of famine? Starvation is not only a humanitarian catastrophe; it is recognised under international law as an illegal weapon of war. Despite repeated assurances, arms sales to Israel continue, sanctions against those responsible for violence have not been imposed, the right of the Palestinian people to recognition has been treated as a bargaining chip, and hundreds of peaceful protesters here in the UK have been arrested. The Liberal Democrats call on the Government to press for full and unimpeded humanitarian access to the Palestinian territories. Without appropriate humanitarian access, and with only limited aid convoys and airdrops—spotlighted by propaganda—the Palestinian people will face catastrophe beyond the horror they already live every day. Without a serious change of course, this Government risk both appearing weak on the international stage and undermining trust at home—targeting elderly protesters here while refusing to take meaningful action abroad.
9 Sept 2025 · Neurodivergent People: Employment · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire (Charlotte Cane) for raising this important topic. As we have heard, if we want to improve employment opportunities for neurodivergent people, we must start in schools. Too many children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities are still waiting for the right support. The system is under strain, and the result is that many are not given the tools they need to thrive. That is why the Lib Dems are calling for significantly more national funding for schools to support children with special educational needs and disabilities across the UK. Too many schools are being forced to stretch already limited budgets, leaving pupils without the tailored help they need. If we want every child to have a fair start, the resources must be there in every classroom. Change must not be about managing down costs or restricting service access, but about giving children the capacity, training and support to improve their lives. That will save costs by driving down the number of emergencies. But school is only the beginning. The real test is whether neurodivergent people can carry those skills and that confidence into adult life and into work. Currently, the outcomes are stark. Only around three in 10 autistic adults are in employment, and for people with other forms of neurodivergence, the figures are often equally bleak. That is not because of a lack of ability but because workplaces too often fail to adapt due to lack of experience. Neurodivergent people bring enormous strengths—problem-solving skills, creativity, attention to detail and fresh ways of thinking—yet employers frequently tell us that they are unsure how to provide the right support. Governments across the UK must step up by offering clearer guidance, better training for employers and practical help to make adjustments simple and affordable. The Liberal Democrats believe that we need a national strategy that links education to employment, and ensures that children are supported early, parents are listened to and employers are equipped to provide opportunities. This issue is about not only fairness but opportunity. Neurodivergent people have waited too long for a system that works. With the right reforms, we can give them the chance not only to learn but, as we have heard, to build fulfilling careers and to contribute fully to our society and economy.
2 Sept 2025 · Defibrillators · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) for raising this important issue and for highlighting that every day in the United Kingdom, people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and do not survive, when they might have been saved by access to a defibrillator. In my constituency, more than 60% of people live in a defib desert. Concerned about that, Kirkintilloch Rob Roy football club has compiled a list of locations of defibrillators in its area and shared the information widely, while groups such as Torrance parish church and Milngavie and Bearsden Men’s Shed have equipped their facilities with them. The efforts of people in our communities are saving lives, and the increasing number of defibrillators is a good sign. While there are still not enough, we are heading in the right direction. I want to highlight the Lauren’s law campaign, which was started following the sudden death of a 19-year-old from an asthma attack and calls for the provision of non-prescription salbutamol asthma inhalers at defibrillator sites. In that way, we can save even more lives by having emergency equipment available and accessible in our communities. I urge the Government to make defibrillators easier for our communities and first responders to access—and by providing inhalers in the same locations, we can prevent even more unnecessary deaths.
17 Jul 2025 · SME Operating Costs · Hansard source
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In my constituency and across Scotland, small and medium-sized businesses have taken blow after blow. The Conservatives bungled Brexit, increasing import costs, and energy costs are soaring. Most recently, the hike in national insurance contributions is decimating job opportunities in small and medium-sized businesses. What are the Government doing to support SMEs, which are at the heart of our economic growth, and to get people off benefits and back into work?
17 Jul 2025 · SME Operating Costs · Hansard source
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14. What recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of operating costs for SMEs.
10 Jul 2025 · Children’s Health · Hansard source
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I thank the hon. Member for Stroud (Dr Opher) for bringing such an important debate. I feel strongly about this matter, having trained as a dietician, and I understand the implications that a poor diet in early life can have for a child’s future. From health outcomes to educational outcomes, poor nutrition has a serious, detrimental and long-term effect. The hon. Member mentioned many other health conditions, but I will talk just about diet. We often assume that parents understand what constitutes a healthy diet for their children, but sadly that assumption is often false. There are so many competing messages in this space. According to the British Nutrition Foundation, nearly one third of parents say that they are uncertain about how much their child should eat. More than a third admit that they regularly make their child finish everything on their plate, regardless of hunger or nutritional need. These are not bad parents; they are well-meaning families trying their best in an environment that fails to equip them with the knowledge they need and that often makes healthy choices less accessible. Even when parents have some nutritional awareness, that knowledge does not always translate into healthy practice. Research shows that inconsistent portioning and irregular parental eating habits can contribute to poor outcomes, even among families with higher nutritional literacy. In short, good intentions are being undermined by a lack of clear, practical guidance. That is not a new problem, but it is growing with time. As we have heard, across the UK 10% of children aged four to five are overweight or obese; by the ages of 10 to 11, that figure rises to 22%. The covid pandemic deepened the crisis. During lockdown, many families saw a sharp rise in unhealthy snacking and reduced access to fresh, nutritious food. In homes where both time and money were tight, convenience often won out over balance. The cost of inaction is already visible, and it is vast. Obesity-related conditions cost the NHS more than £6 billion a year, and the wider cost to society stands at around £27 billion annually. Without meaningful intervention, that figure is projected to rise by £50 billion by 2050. Meaningful intervention must include access to NHS dentists. A child with a mouth full of rotten teeth cannot enjoy an apple or crunch on a carrot as a healthy snack. Dental health is really important to a healthy diet.
3 Jul 2025 · Women’s State Pension Age: Financial Redress · Hansard source
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I thank the hon. Member for Salford (Rebecca Long Bailey) for championing the cause of WASPI women, who have been utterly failed by successive Governments. I will not repeat what others have said, but it is clear that the Government should act on the ombudsman’s report after the maladministration of the DWP. I have spoken to women in my constituency, WASPI Scotland and across the UK. These are women who historically have faced systemic inequalities, lower wages and difficulty accessing the same work opportunities as men. They have disproportionately shouldered caring responsibilities as primary carers for children and, later, they frequently cared for elderly relatives and loved ones with disabilities. They continue to give their unpaid labour without acknowledgment, which significantly reduces pressures and costs on our NHS and social care services. I am one of those women myself. After a family illness, my life changed in an instant. I had to stop working and become a carer, and I had to be at home. If I was not fortunate enough to still have my health and strength to become a councillor later in life, when my caring responsibilities allowed, and now an MP, I would have been reliant on my state pension and a very small private pension due to circumstances totally outwith my control. The reality is that I am far from being alone in finding myself with caring responsibilities or ill health, and many of my counterparts are not in my fortunate position. WASPI women like myself worked hard, paid into the system and looked forward to their retirement, based on their understanding of the system at the time. At times when others were planning their pensions, these women were in low-paid jobs that were flexible enough to allow them to continue with family commitments. When it became clear that corrective action was necessary, the Government first exploited the plight of these women for political gain. Once they were in power, they then ignored the promises they had made to win their seats. Most troubling is the Government’s continued refusal to act, despite the ombudsman’s extraordinary call for parliamentary intervention. Rather than providing decisive leadership and delivering justice, the Government have delayed, deflected and evaded accountability. If the Government are sincere about fairness, integrity and honouring their commitments to support working people, they must go beyond expressions of sympathy. Concrete steps must be taken to deliver the ombudsman’s recommendation, recognising both the scale of the injustice and the dignity of those involved. These women deserve better: they have spent their lives working and contributing to our society, preventing costs for the NHS. We must value their contribution and thank them. Implementing the advice of the ombudsman is the least that the Government can do. For those women who, like me, are fortunate to have a higher income after reaching state pension age, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the tax system will effectively claw back a large proportion of any redress and return it to the Treasury.
1 Jul 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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T9. Following the Pensions Minister’s response to me about pensioner living standards, what specific measures announced in the Government’s pensions reforms will support pre-1997 defined benefit pensioners, who currently receive a minimal or no annual uplift?
25 Jun 2025 · Access to Banking Hubs: Hertfordshire · Hansard source
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The hon. Gentleman is correct. Even in my constituency of Mid Dunbartonshire, we have dark spots where people cannot access wi-fi. That is an important point. A vital local resource, banks allow people to deposit cash and cheques, withdraw their money or check their details, and get help from staff. To allow the closure of banks without suitable access to a replacement banking hub is not just inconvenient; it is a step backwards for equality. With that in mind, I urge the Minister to look at the Liberal Democrat proposal for a financial inclusion strategy that would ensure that the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority take into account financial inclusion. That would help to protect access to cash for those who need it, ensure that rural communities are not excluded from accessing resources and, importantly, support banking hubs.
25 Jun 2025 · Access to Banking Hubs: Hertfordshire · Hansard source
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I thank the right hon. Member for making a good point for the Minister to consider. The closure of branches and their replacement with only 350 hubs represents nothing more than big banks trying to increase their profits further at the expense of their customers. That is not just a mild inconvenience; it presents a serious accessibility issue, as we have heard. For the disabled, the elderly and those without technical know-how, bank branches are often a vital resource.
25 Jun 2025 · Access to Banking Hubs: Hertfordshire · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I thank the hon. Member for South West Hertfordshire (Mr Mohindra) for securing this important debate. I begin by acknowledging that my constituency does not fall within the boundaries of Hertfordshire; it is slightly further north. However, as we have heard, the issue of access to banking hubs is an important one across the UK. My constituents, like those of the other hon. Members here today, understand the difficulties brought about by banks closing. Older constituents who have no access to digital equipment or services are often the worst affected. For some, their family members step in to support them with things such as making NHS appointments, but for many, handing over control of their banking feels like a step too far and a loss of independence. Others have no family nearby to help. Being pushed to use complex online banking is not always appropriate for these customers. In addition, as we have heard, the ability to deposit cash is crucial for many local businesses, and with the closure of more and more post offices, it is a growing problem. Despite having many elderly residents, Bearsden in my constituency has lost all its bank branches and it appears that there is no access to an ATM. There are also no plans for a banking hub there. The Government have made assurances that by 2029 banks will have set up 350 banking hubs. The truth is that that is woefully inadequate and much too slow. The number of bank branches operating dropped from almost 15,000 in 1986 to just 5,745 by 2023.
24 Jun 2025 · VAT Registration Threshold: SMEs · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers, and I thank the hon. Member for Mid Leicestershire (Mr Bedford) for securing this important debate. Small and medium-sized enterprises are not just crucial to our economy; they are its lifeblood, driving innovation, employment and local growth. In my constituency of Mid Dunbartonshire, we have many SMEs that contribute enormously to the local economy, including hair and beauty salons, and they also keep our high streets alive. Beyond this, though, our local businesses shape our communities, fostering a sense of identity and community pride, which we simply do not see when international conglomerates set up shop. However, as has already been mentioned, in the current business environment, with the increase in employer’s national insurance contributions, the huge increase in utilities costs, and inflation driving up the cost of materials, the current VAT threshold poses a substantial barrier, actively stifling the potential of SMEs and limiting their growth. The VAT threshold, currently set at £90,000, creates a growth cliff edge for SMEs. Many businesses deliberately limit their turnover to avoid crossing this threshold and facing the administrative burden, increased costs and competitive disadvantages that follow. That ceiling hampers ambition and penalises success—the exact opposite of what our tax system should encourage. The leap to becoming VAT registered means businesses face not only significant new compliance costs, but the challenge of remaining price competitive. Non-VAT-registered competitors can undercut prices, placing growing businesses at a distinct disadvantage, and their larger competitors can use their size to offset the additional burden of VAT. Essentially our small, growing businesses are competing with those at the top and those at the bottom, both of which the system is designed to help. Moreover, the sudden administrative burden—VAT accounting, quarterly reporting and more complex financial management—is daunting and resource intensive. Such complexity distracts entrepreneurs from their primary goal: growing their business, creating jobs and contributing positively to their local economy. The current VAT threshold discourages growth, distorts competition and creates unnecessary administrative challenges for SMEs. It is clearly time for change. Through a smoother transitional system or targeted administrative support, we must ensure our tax system empowers small businesses to grow confidently, and does not hold them back at critical stages of their development.
10 Jun 2025 · Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories · Hansard source
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People in Gaza are starving. Those people are children, the sick and the elderly. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is unworkable and its operations are insufficient. Will the Government not just press for but develop an alternative plan for taking aid into the strip through a humanitarian corridor sponsored by the UN?
5 Jun 2025 · Cyber-security · Hansard source
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9. What steps he is taking to improve national resilience against cyber-security threats.
5 Jun 2025 · Cyber-security · Hansard source
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I thank the Minister for his answer. As has been mentioned, we have recently seen attacks against private institutions, with groups such as Marks & Spencer being targeted. I would be very interested to learn about the approach that has been taken by the statutory organisations and those in the military sphere, but I would like to know what efforts have been made to protect private businesses from cyber-attacks and to ensure that my constituents in Mid Dunbartonshire and people across the UK have access to their daily essentials.
3 Jun 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
3 Jun 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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What discussions have the Government had regarding the International Court of Justice’s 2024 judgment on Israel and Palestine?
3 Jun 2025 · Inheritance Tax: Family-owned Businesses · Hansard source
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It is important to look at all ways to make sure we have a system that does not cause the demise of family-owned businesses.
3 Jun 2025 · Inheritance Tax: Family-owned Businesses · Hansard source
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I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that issue; I completely agree. The Centre for Economics and Business Research found that nine out of every 10 privately owned businesses in the UK are family owned, and that they provide employment for nearly 16 million people and contribute more than £200 billion in taxes annually.
3 Jun 2025 · Inheritance Tax: Family-owned Businesses · Hansard source
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That was the point I was making when I asked the Minister whether there is an established methodology to make sure that the valuation of companies reflects the current situation. This change does not target the ultra-wealthy or global conglomerates. In many parts of the UK even modest enterprises, especially those with land and equipment, which are often the biggest local employers, exceed the £1 million relief cap. Unlike large corporations, family businesses cannot just offshore ownership structures or use complex tax arbitrage to avoid the costs. I am sure that every Member present, including the Minister, agrees that preserving the businesses at the heart of our communities should be the Government’s priority, not erecting barriers that create an environment too toxic for family businesses to survive. Will the Minister consider raising the relief cap to £2 million, as requested by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce network? That would make more family businesses exempt from this dangerous inheritance tax, thereby protecting jobs and local businesses. The reality is that the Government have not undertaken an impact assessment, and according to estimates by the Office for Budget Responsibility, the changes to business property relief and agricultural property relief will raise only around £1.8 billion over a four-year period. That amount comes with a high uncertainty rating, because behaviour change might alter it significantly, and it cannot be compared with the £27 billion of VAT, late PAYE and national insurance that HMRC is yet to collect. Forcing family businesses to reduce investment, withdraw capital, dispose of assets or sell or shut their business entirely to release cash to fund inheritance tax liability will weaken the competitiveness of not only the businesses themselves, but the wider UK economy. The changes may be well-intentioned, but they are misdirected in their execution. They risk treating genuine business owners in the same way as passive investors, and in doing so they ignore the fact that these reliefs were originally designed to protect the continuity of real working businesses in real communities. In conclusion, will the Minister consider amending the proposed legislation to ensure that the changes do not weaken genuine family businesses—

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