Alison Taylor

Thank you for calling me to speak under your chairmanship, Dame Siobhain. I thank the hon. Member for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey (Graham Leadbitter) for calling this debate on Government support for the whisky industry, a measure that I warmly support. I have the good fortune to represent some important whisky names located in my constituency of Paisley and Renfrewshire North. Diageo has a major distribution centre, and at Hillington we have a fine example of a modern distillery established by the Glasgow Distillery in 2012, which is going from strength to strength. We have a well-respected and established independent bottler in Douglas Laing & Co, which has more than 70 years in the industry, Russell’s bonded warehouse and, I suspect, more than a few customers of the Scotch whisky industry. So my constituency, like many others in Scotland, has a significant association with whisky, which is a good source of quality employment, a driver of innovation and a source of pleasure. Whisky is a craft, an industry and an important export; it is symbolic of Scotland’s landscape and beauty. I welcome the recognition that this debate brings, and I pledge to support this vital Scottish industry.