Live Scotland Questions House of Commons

Committee but you can continue watching online. Order! Order!

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland. Can I begin by

expressing the solidarity of the people of Scotland with the people

of Belgium at this difficult time? Our thoughts, prayers and

condolences go to all those who were killed and their families and

friends and all those caught up in a yesterday's horrific events. Golf

makes a huge contribution to Scotland's economy. Independent

analysis in 2013 showed the game contributed ?1 billion in revenue

and supported some 20,000 jobs. There are almost 600 golf courses

across the country generating annual revenues of ?582 million. Thank you

for the answer and I very much share the sentiments of solidarity that he

expressed towards the people of Belgium at this difficult time.

Given the success he talks about English to golfing in Scotland, what

steps is he taking to secure further investment in this important

industry for Scotland? There is one new opportunity to support golf and

young people in golf which arose from last week's budget, and sugar

tax element of it which would see investment in the wider UK in sport

in schools and I hope the Scottish Government will follow through and

use the funds to develop sport in schools, including golf which is a

very popular sport as we have heard. We also have the opportunity to

present Scotland's golfing merits to the wider world with the British

open at Royal Troon and that will be a showcase for the world on

Scotland's golfing opportunities. I thank the honourable gentleman for

mentioning my local golf course is the MP for Royal Troon. We've look

forward to welcoming people in July. ... We. I wondered if he could

discuss with other colleagues on the front bench about having a regional

strategy for having smaller airports and at Prestwick you flying over

Royal Troon, and perhaps while the Chancellor is on a list include, to

perhaps consider a VAT reduction for rural tourism which will help many

communities. -- in mood. -- in a listening mood. I would be happy to

meet with the honourable lady to discuss those issues further and I

am interested in pursuing the proposed Ayrshire regional growth

via which I know has golf at the heart of it in terms of promoting

tourism in that part of Scotland. Can I add my contribution on that

particular topic and say that it was with pleasure that I saw the

secretary of state share a platform with the verse minister and I'm sure

they discussed the topic just discussed they can you confirm that

is an example of the two governments working together for the interests

of the people of Scotland? You will be pleased, Mr Speaker, that the

First Minister met and shared a platform in St Andrews, which of

course is the world home of golf. Of course, on sport and any matter,

Scotland does best when Scotland's two governments work together. This

is the first opportunity in parliaments to put on record our

total revulsion and condemnation of the terrorist atrocities in Brussels

and solidarity with everybody affect it and we join the Secretary of

State for Scotland in that. The promotion of the Ryder Cup in

Scotland was a huge achievement for the Scottish Government and the then

First Minister Alex Salmond. Today is the last sitting day of the

Scottish Parliament so given that he is standing down from Holyrood, can

I pay tribute to him in his remarkable tenure as an MS he and

First Minister, and to all others of all parties who are retiring? --

MSP. Does the Secretary of State believe there is much to build on

following the Ryder Cup? I hope the right honourable gentleman won't

object when I say the first part of his question was way off the

fairway. The securing of the Ryder Cup to be held in Scotland was a

very significant event and I can agree that the former First Minister

of Scotland has made a remarkable contribution to Scottish politics.

The detail on that will probably differ. I believe that what the

former First Minister has done and the former MSPs have done, what we

all need to do is promote Scotland together and by doing that, that is

when we get the best results for Scotland. I will try and remain on

the fairways. Tourism is one of the most important industries that

Scotland has an golf and whiskey are key drivers for people visiting the

country, so does the secretary of state welcome local initiatives to

promote iconic locations, such as Speyside? What encouragement would

he give to public and private sector partners in making the most of

world-class potential as a tourism draw? I am aware of the specific

initiatives to promote Speyside having recently visited the right

honourable gentleman's very picturesque constituency and I wish

them well. I believe that these opportunities only reach their full

potential with significant public and private sector partners playing

a full part and I look forward to hearing from the right honourable

gentleman about progress from Speyside and other regions of

Scotland, making the most of that potential. Government ministers and

officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations within the

public and private sectors, including the oil and gas industry.

The Chancellor announced last week reforms to support jobs and

investment in the oil and gas sector which will help the industry

response to the challenging conditions caused the steep fall in

oil prices. The excellent budget practice for the oil and gas

industry has been welcomed by the industry. Is this not another

example that shows that when Scotland's two governments work

together they can get the best for Scotland? And independent Scotland

could never achieve this. My honourable friend makes an extremely

good point and the fact is that the United Kingdom is able to absorb the

shock of a volatile oil price and take steps to ensure that we have an

oil and gas sector which is as strong as it can be given below oil

prices. Will Minister and from bench colleagues commits to taking action

to ensure that companies within the oil and gas sector have appropriate

access to finance at this time? We do all we can as a governments to

support businesses in length and breadth of the United Kingdom in all

sectors. The point I would make is that we are able to take action in

this area and support the oil and gas because we are a United Kingdom,

and had we been in the position where Scotland became independent,

it would raise a very, very substantial loss of revenue and we

would have great difficulties in absorbing that. I meet with my right

honourable friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, and counterpart

ministers on regular occasions to discuss devolution. The budget saw

one of the most measures, cutting PIP for 40,000 disabled people in

Scotland. I wondered when the Minister 's first realised that this

was the wrong thing to do, around the Cabinet table, drawing the

budget statement, or on Sunday when the Prime Minister was forced to

backtrack on it? The government's position is clear when it comes to

PIP and disability reforms as was announced by the Secretary of State

for Work and Pensions, and the Chancellor. Could you inform the

House when he realised the cuts were running, or was he himself planning

a resignation over the weekend? As I have already said, the Dublin

position has been abundantly clear, and if he missed the right

honourable friend's Secretary of State for Work and Pensions's

statement on Monday, I would be happy to share it with him again.

Can I start by echoing the comments of the secretary of state and leader

of the SNP and pass on my heartfelt condolences to all those involved in

the events in Brussels. We will defeat terrorism but as the

secretary of state is said, that will take solidarity and resolve. We

pass the budget last night which was unprecedented and contain a ?4.4

billion black hole after the Chancellor was forced to reverse his

decision on cutting PIP payments. Their long-term economic plan

turning into a long-term economic scam. These savage cuts, following

the reduction in VAT, will have an effect on 60,000 Scots, and it would

have gone through without the resignation from the Member for

Woodford Green. Can the Minister guarantee that when the Chancellor

returns that none of these cuts will fall on the disabled and most

runnable? Well, thank you Mr Speaker and I

thank the honourable gentleman for his comments. I mean, first of all,

I welcome his comments with regards to the tribute to my honourable

friend the member for Chingford and Woodford Green. We have been very

clear as a Government that we are not proceeding with our changes and

we will not be seeking alternative off set in savings as well.

Well, it is quite clear Mr Speaker from that answer and from the

previous answer that the Government has absolutely no idea what to do

now. They are creating untold anxiety for those people in Scotland

affected. Let me remind the House what the former Secretary of State

said. He said that the cuts in this Budget risked dividing society. That

put pounds ahead of people and were distinctly political rather than in

the national economic interests. Does she agree with her former

Cabinet colleague that these cuts are not defenceable and does she

want to take this opportunity to apologise on behalf of the Scottish

Conservative Party to the tens of thousands of vulnerable and disabled

Scots affected by this shambles? Thank you, Mr Speaker. The point

that I made already. The Government's position is

fundamentally clear. There will be no further changes to disability

payments. He may have realised last night that the Budget was passed

through this House and that was right and proper and he should

recognise that we as a Government are delivering on the Smith

commission and devolving powers to the Scottish Government and we will

look forward to working with the Scottish Government when it comes to

Welfare Reform and the delivery of employment and support programmes

going forward for the betterment for the Scottish people.

Number four, Mr Speaker. I regularly meet a wide range of business

organisations to discuss economic issues in Scotland as I have already

alluded to last week, I shared a platform with the First Minister of

Scotland at the annual forum of the Scottish council for development in

industry, where we discussed the important issue of productivity.

Given that businesses in Redditch welcomed the devolution deal for

Birmingham, what representations have business groups in Scotland

made to my Right Honourable friend about city deals there?

Mr Speaker, I have been particularly delighted at welcome from business

groups in Scotland for the announcement yesterday of the

Inverness and Highland City Dale which in combination the Scottish

Government, UK Government and Highland Council, will deliver a

package of ?315 million and I also particularly welcome the Early Day

Motion from the member from Inverness and his colleagues and I

pay trib tut to his part in bringing that deal about.

The Secretary of State will be aware that around 400,000 workers in

Scotland earn less than the Living Wage. The Government claims to be on

the side of working people so why have his Scottish Tory colleagues

repeatedly voted alongside the SNP Government to thwart Scottish Labour

proposals to extend the Living Wage? Well, I will resist the temptation

Mr Speaker to give the honourable lady a lecture on the Scottish

Labour Party's woes and the fact that they have not been a credible

Opposition to the SNP in Scotland. This Government is very, very clear

on its proposals to increase the wages of the poorest in society by

the introduction of the national Living Wage.

Local Government quite clearly has a role to play in economic

development. Would the minister agree that it is important that the

Scottish Parliament also devolves power to Local Government and they

could look to England for a lead such as elected mayors?

Mr Speaker, I very much take on board what my honourable friend had

to say, but when I spoke with the First Minister of Scotland at the SC

dismt Forum last week, I was particularly encouraged about what

she had to say about her support for city deals and I hope that the city

deals that we see emerging in Scotland will not just include the

financial packages, but they will go on to include greater devolution

within Scotland. People in my constituency are

extremely concerned by the perceived impact on the local economy and

local jobs of the proposed closure of HMRC sites, what impact

assessment is being made of these closures on our local economy and

jobs? Mr Speaker, initial proposals have

been set out in relation to the future shape of HMRC and of course

we hear in this House about wishes to make HMRC more efficient and more

effective, but no steps will be taken in the honourable lady's

constituency or elsewhere without full consultation with all those

involved. Number six, Mr Speaker. As the First

Minister and I both confirmed when we shared a platform in St Andrew's

in his own constituency last week, the official position of both the UK

and Scottish Governments is that the UK is better off in a reformed EU.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Firstly, can I associate myself with the remarks

on Brussels having spent many happy years in that wonderful city. The

Secretary of State will be aware of the benefits the EU membership has

brought us such as paternal rights, quality entitlement, does he agree

we should be focussing on these benefits and not a re-run of project

fear? I don't know if the honourable gentleman saw the details of my

speech yesterday which set out the benefits to Scotland of remaining in

the EU and in which I set out a positive case and I look forward to

sharing platforms over the coming weeks with him and his colleagues to

make that case. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given that we

have a ?62 billion a year trade deficit with the European Union,

does the Secretary of State think that if we were to leave the EU, the

Prime Minister has the ability to negotiate a free trade deal with the

European Union or does he think that the Prime Minister hasn't got the

ability to negotiate a free trade deal with the European Union?

Mr Speaker, my position is clear. I believe that Scotland and the UK are

better off in the EU, with the reformed arrangement that the Prime

Minister has already negotiated. Thank you. Will my Right Honourable

friend recognise that a survey confirmed that the Scottish

Government is one of the most trusted governments in the hole of

Europe. Will he look forward to the re-election of Nicola Sturgeon and

her team? Mr Speaker, what I want to ensure is that Nicola Sturgeon and

her team are properly held to account in the Scottish Parliament

and that's why I'm encouraging people to vote for Ruth Davidson and

the Scottish Conservatives. Question number six, Mr Speaker.

Thank you. I have regular discussions with the Secretary of

State for Energy and climate change and ministers of the Scottish

Government on a number of important energy issues affecting Scotland

most recently last night. The Government's own advisors on

energy and climate change warned that the cost of meeting our climate

change targets, could, double without carbon capture and storage.

Seeing as the Government are having a good run on U-turns when it comes

to saving George Osborne the Chancellor, perhaps you would like

to make a U-turn when it comes to saving the planet, something I think

people think is far more worthwhile? Mr Speaker, we are looking carefully

at all options in developing our approach to CCS. In parallel the

Government continues to engage with the CCS industry including shale who

are leading the proposed Peterhead project.

At the time of the announcement for the ?1 billion of funding for the

carbon capture and storage scheme at Peterhead, the Energy Secretary was

forced to deny that it was a bribe prior to the independence

referendum. Now that the withdrawal of this supposed ring-fenced capital

investment exposes that it was just that, will the Secretary of State

take this opportunity today to apologise to the people of Scotland?

Mr Speaker, if anybody should apologise to the people of Scotland,

it's the honourable lady and her friends for suggesting that oil

tomorrow would have a price of $103 a barrel. What is clear in relation

to CCS is that the costs are high and must come down. We haven't ruled

KCS out and we're committed to working with the industry to bring

forward innovative ideas for reducing the costs of this

potentially important industry. Mr Speaker, I amming reluctant to

refer to a Budget because we can't be absolutely sure what is in and

what is out! For example, the Chancellor's

support for the oil and gas industry is welcome, but it doesn't take us

very far forward. And unfortunately it appears that the Government here

in London, it is taking its cue from the Government in Holyrood. There

the SNP Government recently axed ?10 million of tax breaks for renewable

firms and they see themselves as a green administration.

Aren't we seeing two governments who are confused, pursuing contradictory

policies and not knowing if they are coming or going?

Mr Speaker, I can point out one very distinct difference between this

Government and any Labour Scottish Government or indeed SNP Scottish

Government and that is that we are not putting up the tax for ordinary

people as both those parties propose. Mr Speaker, we have made it

very clear that the door is not closed on CCS, but the costs must

come down. Number seven, Mr Speaker.

The UK and Scottish governments met ten times under joint exchequer

committee since the election last year. These resulted in a new fiscal

framework for the Scottish Government, agreement on fiscal

framework and enables us to deliver on the vow we made to the Scottish

people and delivers one of the most powerful and accountable devolved

parliaments in the world with the economic and national security that

comes from being part of the United Kingdom.

Does the minister agree that it would be bad news for Scotland if it

became the highest tax part of the United Kingdom? And does he agree

with Ruth Davidson that Scottish taxpayers shouldn't have to pay

anymore in tax than fellow Britons in England, Wales and Northern

Ireland? Well, the Scottish people have got

essentially three choices in their elections. Two of those choices

where they will be voting Labour or voting SNP would involve paying more

in income tax. Does the secretary agree with me

that the Chancellor's last minute intervention to agree the framework,

would the Secretary of State of Scotland aware that the Chancellor's

intentions endanger of framework at the very last moment?

The answer is, no. An agreement has been reached. We're pleased we've

got that agreement and now it is for the Scottish Government to be held

accountable by the Scottish people. Question number eight, Mr Speaker.

The Chancellor has delivered a Budget that delivers for Scotland.

This will be the last Budget where a UK chancellor sets out income tax

rates and thresholds for Scottish earners, the changes to the income

tax personal allowance will benefit 2.6 million taxpayers in Scotland.

The Budget delivers on our plans to build a stroker economy as part of

the UK, but the next generation first.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I congratulate the minister on finding

the Chancellor to have those discussions!

Earlier this week, we thought he gone walk-about. The Budget had ?1

billion of cuts to the Scottish Budget and ?650 million of cuts to

the English NHS. Does he think he might persuade the Chancellor to

reverse Scotland's cuts and put in a good word for the English NHS as

well? Can I just remind the House that

there were three asks coming from the SNP, freezing whisky duty and

freezing fuel duty and helping the oil and gas industry. That's exactly

what the Chancellor delivered. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I ask the

Secretary of State for Scotland did they discuss with the Chancellor the

merits of a corporation tax cut, a ?6 billion capital gains and

inheritance tax versus the ?4 billion cut to the disabled and how

that would affect the people of Scotland or did he sit there and...

Can I remind the honourable gentleman that there are 73,000

businesses in Scotland that will benefit from a cut in corporation

tax. As he is he saying he opposes that?

THE SPEAKER: Order. Questions to the Prime Minister.

Sir Peter Bottomley.