Live Scotland Questions House of Commons

the day in both Houses of Parliament at 11.00pm. But first, questions to

the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell.

THE SPEAKER: Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for

Scotland. Number one, please.

Mr, speaker, as this is the Scottish questions, that immediately proceed

Burn's Night next Wednesday, 25th January, can I wish all those

organising Burn's Suppers orreer esnrents Scotland, across the UK,

including here in this House of Commons, and around the world, the

very best. Robert Burn's legacy is as relevant today, as ever. Mr

Speaker, the UK Government is committed to a safe and secure

transfer of the remaining welfare powers. The majority of welfare

powers commenced in 2016 and the transfer of the remaining powers

will be overseen by the joint ministerial working group on

welfare, which will meet again next month.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Scotland Act gives the Scottish Government

powers over benefits in Scotland. Does the Secretary of State agree

that it is the Scottish Government that must now set out the detail of

how they plan to use these powers to shape Scotland's welfare system?

Mr Speakers my honourable friend is absolutely right. The power for the

Scottish Parliament to create new benefits in devolved areas came into

force in the autumn and they now have the power to shape that welfare

system as they choose. Some modest Myers have already been -- some

modest measures have already been announced but it is time that we

hear more about the proposals for a new welfare system, a consultation

has been held and I look forward to hearing the Scottish Government's

response to that. Thank you, Mr Speaker, the fact that

the UK Government planned to close half of the Glasgow Jobcentre,

without even knowing the number of affected people, is a dereliction of

duty. Will the Secretary of State commit to having a word with his

Cabinet colleagues and getting these plans dropped?

Mr Speaker, I do understand the concerns that have been raised in

relation to Jobcentre closures in Glasgow and it is the Government's

determination - and I have spoken directedly with my colleague the

Secretary of State, to ensure that there will be no change to the level

of service offered to the people of Glasgow. As the honourable lady and

other members in Glasgow will know, there is a public consultation for

people who have to travel more than three miles or more than 20 minutes

in time. That's open until 31st January. I would encourage all those

affected and all honourable members with constituents affected to take

part in that consultation. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The transfer of

signature powers over welfare decisions clearly raises compli died

issues, as we have seen over the last few months. -- complicated

issues. Could my right honourable friend update the house on the

recent work of the joint ministerial working group on welfare and give

his assessment of progress? Mr Speaker, the joint ministerial group

on welfare has played a very important part in establishing the

links between the DWP and the Scottish Government. I've been in

regular recent contact with Angela Constance, the minister in the

Scottish Government in relation to the Scottish Government's latest

proposals in relation to Universal Credit. Inevitably, because of the

complexity of this area, as the transfer takes place, new issues

arise, which need to be dealt with and the joint ministerial working

group is the ideal place to do that. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, I'm

sure the whole House will join me and send our condolence to the

family of a man who passed away last week. He principles showed us when

we work together, it is possible to do the impossible.

It is estimated the people of Scotland lose out on 190 million a

year as a result of allowances being taken away. If that wasn't enough, a

year ago the Government did this guft withdrew the timetable of

acknowledging the new one. So account Secretary of State inform

the House and indeed the people of Scotland when can they expect to

lose out on this ?190 million a year? Can I welcome the honourable

gentlemen back. He was missed at our last Scottish questions, although

his honourable friend, entertained the House, at least I think I can

say that. In relation to Cannon Kenyon

Wriegted. I knew him and he was a very principled man, with very, very

strong personal conviction and obviously played a very important

part in the constitutional convention which led to the

establishment of the Scottish Parliament. As we have seen in the

media, he is widely mourned N relation to disacted Ben fishgts the

honourable gentlemen will know -- in relation to disability benefits. The

honourable gentleman will know they'll be fully devolved to the

Scottish Government. It was dealt with in the fiscal framework. It is

now for the Scottish Government to come forward with their proposals

for disability benefits in Scotland. Does my honourable friend agree with

me that we need to hear less from the Scottish Government about the

powers they want, and more about how they are going to use the powers we

have given them. Hear, hear, hear. My honourable friend makes a very,

relevant point. The honourable gentleman opposite referred to

personal independence payments. I know that the Scottish Government

are opposed to personal independence payments, but what I have no idea

about, is what they intend to replace personal independence

payments with, and what timetable they intend to do that. Thank you,

Mr Speaker, may begin by joining colleagues and paying tribute to

Cannon KenyonIng Wright, somebody who played a big role in helping to

deliver devolution to Scotland and in 2014 supported a yes vote for

Scottish independence. Mr Speaker, the UK Government is planning to

close half of the job centres in the Glasgow without knowing the number

of people that will be affected by such a radical change. Was the

Secretary of State consulted in advance of the closures? And when

did he show enough interest to find out which specific locations would

face closure? Mr Speaker, I have taken a very close interest in this

issue. And I have worked closely with both ply colleagues in the

Department for Work and Pensions and the Scottish Government in that

regard. The Government and myself have never suggested that the

procedures followed in relation to this process had been perfect, but

what we have - what we have put forward is a public consultation, in

relation to those people affected, who have to travel more than three

miles or 20 minutes and I encourage everyone involved to take part in

that consultation. Mrnchts speaker, the devolution of powers hangs very

much together with the hard Brexit plans of this Government -- Mr

Speaker. The Secretary of State has said that his role s and I quote,

"To ensure that Scotland gets the best possible deal and that deal

clearly involves being part of the single market." Does he still

believe this? Or has he changed his mind after being told what he should

say by his Tory bosses in London? Thank you, Mr Speaker, I don't

recognise the Prime Minister's speech yesterday as a hard Brexit.

And I don't think, Mr Speaker, that the that the 500,000 SNP voters who

voted for Brexit will take kindly to being referred to as "light-wing

Tory Brexiteers." They were independently-minded people in

Scotland for what they thought was the right thing for Scot lavenlted

as is absolutely clear, the Prime Minister said yesterday, "We want to

have access to the single market." And the that is what the quote he

has just read out from me made clear. Membership of the single

market, on the other hand, is a quite different thing, as Mike

Russell and privately the Scottish Government accept.

THE SPEAKER: Order. I say gently. Progress is far too slow. We need to

Hayesen the pace. Some reduction in the decibel level, not least from

the Chair of the international trade Select Committee will be welcome

across the House. Question number 2, Mr Speaker. Mr

Speaker, I regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a wide

range of matters. I recently met with the Secretary of State for The

environment, food and rural affairs, to discuss a number of issues relate

together Scottish agricultural sector and will continue to do so.

Last year, the farming minister told us there would be an ?18 billion

Brexit dividend and he said that farmers would continue to get "as

much or perhaps even more support after Brexit." So, does the

Secretary of State agree with me, it would be unacceptable if funding to

Scottish agriculture was cut after 2020? Mr Speaker, there's no

suggestion that funding to Scottish agriculture is going to be cut. What

there is, is the opportunity to move forward from the constraints of the

Common Agricultural Policy, which have been often complained about by

farmers, throughout Scotland. And I believe that we need to seize this

opportunity to reshape the support that we have for farming, to make it

more effective, but to continue to sustain those areas of Scottish

farming that need sustaining. My right honourable friend is aware

that my family are extensive farmers in the Scottish Borders. Would he

not agree with me, that Brexit presents the United Kingdom with a

magnificent opportunity to fashion an agricultural policy, not required

by French farmers, but required by British farmers, and will he assure

the House that hill farmers in Scotland and elsewhere in the United

Kingdom will be given proper consideration?

I can absolutely give that undertaking. I hope we can move

forward. I am working in conjunction with the Scottish Government to

shape a new basis of support for Scottish agriculture, especially for

those who farm in less favoured areas. There are multiple, and have

been multiple, complaints about the operation of the Common Agricultural

Policy and its need to take into account farming practices across the

continent. We now have the opportunity to have our own a

support mechanism and we need to work to shape it. Can the Secretary

of State for Scotland confirmed what he said to the Sunday Times in

November, but the Scottish Parliament working then you'd have

full this possibility for agriculture and fisheries and, to

quote him, but no powers will be really reserved to Westminster. Yes

or no? Yes. Mr Speaker, almost two thirds of the agricultural experts

from the UK are to the EU. We heard from the premise to yesterday, it is

an increasing possibility we could revert to World Trade Organisation

rules after exiting the EU. Does he agree with the NFU in Scotland to

save the potential for 20% tariffs as a result of WTO rules will be

damaging for the profitability of Scottish agriculture? Mr Speaker,

what the Prime Minister made clear yesterday is that her objective is

to achieve the best possible access to the single market, with the

minimum of barriers and tariffs. That would be to the benefit of

Scottish agriculture, Scottish farmers seek the opportunity that

leaving the EU provides to them and I am assured they will seize them

and I am sure we will be able to provide the environment in which

they will succeed. The Scottish Government will take on its first

major new tax power from the Scotland Act 2016 in April of this

year, enabling it to set rates and thresholds of income tax. The Chief

Secretary to the Treasury attended a joint meeting with the Scottish

Cabinet Secretary for financing. They discussed ongoing work. We are

deeply grateful but the minister was seeking to group this question with

number four. My apologies Mr Speaker, with your permission, I

would like to see to group this question with number four. Very

good. As the premise to want to see income tax rates as low as possible

for hard-working British people, should Nicola Sturgeon be

sufficiently brave were bonkers to increase the rate of taxes on

hard-working Scottish people, what economic impact would that have on

Scotland? Can I thank the honourable member for his important question.

In taking over income tax powers, the Scottish Government not need to

account for how they use them, especially if they plan to make

Scotland the highest tax part of the UK. Does my right honourable friend

agree with me that the SNP plans to tax middle income families more in

Scotland for doing the same job as farmers in England would bode very

badly for the Scottish economy? The UK Government is doing everything it

can to support our economy and boost jobs and growth. Quite the Scottish

Government now make choices that have a different impact, they will

need to explain it to the people of Scotland. We have heard again

mistaken claims that Scotland is the highest tax part of the United

Kingdom, when the average cost of a band D council tax property is lower

than that in England. Will the Minister not welcome the Scottish

Government's approach to council tax policy in Scotland? What I will say

is that the SNP should focus on making a success of its new powers

for the benefit of the Scottish people. You are a very curious

denizen of the House, Mr Doherty Hughes, I had you down as an

academic paper. You are becoming increasingly hysterical. Very

curious behaviour. The SNP want to levy the highest level of income tax

anywhere in the United Kingdom. They already receive more in per capita

funding than England, yet the schools in Scotland are

conspicuously worse. Compare that to those in the rest of the United

Kingdom. Does the Minister put this down to the competence of the

Scottish Government? Or the naturalist posturing over proper

administration? -- National list. Mr Speaker, I may not like their plans

to make Scotland a higher tax nation, but that is up to them. What

they will have to do is explain to the people of Scotland wide they are

having to pay more tax than their friends and families south of the

border with the same jobs. In a week where the chairman of the British

Medical Association in Scotland has warned that the NHS in Scotland is,

and I could, at breaking point, is the Minister as surprised as I am

that the so-called progressive SNP government consistently refused to

use the powers afforded them to protect the NHS in Scotland? The new

devilish and settlement for Scotland delivers one of the most powerful

and the comfortable devolved parliaments in the world. Giving

them unprecedented power to shape the future economy of Scotland. Mr

Speaker, migrants from outside the UK and within the UK make a

significant contribution to Scotland, to its economy, but also

to its society and well-being. The government will always welcome the

brightest and best to have come here to work. We know around 180,000 EU

nationals make a hugely valuable contribution to discourage economy

and we also note that countries like Canada and the stranger successfully

apply different immigration rules to different parts of their countries.

Going beyond warm words, will be Secretary of State listen to

proposals for a different arrangement for Scotland, along EU

citizens freedom to come and live and work there, benefiting us all? I

will always look at evidence -based proposals that come forward. That is

our commitment in relation to the Scottish Government paper produced

just before Christmas. It was quite clear within the settlement agreed

in the Smith commission that immigration would remain a reserved

power. Would my right honourable friend not agree with me that one of

the problems that Scotland will face with the SNP government is the

flight of individuals fleeing the high taxes and therefore having to

be replaced with more immigration is, as well as businesses moving to

London, rather than Scotland? What I do find surprising is that the

Scottish Government seem to always fail to acknowledge that they have

very significant powers to attract people to come to Scotland. At the

moment, about 4% of migrants who come to the United Kingdom go to

Scotland. Clearly, there is more that needs to be done to encourage

people to come to Scotland and the Scottish Government need to address

that. Making Scotland the highest tax part of the UK is not, in my

view, the way to do it. Can I associate myself and my party with

the expressions of condolence with regards to the late Canon Wright. A

truly lovely man for whom it was once my privilege to Act as the

election agent, albeit unsuccessfully. Will the Secretary

of State explain to the Home Secretary the importance of non-EU

nationals to making up the cruiser for many fishing boat, operating out

of Scottish ports? I certainly will take that issue forward for the

right honourable gentleman. I am very aware of the concerns that have

been raised and that would be more than happy to meet directly with

them to discuss it further. Question six, Mr Speaker. The UK Government

has spearheaded these dealers and they will be transformative for the

cities of Scotland. The city regions are the engines of economic growth,

so they will drive forward the Scottish economy, which means more

jobs and a secure future. That is why I am pleased the government has

committed to a City Deal for every Scottish city region. In the Autumn

Statement, the Chancellor gave welcome support to City Deals. Can

the Secretary of State assure me that he will be supporting the

borderlands initiative as part of this programme? The borderlands

initiative is a very innovative proposal which seeks to bring

together the Dumfries and Galloway Council, Carlisle City Council and

other councils in the north of England, recognising the significant

economic area that crosses the border. I am delighted to give my

support to that proposal. As well as City Deals, the Secretary of State

has seen a report submitted by the Scottish Government. The Chief

Secretary Bromley said it is for discussion of and to advance but

didn't come what discussions has he had about supporting the growth

deal? Mr Speaker, can I firstly welcome the fact that his colleague

from North Ayrshire has secured an adjournment debate tomorrow in the

cells which will specifically focus on that regional growth deal. I have

obviously met with the councils and I want to see that these receive the

support from the UK Government in a way that is most appropriate to make

it happen. I am pleased to inform the House but I haven't been

notified and the Marie has won his second round match in Belgium. --

Andy Murray. I noted in congratulating Andy Murray that you

did not display your usual exuberance which he demonstrated at

the Davis Cup matches in support of him and the rest of the British

team. Mr Speaker, the UK Government has taken a number of measures to

support the Scottish economy. This includes committing to City Deals

for each of the Scottish cities and providing an additional ?800 million

for Scottish governments capital budget of three to 2021. Leaving the

EU opens up opportunities for Scotland and we must remember that

the UK market is worth over four times as much to Scotland as the EU

single market. Adam Smith give us the theory of modern capitalist

economics, William Gladstone put them into practice, wouldn't these

two fine Scotsman be delighted with the opportunity that Brexit offers

to ditch the socialist protectionism of the Scottish Government and

implement free trade and free markets that made it such a

powerhouse in the 19th century? Mr Speaker, right honourable friend as

ever makes a robust case with the benefits of moving the European

Union, but perhaps, to his list of posthumous Lake piloted figures from

Scottish history I could add David Hume, whose essay of the balance of

trade predates the wealth of Nations and provides the effect rebuttal to

the so-called jealous fear of free trade in merchants at the time. My

heart breaks outside the single market, Scotland could lose 80,000

jobs over a decade and cost people an average of ?2000 in wages. Can be

Secretary of State tells what action he will personally take to keep

Scotland in a single market, even if the rest of the UK leads? It is

absolutely clear that Scotland cannot be a member of the single

market if it is not a member of the EU and the United Kingdom will not

be a member of the EU. The Scottish Government accept that proposition.

What is important is the access to the single market and as my right

honourable friend, the Prime Minister, said yesterday, we end to

achieve the best possible access to that market. As might right

honourable friend considered the effect on the Scottish economy is a

further independence referendum is held? Mr Speaker, might right

honourable friend may be aware that today, in relation to Labour market

statistics, and employment is up in Scotland, employment is down and

economic activity is down. I am in no doubt that uncertainty caused by

the constant reference to an independence referendum is having an

impact on the Scottish economy. An important part of the Scottish

economy is the rural economy. Yesterday I asked the deaf Secretary

of State after careful thinking and planning what exactly would be

happening to this after 2020. She said there would be no cuts to

funding, will this be the case? We will see no cuts to agricultural

support in Scotland after 2020, will he confirm? The honourable gentleman

has already had the answer that question and also set out that

leaving the Common Agricultural Policy is an opportunity. The Common

Agricultural Policy is not suited Scotland, especially those forming

in less favoured areas. We now have an opportunity to do something

different and we should seize it. Questions to the Prime Minister.

Number one Mr Speaker. Thank you. This morning I had meetings