Live Scotland Questions House of Commons

Do join me for a round-up of the day

in both Houses of Parliament at 11pm

tonight. But first we have a

question from Secretary of State for

Scotland David Mundell.

Order order.

Questions to the Secretary of State

for Scotland.

Mr Speaker, the

government has intensified its

discussions with the Scottish and

Welsh governments on both the

significance of increasing powers we

expect to see for the Scottish and

Welsh assemblies and common UK

frameworks following UK EU exit.

We're making good progress in these

discussions and we will be meeting

again tomorrow for the next GMC and

where I hope further progress can be

made.

The Secretary of State and

fellow Scottish Conservatives say

clause 11 is deficient. He undertook

to this House he would bring forward

amendments which he failed to do. He

has now said he will deliver

amendments in the other place which

he still hasn't done. Can the

Secretary of State set out what

happens if he runs out of time to

deliver his much promised

amendments?

I am confident we will

be able to bring forward such

amendments. We are in significant

discussions with the Welsh Assembly

government and the Scottish

Government. They both acknowledge

that we had tabled to them a

significant proposals for changing

the bill and I hope to a detailed

response to tomorrow.

Will he

confirmed that the government's wish

as powers returned from Brussels to

the UK that they will be devolved,

not only to Scotland, Wales and

Northern Ireland?

Yes, indeed, Mr

Speaker, that is the wish of the

government. Whilst it is

acknowledging in order to make our

Common Market within the UK function

effectively, some powers and

responsibilities will have to be

conducted at a UK wide level.

Could

the secretary of state set out to

the House what mechanism he will use

to amend clause 11 of the bill

should there be no agreement in

place by the time the bill completes

his passage in the other place?

I do

not share the honourable gentleman's

pessimism that there will not be

agreement before the bill completes

its passage in the other place. I

remain very positive about being

able to reach agreement with both

the Welsh government and the

Scottish Government. I believe they

are sincere in their expressed view

that they wish to reach such an

agreement and we will take every

step in ensuring that we negotiate

to a position where we can reach

that agreement.

Leaving the EU means

taking back control of our water.

There is a huge opportunity for us

cottage fishermen. Does my

honourable friend agree with me that

the Scottish Government's EU

continuity bill and stated position

of remaining in the single market

and Customs union would simply sell

out Scotland's fishermen by handing

all those new powers back to

Brussels?

Mr Speaker, it is

incredible that it is indeed the

position of the SNP and Scottish

Government, while at one point come

into this House and talking about a

power grab of being willing and

wanting to hand back powers over

fishing right away to the EU and to

go back into the Common fisheries

policy.

Mr Speaker, if the secretary

of state believes that Brexit is

going to have a profound effect on

the devolution settlement, can he

explain to the House why he was

excluded from the recent meeting of

Cabinet colleagues at Chequers which

formulated the UK's Brexit strategy?

I know that the honourable gentleman

does not recognise the result of the

2014 referendum and therefore that

the UK Government Cabinet is a

Cabinet for the whole of the United

Kingdom. As is all of its

subcommittees. The decisions in

relation to the Prime Minister's

approach to the EU negotiations were

agreed by the whole Cabinet.

Mr

Speaker,...

Was a honourable

gentleman coming again? You've had

one question. There was no Indic

patient at the honourable gentleman

was seeking to. In an hour-long

session yes but not otherwise. I do

not know why the honourable

gentleman's brough his forehead. He

has got what he was entitled to.

Mr

Speaker, the secretary of state

stood at the dispatch box and

promised this place that the

devolution settlement would be

protected. Three months on, we are

facing a cheap constitutional

crisis. What exactly is the

secretary of state -- we are facing

a constitutional crisis.

I am not

going to take any lessons from the

lady opposite from a party... For a

party that were quite prepared in

the Scottish Parliament to play the

SNP game and vote for a piece of

legislation which quite clearly was

ruled by the Presiding Officer of

the Scottish Parliament is not

competent.

My office was notified of

the intention of the honourable

gentleman to ask a question. If you

want is to ask a second so be it but

he shouldn't be flailing and

gesticulating as though he is being

the subject of some adverse

treatment. But if he wants to blurt

out a second question, he is welcome

to do so.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I

did want to ask a second question.

He has previously said that the most

important thing about changes to the

withdrawal bill is that they should

command the support of all sides.

Can I ask is that still his policy

and does he believe that any

framework arrangement should require

the consent of the Scottish

Parliament if they change its

operations?

Mr Speaker, I have set

out clearly that I want to see the

process of leaving the EU ensure

that the Scottish Parliament has

more powers and responsibilities

than it does today. I also want to

ensure that we have an arrangement

in place to allow us to agree

frameworks as we move forward and

that frameworks as I have previously

said should not be imposed. Yellow

short questions, Shaw answers. I

want my progress.

My party as the

party of devolution and we will

continue to protect that. We are 20

months on from the EU referendum.

We're one year away from leaving the

EU yet Scotland's invisible man in

the Cabinet cannot even like himself

an invite to the awayday at Chequers

to discuss Brexit. Do you have a

plan to fix this mess or is he going

to continue to front up a government

that is trampling all over the

devolution settlement for Scotland?

The Scottish Labour Party will be

judged on its actions and I do not

see it standing up for the

devolution settlement in the

Scottish Parliament. Instead I see

it cower to the SNP. And in relation

to devolution and commitment to the

United Kingdom, she above all people

should know that we have United

Kingdom Cabinet. We have a United

Kingdom Chancellor and Prime

Minister and again she should not

kowtow to SNP arguments about

separatism.

Mr Speaker, I met senior

RBS management in Scotland to

discuss their decision. I made clear

that plans were disappointment for

customers and clients across

Scotland I urge them to mitigate

closures as much as possible.

Small

businesses have already reported in

Wales and across the United Kingdom

that they have been refused the pain

of large sums of cash as it

represents a security risk and post

office staff do not have the time to

count such large sums of money.

What's he going to do to ensure

there is no disruption to small

businesses or the public as a result

of these ill thought out closures?

I

share the honourable ladies view

that their ill thought out closures.

I am happy to take the point forward

and I'm sure that colleagues will

also be prepared to put those to the

chief executive of the Royal Bank

who I am pleased has finally agreed

to appear before the committee.

The

big issue for many rural communities

like that of my own constituency is

cash to -- is the access to cash. I

wonder if the government can do more

to ensure that rural communities are

getting access to the cash to

support the local economies?

My

honourable friend raises a very good

point, I will be happy to meet with

him to discuss the further.

Mr

Speaker, the decline in our Scottish

towns is there to be seen. The

closure of them Royal Bank will be a

further never make coughing. What

proposals does he have to try and

arrest the decline of our towns in

Scotland.

He raises a very important point in

relation to rural communities. These

proposed closures have related to

rural communities. We have to focus

on making sure people can continue

to receive services. The issue of

cash but also broadband, which as he

knows, we won the Scottish

Government to roll out quickly.

It

has been the custom since 2015 that

the SNP lead spokesman gets to

questions. The Scottish secretary is

aware that the Scottish affair

committee on going enquiry into RBS

closures. This is all has agreed to

appear before the committee. People

who will not come in front of the

committee Art UK Government treasury

Ministers, although they have a 70%

of sheer in the bank.

Can he join

me...? Let me say to the honourable

gentleman. I need no advice from him

or any of his colleagues on

procedure. I work on the basis of

the office has been notified. One

question and that is why I have

granted it. I know what I am doing.

I do require effective

communication. It was lacking in

this case. It is not OK for the

honourable gentleman to try and

score a procedural point, which he

has failed to do.

My Treasury

colleagues will have heard the

honourable gentleman's comments.

Mr

Speaker, on the 6th of February, RBS

announced they would give ten

branches in Scotland is stay of

execution on the basis that the eye

the last bank in town. One branch

was given a reprieve what not the

last branch in town. Why should the

Secretary of State's constituents be

given special treatment where other

banks in rural constituencies are

closed down?

I know this is a

hostage to fortune but I would like

the honourable gentleman to name

that branch because of the three

branches and my constituency which

were to be the subject of this

so-called reprieve, I agree with him

it is a stay of execution, are all

the last bank in town. I think you

should do his research in little

better.

Question three, Mr Speaker.

Scotland held a referendum on

Scottish independence in 2014. A

once in a generation event, we were

told. The result was decisive. Now

is not the time for a second

independence referendum. Our focus

should be in pulling together during

negotiations with the European Union

making sure we get the best deal for

the whole of the UK.

If by some

chance the Scottish Government have

another referendum on leaving the

single market and Customs union,

which they share with the United

Kingdom, will my right honourable

friend show more respect to be 70.6

million people across the UK who

voted for Brexit.

Not surprisingly I

agree with my honourable friend and

he will be particularly aware that 1

million people in Scotland, most of

them SNP voters, who voted to leave

the youths had been airbrushed out

of history. They do not exist. --

leave the European Union. Most

people in Scotland voted to leave

the EU, if you listen to what the

first-Minister says.

Mr Speaker,

once we have clarity on what Brexit

will mean for Scotland, does he not

think it is right for them to decide

their future? It is not for

Westminster politicians to stop

people making a decision's Mr

Speaker, we had and independence

referendum in 2014.

The outcome was

decisive. We were told the head of

that referendum that it was to be a

once in a generation, once any

lifetime, event and that is what it

should be.

Number four, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, with permission I will

take questions for and seven

together. The UK Government business

or shooting or implementing a city

region deal for all of Scotland's

seven great cities and the regions

around them. So far we have

committed £1 billion to this

programme and there is more to come.

We are negotiating with local

partners for the sterling and

Clackmannanshire and to city deals

and we hope to agree in the next

coming months.

A number of the

projects associated with the Glasgow

city deal, to taking place in East

Renfrewshire are over budget. Is it

not vital we get to work so that the

local communities can benefit as

soon as possible?

I do agree with my

right honourable friend in terms of

raising those issues in relation to

the Glasgow city deal. It is not

enough to sign these deals and to

promote these deals, what we need is

delivery and I will look at the

issues he has raised.

Thank you, Mr

Speaker. Will my right honourable

friend helped bring the deadlock

with the devolved administration and

commit the amount of money

Westminster is willing to put

forward so Clackmannanshire can

realise its true ambition's my

honourable friend has been a strong

advocate for Clackmannanshire in

this process.

I certainly hope to

meet with the Scottish Government to

discuss the steel and the Tate city

deal in the hope the Scottish

Government and UK Government can go

forward with local partners in a

Colorado civil way. -- collaborating

with.

Does he share the frustration

in the deal and does he agree it is

time to get on and kick-start this

deal for the people of Ayrshire?

Yes, I do.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

With the give us a timeline when

they are going to reach the growth

deal?

The honourable gentleman's

constant flow of negativity is in

marked contrast to the degree local

authorities who I met recently in

Ayrshire who are keen to work with

the Scottish and UK Government to

make sure the Escher growth deal is

a reality.

Question number five, Mr

Speaker.

-- Ayrshire. I will answer

questions five and ten together. I

have regular discussions with the

Prime Minister and Cabinet regarding

UK Government policy and how it

affects Scotland. The UK Government

is committed to securing a deal that

works for all parts of the UK,

including Scotland.

Has the

Secretary of State given up in any

changes to its powers are the

devolved settlement this Tory

Government plans to make or is he so

out of the loop and no longer gets

invited to Cabinet meetings and has

become irrelevant?

I do not know who

reads the honourable lady but the

joint ministerial Council for EU

negotiations is meeting tomorrow. We

are meeting and we are hoping to

take forward solid progress that we

have achieved over the course of

these meetings.

Thank you, Mr

Speaker. One area where the Scottish

and UK governments appear to agree

that plans to take us out of the

single market will be devastating

for the GDP of Scotland. What plans

to see how to protect public

services in Scotland for that?

Mr

Speaker, the honourable gentleman

usually takes his brief with great

seriousness and I am sure he will

have read the Prime Minister's

speech, if not watched it last week,

which set out how the UK Government

is going to approach the

negotiations.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Will he go back on his words about

the single market and have his

authority undermined by not being

invited to the Brexit meeting and

now we are waiting for his

amendments to the withdrawal bill.

The deadline is next Thursday, will

this be another catalogue of

failures for the Secretary of State?

I would be very pleased if after

tomorrow's meeting we are able to

bring forward and agreed amendment

that can be launched in the House of

lords. That is the aspiration of the

UK Government.

Thank you, Mr

Speaker. Last week the Prime

Minister met with me and colleagues

from around the UK constituencies.

Does my right honourable friend

agree with me this meeting

highlighted how this Government is

dubious about realising the

opportunity from Brexit and only

this Government budget is out of the

common fisheries policy?

Yes, since

his election to this place last year

my honourable friend has been a very

powerful advocate for the fishing

industry and the wish of the fishing

industry to leave the common

fisheries policy, and that is what

this Government will deliver for the

fishing industry in Scotland.

Mr

Speaker, my right honourable friend

is in no doubt aware of the benefits

Brexit provides as part of one

United Kingdom for Scotland. Does he

agree with Scott in my constituency

that the talk of an unwanted

Scottish referendum far outweighs

any risk Brexit may present?

I agree

with him that talk of a second

independence referendum is unwelcome

and unnecessary. We have reached the

point in the negotiations where we

all need to come together, work with

the Prime Minister to get the best

possible deal for Scotland and the

whole of the United Kingdom.

What

progress is being made in ensuring

that Scotland's food producers will

still have the protection that the

need for important geographic brands

such as Orkney beef or Shetland lamb

after we have left the European

Union?

I can assure the right

honourable gentleman that despite

scare stories to the contrary, which

have appeared in some parts of the

media, there will be no change to

the protection of these brands or

the allowing in of false brands

purporting to be them.

I am

grateful. Non-UK nationals are

essential to the agricultural

industry in East Lothian. Can he

guarantee we will have the same

access after we leave Europe?

I very

much welcome the debate and this

Parliament led by my right

honourable friend for Angus, who has

been a strong advocate of the need

for seasonal workers within

Scotland, particularly in the soft

fruit industry. The points raised in

that debate, the points raised in

the meetings of the select committee

have all been recognised by the

Government and will be looked at as

we move forward.

Number six, Mr

Speaker.

My colleague met with

partners at the Forth Valley College

and I met with the Cabinet secretary

Keith Brown to discuss the Scottish

contribution to the deal and I'm

hoping to meet with Mr Brown again

shortly.

It does sometimes feel to

me that the sterling city deal is

taking longer to deliver than a baby

elephant at the Blair Drummond

Safari Park. Where does the

Secretary of State decide to sign an

agreement and what discussions has

he had with the Secretary of State

of defence of the future use of the

MOD site in the city deal?

I want to

hear the deal.

Secretary of State.

We hope to sign that deal soon. The

Ministry of Defence and tend to

dispose of the site by 2020 under

the better defence strategy. We are

working with the MoD to find out how

the site can be part of a city deal.

I will give the gentleman the

benefit of the doubt.

You must not

shoehorn his own constituency into

the matter.

The city region deal

does indeed include the transfer of

MOD land and the decontamination of

that land to Stirling Council. I

understand that is no longer going

to happen. Can the Secretary of

State tell us, well it happened,

when will it happen or is it another

broken Tory promise?

Mr Speaker, how

disappointing to allow that negative

note into proceedings on city deals.

They have worked because they have

been a positive collaboration

between the UK Government, Scottish

Government, local authorities and

partners. It is that kind of

negativity that undermines the whole

reserves and stop it may be negative

but at least it was orderly.

Question number eight. The latest

official figures show the Scottish

economy is growing but at a slower

pace than we would like and lagging

behind the UK.

The UK Government is

delivering for Scotland, with our UK

wide strategy and £2 billion extra

spending. The Scottish Government

hold many of the levers and they

should be using those to make sure

Scotland becomes a competitive place

to do business.

Order. I understand

the sense of anticipation in the

House but we are discussing the

strength of the Scottish economy in

which colleagues should take a

polite and respectful interest.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Secretary

of State will be aware of the

closure of the plant in my

constituency with 450 jobs at risk.

We'll be Secretary of State join me

and calling the Scottish Government

to set up a task force and will he

meet with me to set out any help the

UK Government may be able to offer?

I thank the honourable gentleman for

that. Yes, the Secretary of State

and myself are talking about this

and he is happy to meet with the

honourable gentleman and we will

raise the issue with the Scottish

Government on his behalf.

The

success of the economy of the south

of Scotland is clearly linked to the

economy of the north of England and

in particular my constituency of

Carlisle. Would the Minister agree

that the border land initiative is

an exciting opportunity for both

sides of the border for economic

growth?

I agree with my honourable

friend. We are bringing about growth

deals all about the country and we

need to look at those areas where we

can have them cross border. We

welcome the project.

From

Cumbernauld...

Will be Secretary of

State agree with me to meet the

consequences if the proposed closure

of the tax office there is allowed

to proceed?

Yes.

Finally.

Number

nine. Number nine, Mr Speaker.

Giving we know your interest in

tennis and the success of Andy

Murray and Gordon Reed in the

wheelchair, it has increased

interest in tennis in Scotland and

we support measures to encourage

more people to engage in tennis and

any sport in Scotland.

Maybe Glasgow City Council could

work together to make a tennis to an

amount at ATP level.

Scotland has

been a great level for tennis. It is

Scottish Government that leads on

this and it would be welcome to hear

anything from