18/04/2012 Politics Scotland

Hello and welcome to Politics Scotland. Coming up on the

programme: Today's the day that MSPs are set to agree to the UK

government's plans for the Scotland Bill with new tax and borrowing

powers for Holyrood. Here at Westminster, MPs will be

keeping a close eye on that, but a month on from the Budget the

argument continues over the winners The number of Scots seeking work

has fallen, according to figures out today. This was despite a

contraction in the Scottish economy. Our business and economy editor,

Douglas Fraser is here with all the facts and figures, along with our

political commentator for the afternoon, Angus Macleod from the

Times. Good afternoon, gentlemen. Better

news for the Scottish economy today. Yes, it is fairly upbeat. It is

beginning to come right for spring. You could look at it in several

ways and most are looking fairly good. Both people in employment and

those looking are better. Figure that this morning show that in

Scotland it is down 12,000 so around a third of the fall we saw

for the whole of the UK and it puts Scotland in a better employment

position than the rest of the UK. It is still close to the UK average.

Another way of looking at this is the number of people on jobseeker's

allowance has got worse for the UK and Scotland, up by 900. They are

the hard core of the unemployed and on benefit. We have... We have also

seen other information for Scotland, haven't we? The growth figures

which are quite old figures because they cover the 4th quarter, the end

of last year and GDP, the measure of output in the economy. That

contracted in the 4th quarter by 0.1%. UK figures are slightly worse

but it is clearly not good news if you have a contracting economy. It

is not a recession unless you get to quarters like that and in the

first quarter, including the employment figures, suggest it will

not be too quarters we are heading towards. The construction industry

was worst affected by that. It had a bad year. The whole of the

Scottish economy is growing by 0.5% and the UK economy is growing by

slightly more. Destruction is a sector badly affected as is the

retail sector. We've got figures today for that which are slightly

up but only for food. Another statistic is about exports and that

has been flat according to the most recent figures. Looking at all of

these figures in total, you mentioned the UK, how can spot --

Scotland's position be viewed as a comparison to the rest of the UK?

Through the downturn, it has been in a better position and then got

worse off. This latest set of figures put it into a better

position but only by a narrow margin. In the past year, the

unemployment figures of those seeking work, and particularly

compared with the north-west of England which it looks really grim,

Scotland has been performing pretty well after several months of some

pretty bad figures compared to the rest of the UK. Angus MacLeod,

Scotland is performing pretty well and that will be music to the

Scottish government, won't it? there has been analysis about to

who was to blame in the month-by- month increase in and cut -- and

employment but today the language has changed and it is who gets the

credit. The first Minister was quick to seize on these figures to

say that Scotland was comparatively performing better than the rest of

the UK. Actually, a lot of people would feel that it doesn't feel

like that out there. They run major sources of worry with in these

figures. Predominantly, youth unemployment figures are still

horrendously high. The number of women who have found themselves out

of work in Scotland and throughout the UK seems to be on the rise all

the time. There are real areas and pockets of concern behind the

headline figures of a better, marginally better picture, then

this time last year. We will be hearing later about the Prime game

in -- Prime Minister putting a positive spin on the UK figures but

it is still a worrying time, is it? And for David Cameron's view, this

is the best set of figures in a while. Quite honestly, no one

should think that these figures that we are out of the woods though.

200 N19 1000 people in Scotland out of work is still not a comfortable

figure -- 219,000. Thanks very much. An MSP at the centre of domestic

abuse allegations has said he's the victim of an "orchestrated smear

campaign". Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker has been expelled by the SNP

after it emerged his three former wives had accused him of physical

violence. For the latest on this, let's speak to our political

correspondent Glenn Campbell. Good afternoon. First, can you

remind us of the story behind this? Well, Parliament is back from the

Easter break and Bill Walker remains a member of it although he

has been expelled by the SNP. He does still sit as an independent

nationalist although there is no sign of him at Holyrood today. He

was expelled because of allegations which emerged from his three former

wives that he had physically assaulted them. The allegations

have emerged in historic court papers and, indeed, one of the

women has given an interview to the BBC in which she alleges that Mr

Walker and -- attacked her on several occasions. He denies this

and has issued a statement saying the allegations have been so

distressing he felt compelled to say something. He says he has never

assaulted anyone and he claims to be the victim of an orchestrated

smear campaign to which he says, "I shall not be succumbing".

Thanks for that up date. The Prime Minister has acknowledged

he's endured a "tough month" as Ed Miliband attacked the Budget

"shambles", as he put it. The Labour leader attacked the decision

to cut the 50p rate of income tax and freeze personal allowances for

pensioners. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the

result of all these tax changes from April, families with children

will be over �500 a year worse off. I notice he has moved off the top

rate of tax because he does not want to talk about it. I will ask

him, he has to withdraw his amendment because it he is

successful, he will give us a 40p tax rate. The other reason he

doesn't want to talk about the top rate of tax is because he can't

convinced Labour's candidate for the mayor of London to pay his

taxes. When it comes to pensioners, what we have done is increase the

basic state pension, we have kept the pensioner benefits and a freeze

in age-related allowances means there will be no cash losses.

Compare that with a pathetic 75p increase for pensioners. We

remember what their budget did. Will he stand up now and condemn

Labour's candidate for mayor of London he will not pay his taxes?

Mr Speaker, in case... He is very excited today! In case he has

forgotten, it is Prime Minister's Questions, the clue is in the name.

I ask the questions and he is supposed to answer them. No answer.

No answer on pensioners, no answer on families. What about charities?

The Prime Minister's big idea was the Big Society. Since the Budget,

I don't know why he is taking advice from the Chancellor sitting

next to him -- the apartheid Chancellor. What dark -- job is he

doing today, Mr Speaker? Since the Budget, the government has managed

to insult people who give to charity and he has insulted the

charities themselves by implying they are bogus. The Prime Minister

claimed he worked on the budget line by line. Did he know when he

signed off the budget that it represented a hit of as much as

�500 million on Britain's charities? The figures are

completely wrong. Let me tell the right honourable gentleman, first

of all, there is absolutely no defence of Ken Livingstone. What

this is about is making sure the richest people in our country pay

their taxes. Last year, there were over 300 people earning over �1

million who paid a rate of tax of 10%. I don't think that is good

enough and we have a Labour candidate for mayor of London who

is paying less tax on his earnings than the person he cleans his

office. I think that is disgraceful. Why won't he condemn it?

Speaker,... Order. Order. They look -- usual level of August they can

on the usual benches -- the usual level of orchestration. What a

desperate Prime Minister who cannot justify his own budget. If he wants

to talk about the mayor of London, we have a candidate who will cut

Tube fares, who will make rates Faroes and he will bring back the

educational maintenance allowance. He has a candidate who is out of

cut -- touch and was arguing for a cut in the 50p tax rate. The

reality on charities is that he is not making the rich worse off, he

is making charities were job. We have seen a charity tax shambles,

the church tax shamble, the caravan Tax shamble, and the pasty tax

shamble all over the last month. Mr Speaker... Mr Speaker, we are all

keen to hear the Prime Minister's view as to why he thinks that, for

weeks on from the Budget, even people within Downing Street are

calling it and "on many shambles" budget. We have a mayor who pays

his taxes so nothing from him about unemployment or the rich needing to

pay their taxes. Nothing about Ken Livingstone's responsibilities.

This budget cut taxes for 24 million people, cut corporation tax,

it made Britain co-operative -- competitive. Let us look at his

last month. He lost the Bradford by-election. He has given one

person a job opportunity, George Galloway. He lost the Bradford by-

election, he showed complete a weakness when it came to the unite

trade union and the fuel strike and he has a mayor of London who will

not pay his taxes. That is his - my his last month. As ever, hopeless.

Our Westminster David Porter was watching PMQs - a very lively first

session after the recess. It was. Whoever coined the phrase, April

showers, knew what they were talking about. The Coalition

government here at Westminster has not had its problems, but it has

had a real problems after the fall out of the Budget and it is still

being mentioned in the House of Commons as we saw. Just to give

some indication of how important that is and what problems it poses

for the government, there was a know the story breaking as we talk

which will pose significant problems. Cast our minds back to

yesterday when Theresa May came to the House of Commons and said that

the radical preacher, Abu Qatada, had been arrested and they would

put deportation proceedings against him which went through an Appeals

immigration court yesterday and she said they were guarantees from

Jordan that he could stand trial there. It seems someone from the

home of his got their timing wrong and an appeal has been made to the

European Court of Human justice and the Grand chamber to try to get the

case looked at. The upshot of that is that the deportation proposals

cannot go ahead while that case is considered. Senior judges at the

European Court will now consider whether this will go to a full

hearing in their highest court, the Grand chamber. If they decide not

to, a deportation proceedings can go ahead but if they decide that

they want to have a full hearing, that, at the least, could delay the

deportation by a number of months. It is hugely embarrassing for the

Home Office and the Home Secretary. It is devastating, in deed, for the

Home Office and I suppose the Conservatives have been trying to

look tough on this issue? Yes, most MPs say they believe that Abu

Qatada or potentially poses a threat to the people of Britain and

he was once called by a judge Al- Qaeda's main lieutenant and Osama

Bin Laden's right hand man in Europe and most people believe he

should be deported to Jordan to face trial there. Others say it has

to be done within the law. Reports are just coming in that the Home

Office jumped the gun and thought the deadline for appealing to the

so-called grand chamber had gone on Monday night. In fact, the deadline

was last night. Just before the deadline expired, lawyers for Abu

Qatada it made it known to the court they would want to go through

that process of Appeal so, at least, it will delay proceedings. You may

have a situation whereby Abu Qatada or's lawyer's go to the immigration

authorities and immigration court and say it this changes things and

we would like him released on Beale, albeit with stringent conditions.

If that happens, it will just heap more problems on what has happened

and will cause further problems for Theresa May. I would be surprised

if the opposition parties do not call for Theresa May to come to the

House of Commons to explain what has and has not happened in an

I am joined in the studio by Angus Macleod once again. We can pick up

on that breaking news that David was bringing us. Unbelievably

damaging for the Government. They must be thinking, when will this

problem be resolved? I spoke about the self-inflicted injuries this

Government seems to be hell-bent on inflicting on itself. And here is

another one. Teresa May will argue that once again she is in the hands

of Kosovo servants, officials, officials advise, ministers decide,

but there seems to be a certain amount of trumpeting yesterday by

the Government over the deportation of Abu Qatada, which was premature,

to say the least. This has blown up in their faces. Accidents do happen

to Governments, but Governments should try to see these coming and

again they have abjectly failed. Miliband tried to bring that out at

Prime Minister's Questions. His main theme was to say that the

Government is out of touch with the ball. The actor is the thing. --

out of touch with people. -- this is the thing. You get things like

the pasty tax and the granny tax coming up to hit you, and the key

element of the coalition is to keep that coalition together, but we

have been hearing for more than a year that the political touch of

the Conservatives at Westminster is second to none, especially George

Osborne, the great master strategist. People are having to

revisit that do because it seems that his main mistake was to

completely underestimate the impact of some of the measures in their

budget on the public consciousness, and he is being a heavy price for

that, as is the Prime Minister. Prime Minister came back at Ed

Miliband and pointed out that amazing by-election victory for

George Galloway, and we also saw him speaking in the Commons. Yes,

we also saw George Galloway glaring at the Prime Minister! David

Cameron it was able to go on the attack, and then Ed Miliband went

on the attack about the problems the coalition have had, then we had

that appalling result for Labour in Bradford West. That is an

indication of just the way that politics in Westminster is running

at the moment. We have had a couple of opinion polls showing Labour

building a substantial lead. Whether it will last very long is a

good question but it takes the immediate pressure off Ed Miliband.

That is very important for political leaders, that they can

operate without unnecessary pressure. Back to Orly route, where

MSPs have been debating Ofgem's review into the cost of supplying

electricity the National Grid. There is concern the Scottish our

than Speyside charges and that could put them in an uncompetitive

position as they try to capitalise on renewable energy. We can hear

from the Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing. One is at stake is the

development of renewable energy in the Western and Northern Isles of

Scotland. We hope to have read -- renewable energy as an engine for

economic growth, able to deliver jobs, inward investment and direct

and lasting benefits to communities, especially the most fragile

communities we have, those on our Islands, where clean energy

resources are at their most abundant. But we have a charging

regime that discourages the deployment of renewable energy

projects in those areas of finest the source goes up having

previously recognised our concerns, it is highly disappointing that the

new proposals for charging that of Jim have put forward would continue

to discriminate -- of GM -- OfGem. They we see charges of one poem per

kilowatt for connection to the grid in the South West of England, but

six the grounds for all be, 67 bound for Schiller, �77 for the

Western Isles. -- for Shetland. Why, then, put him forward? This is an

extraordinary way to proceed and it begs the question about the process

of of change and commitment to it. OfGem Must proceed on the basis

that be fairer deal for these islands remains a necessity. As a

Government we must make it clear to Ofgem that leaving the islands in

the "to do have a gold" box is not an option. The scale of large

renewable businesses and other parts of the UK are arguing against

any reform to this process, a process that could assist

renewables development in the northern and Western Isles. What is

his best measure for dealing with those other companies were arguing

with Ofgem about the change that we need to see happen? Companies will

be affected in different ways, but what I hope to do is to make sure

that all parties in this chamber is to argue that when Ofgem's board

meets to consider the proposals it must consider the anomalous

proposals of considering accepting the draft proposals which

discriminate against the island's, in the way that I have set out.

There are pressures on of gem. I recognise that. But to put forward

a proposal where the island's would be subject to 77 times greater than

part of the UK is, to me, quite an astonishing proposition, and one

that I hope all parties in this chamber can unite behind. I wanted

to depart from the script, to say that I welcome the support and

engagement of all parties in connection with these matters.

good news is that we have come up with a fairer charging system that

will benefit renewables, do for Scotland. It is not an entirely

flat system, not the postage-stamp approach that some would like to

see, but for mainland Scotland at least it is a huge step in the

right direction. Neil Stuart of Scotties vehicles described the

proposals as a move towards dearer charges for projects on the

Scottish mainland and said the reforms would encourage rather than

block investment in renewable energy in Scotland. Unfortunately,

project transmit does not appear to have concluded that the same

argument for mainland Scotland and even for the Isle of Skye should

apply to Scotland's Islands, in particular to Orkney, Shetland and

the Western Isles. The network has not been extended to the evidence

which are treated as exceptions. Quoting will Stuart from Scottish

renewables, he estimates that under the proposals, a wind farm in the

Western Isles would be �77,000 for every megawatt capacity, compared

to 2,000 capacity -- �2,000 for a similar wind farm in the South West

of England. This could effectively scupper many proposed developments

and it will have a direct impact on small scale, community-owned

renewables. The airlines and opt may have led the way in micro and

community electricity generation. The issue for the small-scale

projects is the basic problem of connecting to the network. There

are very few cables and wires across these remote areas, and I

would hope that all of us would want to see a new charging system

that would improve access rather than rhetoric entirely economic --

than render it entirely uneconomic. We need to promote security of

supply and facilitate the move to low carbon future. I was therefore

surprised that the SNP motion today does not mention consumer bills,

but it favours the flat-rate charging known as socialising. I

cannot understand why, given that Ofgem rules this out on the basis,

and I quote "average bills would rise more in than of the Scotland,

where fuel poverty is highest, at least in London, where fuel poverty

is lowest." Scottish nationalists proposing higher bills for

Scotland? And lower bills for London? This approach would cost at

least another �30 per household in the not the Scotland. The SNP's new

Highlands and they then stacks. cannot accept the costings has made

by Ofgem to justify the refusal to accept the postage-stamp model. We

do not accept these are valid. However, the motion refers to the

postage-stamp option but you are free to vote for it and not

committed to it. We simply point out that there are strong arguments

for it. We hope that you will unite and support the islands of Scotland.

I certainly will not be uniting to support, as a Highlands and Islands

MSP, to support an extra �30 on the bills are people in the knot of

Scotland and nothing or the bills of people in London. We SNP motion

welcomes their emerging outcomes of the ICRP. This can only be done

with full consultation with industry partners, which could take

some months. So the SNP favours full and proper consultation.

Surely they would then favour the industry panel - I have taken long

enough interventions are so far - rather than rushing them through

and worrying about problems later. Mary Scanlon from the Conservatives,

there. I am joined by energy analyst David Hunter. Can you recap

and explain about transmission charges? The transmission charges

today relate to how much it costs to connect a wind farm to the

National Grid across the UK. The reality is that, due to the

infrastructure of the national Grid, it costs a different about of money

depending on how remote the area where the wind farmers. -- where

the wind farm is. We saw some concerns there about bills. Mary

Scanlon spoke about �30 extra energy bills for people in that the

knot of Scotland. What sort of course there were looking at end

people's bills? Over the next decade across the UK, we could be

talking in the terms of billions in terms of overall additional cost.

But just why has, but you power stations and so on, by Twenty20, of

Gen bullies who will have to introduce new infrastructure worth

�200 billion. Project transmit looks like being a important part

of that. It depends how much we are prepared to pay to have renewables

right through the UK. Is it right to suppose that public money is

used to fund that, when I suppose there are other renewable projects

in England which might not receive such a subsidy, the Severn tidal

barrier, for example? It is an argument people would put forward.

If the new boss were a good thing they and a good thing regardless of

their location. The competitive advantage that Scotland has is in

the wind power, the way one tidal power that we have naturally at our

disposal. That should make it attractive to have generation up

here, but the problem is, the grid does not physically cope with the

level of connection that we're looking to put in place and, who

should pay for that at this level of charges? Should it be spread

across consumers across the UK, or should that the charges on the wind

farms in Shetland, themselves? we take away from the competitive

advantage and make companies not that keen to please renewable

energy projects in those areas? -- to place. That is specifically a

problem for places like Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles, less

all in the Scottish mainland, but does that just come down to

economics and what makes sense? So, those who argue against the

socialisation model that we have just heard about would say, really,

it is not cost-reflective, and it is it the best way to deliver a low

What is the way forward? How do you think things might be resolved?

socialisation model and the equally -- equal postage stamp all it

system is unlikely to happen. There are additional costs in that model.

We are more likely to see an amended version of the proposals

that have been put forward which give some concessions but the

biggest difficulty will be for the Northern Western Isles and that

will be an ongoing difficulty. you do have wind project's in those

areas which are not running sometimes, it will they have a

higher cost than perhaps waved project which can run all the time?

Absolutely. If you look at, conversely a nuclear plant, the

availability factor and the percentage of time that it will be

generating - 80 or 90%, whereas wind is below that, that is

something we have to bear in mind the generally within these cost

structures. Thanks very much New powers for the Scottish Parliament,

including greater control of taxation, will take a big step

forward today. Later this afternoon at Holyrood, MSPs are expected to

endorse the overall package of the Scotland Bill, giving Westminster

the go-ahead to introduce the reforms.

Under the New Deal, 10p of income tax will be devolved. MSPs can

increase tax or cut tax and have more to spend all they can leave

well alone. For the first time, Holyrood will be able to borrow

within Treasury limits and that will be spread over a longer period.

There will be a consultation whether they can issue their own

bombs. The drink-drive and national speed limits are now over the

aggregates Levy. Plans to shift some powers back to Westminster

have been dropped. There was a new procedure for

Scottish criminal cases that go to the UK Supreme Court. Let us get

some thoughts on this from our Westminster Correspondent, David

Porter, who is on College Green. Thank you. As we have just heard,

There are some pretty significant powers that are going from

Westminster up to Holyrood if the Bill goes through and everyone says

that is what they want to happen. One man who probably knows better

than most of us what is in the bill is the man who had to put it

through the House. David Mundell, you and your colleagues are always

telling us that this is the biggest transfer of fiscal powers to

Holyrood since the Act of Union in 17 07. Your opponents would say it

is a start but it doesn't go far enough. The report which is set out

in the Scotland Bill is a significant devolution development.

We have a transfer of fiscal powers which will mean the Scottish

Parliament will raise about their third of its income and will be

financially accountable. That is what everyone recognised was the

deficit in the existing devolution settlement. Other important powers

are being transferred such as the regulation of a guns or speeding

and drink-drive limits. There are significant powers and the ones

there was a consensus around. What is important now if we get their

legislative consent, is to implement those powers and think

how to do that. Some people might say that with the independence

referendum on the constitutional debate, the Scotland Bill is now

irrelevant and things have moved on. We are now dealing with far more

than anything the Scotland Bill could give. The Scotland Bill is

certainly not irrelevant. It is the biggest shift in financial powers

in 300 years. It will bring financial accountability to the

Scottish Parliament and it will have the power to set the Scottish

rate of income tax. They are very significant developments. The

referendum about independence is a separate matter. It is a matter

about whether the people of Scotland want to be part of Britain

or they want Scotland to be separate. We want to get on with

that referendum, answer that question, and then there will be

scared to discuss the devolution settlement going forward but first

we need to know if people in Scotland want to be part of Britain

or separate. So, to coin a phrase, the Scotland Bill could be part of

a process and not a line in the sand? It has always been the

Government's view and I think most people in realpolitik in Scotland

think that devolution is a process and not an event. The review will

not be the last review. But we have to ensure that we know where the

people in Scotland one to be in Britain or not, because there is no

point talking about powers if people don't want to be in Britain.

That is why it is important to get on with the referendum, find the

answer to that question and then other debates can follow after that.

On a different topic, some rather worrying developments for the UK

government on the Abu Qatada case where by the European Court of

Human rates say they may want to consider it further and the British

Government will not be able to continue with deportation

proceedings and that will slow things down, won't it? A lawyer's

view is that the appeal he proposes to make cannot be made but the

lawyers will resolve that. The British Government is clear. The

British -- he is not wanted in this country and we male make sure we

take the necessary steps to ensure that. Thank you very much. We will

be talking far more about those topics later.

Let as head to Holyrood where Linda Fabiani of the S MP, James Kelly

from Labour and Willie Rennie is there. Thank you for joining me --

SNP. First of all, Linda Fabiani, why have you discarded to support

the Scotland Bill -- decided? has been substantial changes to the

Scotland Bill since it first came out in 2010, the main one being

that the harm that could be done to Scotland by the calculations in the

block grant has been removed. We have agreement there will be a

joint agreement between the two governments before they can beat

any implementation of the tax power. I think it has moved quite a way.

There is no harm to Scotland and that is why we will support it.

have to accept it, don't you? It would look bizarre if you didn't

want to accept more powers for the Scottish government? Of course,

there were things there we wanted but the bottom line for the SNP is

that if it caused harm to Scotland we could not have supported it. In

its original form, it was capable of that. There have been

concessions made by the UK government and that is why we will

move on. We will like to see more powers -- would like to see more

powers and some capital projects starting now, for example. James

Kelly, the Labour were in the foreground in promoting the

Scotland Bill. Is it really just a sop to independence? Not at all. It

is an excellent day where we see a substantial package of measures

being agreed. We not only see a tax-raising power being granted,

but other powers like laws over speeds and substantial borrowing

powers being given to the parliament. That gives greater

advantage in terms of being able to attract capital investment and

tackle unemployment at a time of recession. These are positive

measures. We have also seen a massive climbdown from the SNP who,

in December, threatened not to back the Scotland Bill. A that is the

legislative consent bail. The new taxation powers and the 10p in the

variable rates and so on, but who is going to use that? Of Scottish

Labour going to put taxes up and will they use this rate, do you

think? It is about the Scottish Parliament having more

responsibility for that money we raise. 13 years down the line as a

parliament and it we have to move to a situation where we are not

simply handed a block grant from London but we take some

responsibility for some money raised and coupled with the

borrowing powers, that gives us a substantial opportunity to make a

positive impact on the Scottish economy. Willie Rennie, your

colleague the Secretary of State for Scotland without lining the new

proposals in the House of Commons to day but do you think they are

just passed -- part of the past and the debate has moved on? He know,

these are substantial powers. One of the biggest transfers of

financial powers probably ever to the Scottish Parliament so that is

a major step forward. I have to give credit to Linda for trying to

explain away the massive climbdown. Last May, they made six big demands.

They also, in the committee, the majority, asked for full fiscal

autonomy and they said the Scotland Bill was a poison pill. This is an

amazing change of heart and it just shows you that all the hype and

bluster from the SNP often doesn't come too much. Do you not accept

the Secretary of State made some contentions -- concessions? There

was actually nothing dangers or poisonous about the bail. There

were two reviews and a change of letters. There were no substantial

changes. They are trying to guess it up as being something more than

it was but what it delivers is a transfer of financial powers and

controls over speed and weapons. It should give the Scottish Parliament

much more responsibility over its own affairs. It is a good day.

just went to get your views over the unemployment figures today.

Better news? It is that There are still 219,000 people unemployed in

Scotland. There is no room for complacency. Perhaps it shows that

the economic and financial strategy is beginning to pay some dividend

but is is really important for the UK and Scottish government So to

work closely together on things like the UK use contract which will

invest �1 billion in subsidised wages for use opportunities. There

is no room for complacency because there are so many people unemployed

in Scotland. James Kelly, why could not Ed Miliband be big enough at

Prime Minister's Questions and congratulate the Prime Minister on

the unemployment figures? There are still serious issues around

unemployment and a great deal of fun and -- of concern about youth

unemployment and women. These will be the focus of attention in the

forthcoming council elections and from our point of view, I welcome

initiatives like North Lanarkshire council putting aside money to

promote the creation of 5000 jobs. That is what council -- councils

have got to do. Linda Fabiani, I am sure Mr Swinney and the first

minister breathed a sigh of relief. They criticised the UK government

last month for the rise in unemployment. It looks better for

Scotland when you look at the figures today and a lot of that is

to do with good management of the Scottish government but more could

be done. The UK economic policies... We have projects that could boost

construction in all the council areas of Scotland and that should

go-ahead to make a difference. We are ready to do that and we think

it should be done because we want to boost Scotland. One final issue

and Bill Walker, your former MSP, did not appear in Parliament today.

Do you think he should step down? It is for him to examine his own

conscience and his actions whatever they have been an to make up his

mind what is best for voters in his constituency. James Kelly, I think

Labour's view has been pretty clear on this, hasn't it? Do you think he

should stay? I think the information coming into the public

domain about Bill Walker is very concerning. Being a member of the

Scottish Parliament is a very responsible position and he must

look at that seriously and consider resigning. OK. Finally to you

Willie Rennie. This raises the subject of the power of recall

which was in the Coalition agreement to which there Liberal

Democrats are quite keen to have the power of recall. A white paper

has been published by the UK government but no such thing in

Scotland. What is your position on Bill Walker and the position of

We have the rule of law in this country, not more the rule, we need

to go through a process that, and we are to remove MSPs or call on

them to resign, that there is rock solid evidence and the prosecution

before the do that. We do need the power of we call in the Scottish

Parliament. There are issues around the list system in the Scottish

Parliament, but we need to make sure these are rock-solid proposals

that work effectively because we cannot have more role in this

country. -- mob rule. Thank you for joining us. Sometime all thoughts

from Angus MacLeod, our political commentator. Picking up on that

situation with Bill Walker, there is no power of recall in the

Scottish Parliament, but you want to avoid any more rule situation.

Should constituents be able to recall their MSP? We do not have it

at Westminster yet, although there has been talk about it, there has

been a white paper. But there is a big gap between a white paper and

reality. The point about power of recall is that it is one of these

things that in theory, sounds right, proper and sensible but, you could

get situations where politicians are record, and what does the power

of recall mean? It means that the person has to go, for be reason

that might not be connected with their personal or political conduct,

but simply because people do not like their political views, then we

get into very dangerous water. On the subject of Bill Walker, this is

still in the area of allegations. Sometimes I feel that if the

Watters gets a job before a politician, maybe it is just as

well for that politician to get, to decide, this is going to haunt me,

and it would be better, for myself on for the Parliament, that by step

down. But that is a decision for per locker, himself up. It was

quite procedural today, but it is quite significant, on the Scotland

Bill. Of course, there has been a lot of political positioning a row

in this. It was based on the Coleman commission. It never

claimed that was the final word on Scottish devolution. I agree with

those who say that the Carman commission and the Scotland Bill

have been overtaken by the reality of the SNP majority at Holyrood.

Thank you for that, Angus. That is all that we have got time for.