Browse content similar to 06/07/2016. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Hello and a very warm welcome to a very summery | 0:00:18 | 0:00:21 | |
Westminster for the July edition of Scottish Questions | 0:00:21 | 0:00:25 | |
and, my goodness, what an awful lot has happened since we last met. | 0:00:25 | 0:00:29 | |
The UK, though not Scotland, has voted to leave the EU, | 0:00:29 | 0:00:33 | |
the Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that he is resigning, | 0:00:33 | 0:00:36 | |
and there is renewed talk of a second Scottish independence referendum. | 0:00:36 | 0:00:40 | |
You won't be surprised to learn that Scottish Questions was | 0:00:40 | 0:00:43 | |
dominated by the fallout of that EU referendum vote. | 0:00:43 | 0:00:47 | |
Here's how proceedings got under way. | 0:00:47 | 0:00:49 | |
Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of... | 0:00:51 | 0:00:56 | |
INDISTINCT | 0:00:56 | 0:00:57 | |
Oh, we must deal with the motion | 0:00:57 | 0:00:58 | |
of latest Unopposed Return first, indeed, requiring the nod of a Whip, | 0:00:58 | 0:01:02 | |
which is done with some grace. | 0:01:02 | 0:01:04 | |
Order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland. | 0:01:04 | 0:01:07 | |
-Mr Nic Dakin. -Question number one, sir. | 0:01:07 | 0:01:11 | |
-Secretary of State. -Mr Speaker, with permission, | 0:01:11 | 0:01:14 | |
I would like to answer questions one and six together. | 0:01:14 | 0:01:17 | |
The Scottish economy faces | 0:01:17 | 0:01:18 | |
a number of challenges as a result of the vote to leave the EU. | 0:01:18 | 0:01:22 | |
Yesterday, I began a process of direct engagement with | 0:01:22 | 0:01:25 | |
Scottish business leaders to ensure their voice is | 0:01:25 | 0:01:28 | |
heard in the forthcoming negotiations. | 0:01:28 | 0:01:30 | |
-Nic Dakin. -I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. | 0:01:30 | 0:01:33 | |
Does he think that it will make it easier for the Scottish | 0:01:33 | 0:01:36 | |
and the UK Governments to support the Scottish steel | 0:01:36 | 0:01:40 | |
industry now that this Brexit decision has been made in | 0:01:40 | 0:01:43 | |
terms of tackling things like energy costs, | 0:01:43 | 0:01:45 | |
procurement and business rates? | 0:01:45 | 0:01:47 | |
-Secretary of State. -What I think is that, regardless of the vote, | 0:01:48 | 0:01:53 | |
the two Governments must continue to work together | 0:01:53 | 0:01:57 | |
to support the industry. | 0:01:57 | 0:01:59 | |
The Scottish Government has taken forward steps in relation to the two | 0:01:59 | 0:02:04 | |
plants in Scotland, which very much had the support of myself | 0:02:04 | 0:02:08 | |
and The Scotland Office and the UK government. | 0:02:08 | 0:02:11 | |
We'll continue to do that. | 0:02:11 | 0:02:12 | |
The Scottish Government will play a part in the Steel Council | 0:02:12 | 0:02:17 | |
-that has been established. -Ian Murray. -Thank you, Mr Speaker. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:22 | |
Standard Life, one of the largest private employers in Scotland, | 0:02:22 | 0:02:25 | |
ceased trading in their UK Property Fund this week whilst | 0:02:25 | 0:02:28 | |
the Governor of the Bank of England said that the | 0:02:28 | 0:02:31 | |
consequences of Brexit were continuing to crystallise. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:34 | |
Given financial services is 7% of Scotland's GDP and employs tens | 0:02:34 | 0:02:38 | |
of thousands of my own constituents, what reassurances was | 0:02:38 | 0:02:41 | |
he able to give those businesses yesterday that not one job | 0:02:41 | 0:02:44 | |
will be lost given the Conservative gamble with this country? | 0:02:44 | 0:02:47 | |
PRESENTER: 'And Ian Murray is the former Shadow Scottish Secretary. | 0:02:47 | 0:02:50 | |
'He resigned from the Shadow Cabinet last week.' | 0:02:50 | 0:02:52 | |
I begin by commending the honourable gentleman | 0:02:52 | 0:02:54 | |
in his service as Shadow Scottish Secretary. | 0:02:54 | 0:02:56 | |
Nobody knows better than me | 0:02:56 | 0:02:58 | |
how difficult it is to be your party's sole representative | 0:02:58 | 0:03:02 | |
in this House from Scotland and be Shadow Scottish secretary, | 0:03:02 | 0:03:07 | |
and he did the role with great distinction, | 0:03:07 | 0:03:09 | |
and I am particularly grateful for the work that he did to | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
ensure the passage of the Scotland Act in this place. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:14 | |
He will be pleased to know that, | 0:03:14 | 0:03:16 | |
when I met with business leaders yesterday, | 0:03:16 | 0:03:19 | |
Standard Life was indeed represented. | 0:03:19 | 0:03:21 | |
And one of the points that Standard Life made, | 0:03:21 | 0:03:23 | |
and I think is important in these discussions on the future | 0:03:23 | 0:03:27 | |
of the Scottish economy, is how important the market outwith | 0:03:27 | 0:03:31 | |
Europe is to them, as well as well as the market within Europe. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:36 | |
And they did not wish us to lose focus on the many business | 0:03:36 | 0:03:40 | |
opportunities they pursue, particularly in North America. | 0:03:40 | 0:03:43 | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. When will my right honourable friend | 0:03:43 | 0:03:46 | |
lay out the exciting opportunities there are for Scotland as a result | 0:03:46 | 0:03:50 | |
of leaving the European Union for the wider world? | 0:03:50 | 0:03:53 | |
Secretary of State. | 0:03:55 | 0:03:56 | |
Mr Speaker, obviously, when I met with Scottish businesses, | 0:03:56 | 0:04:00 | |
I wanted them to address the issues of the opportunities | 0:04:00 | 0:04:05 | |
for business and I've just referred to a leading Scottish company | 0:04:05 | 0:04:11 | |
who has significant interests outwith the EU. | 0:04:11 | 0:04:15 | |
But, naturally, businesses in Scotland are concerned to understand | 0:04:15 | 0:04:19 | |
the arrangements that will be put in place for our future relationship | 0:04:19 | 0:04:23 | |
-with the EU. -Angus Robertson. -Thank you, Mr Speaker. | 0:04:23 | 0:04:27 | |
In Scotland, more than 62% of voters voted to | 0:04:27 | 0:04:30 | |
remain in the European Union and, since then, the Scottish Parliament | 0:04:30 | 0:04:35 | |
has voted overwhelmingly to support First Minister Nicola Sturgeon | 0:04:35 | 0:04:39 | |
in her efforts to protect Scotland's place in Europe. | 0:04:39 | 0:04:43 | |
That was voted for by the Scottish National Party, the Labour Party, | 0:04:43 | 0:04:46 | |
the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Green Party. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:49 | |
The Tories abstained. | 0:04:49 | 0:04:51 | |
So will the Secretary of State finally join the cross-party | 0:04:51 | 0:04:55 | |
consensus to protect our economy and place in Europe, | 0:04:55 | 0:04:59 | |
or will he abstain from that like his colleagues? | 0:04:59 | 0:05:02 | |
Secretary of State. | 0:05:04 | 0:05:05 | |
Mr Speaker, I think the honourable gentleman omits one fact, | 0:05:05 | 0:05:09 | |
which was why my colleagues | 0:05:09 | 0:05:11 | |
were unable to support his party's motion, | 0:05:11 | 0:05:15 | |
and that was because they would not take the toxic and divisive | 0:05:15 | 0:05:19 | |
issue of a second independence referendum off the table. | 0:05:19 | 0:05:25 | |
Anybody, anybody who wants to unify opinion in Scotland does not | 0:05:25 | 0:05:31 | |
start talking about a second Scottish independence referendum. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:36 | |
And I hope the First Minister was listing yesterday to Scottish | 0:05:36 | 0:05:40 | |
business when they said decisively that, | 0:05:40 | 0:05:43 | |
in relation to discussions about the EU, | 0:05:43 | 0:05:45 | |
they did not want to hear about Scottish independence. | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
Angus Robertson. | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
Mr Speaker, tens of thousands of European Union citizens play | 0:05:51 | 0:05:56 | |
a massive role in our economy and in our society in Scotland. | 0:05:56 | 0:06:00 | |
We on these benches want to do more than just pay tribute to them - | 0:06:00 | 0:06:05 | |
we want them to have guarantees that they can stay in Scotland. | 0:06:05 | 0:06:09 | |
Will the Secretary of State act in the Scottish | 0:06:09 | 0:06:12 | |
and the European interest and guarantee the rights of fellow EU | 0:06:12 | 0:06:16 | |
citizens to remain in Scotland and end the intolerable worry | 0:06:16 | 0:06:21 | |
and concern that they are being confronted with? | 0:06:21 | 0:06:24 | |
Mr Speaker, I share the right honourable gentleman's | 0:06:24 | 0:06:30 | |
view of the importance that EU citizens play in Scotland | 0:06:30 | 0:06:34 | |
and I share his view that we want them to stay in Scotland, | 0:06:34 | 0:06:38 | |
and we want them to be able to be guaranteed | 0:06:38 | 0:06:41 | |
their position in Scotland. | 0:06:41 | 0:06:43 | |
We also want British citizens in the rest of Europe to be guaranteed | 0:06:43 | 0:06:48 | |
their right to stay there | 0:06:48 | 0:06:50 | |
and I hope that it will be possible to issue both guarantees. | 0:06:50 | 0:06:53 | |
-David Anderson. -Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. | 0:06:54 | 0:06:58 | |
Can I start by echoing the compliments paid | 0:06:58 | 0:07:01 | |
to my predecessor, the Member for Edinburgh South? | 0:07:01 | 0:07:03 | |
I can guarantee you will be a hard act to follow. | 0:07:03 | 0:07:06 | |
Sitting opposite the right honourable gentleman today reminds me of the many good times | 0:07:06 | 0:07:10 | |
I've spent in his constituency in the great town of Moffat. | 0:07:10 | 0:07:13 | |
Indeed, I have been asked to raise a question by friends of mine | 0:07:13 | 0:07:16 | |
from Moffat, John and Heather, who live on the Old Carlisle Road. | 0:07:16 | 0:07:20 | |
They have a small family farm and a business. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:23 | |
They want to know what guarantees will be | 0:07:23 | 0:07:25 | |
given about the future of payments they receive | 0:07:25 | 0:07:27 | |
from the Common Agricultural Policy and what benefit | 0:07:27 | 0:07:30 | |
they can expect to see from the £350 million a week that senior | 0:07:30 | 0:07:35 | |
members of his Government promised we would get | 0:07:35 | 0:07:37 | |
back from the European Union to fund the NHS. | 0:07:37 | 0:07:40 | |
How much of that can we expect to go to Scotland and, crucially, | 0:07:40 | 0:07:43 | |
when can we expect to see it? | 0:07:43 | 0:07:45 | |
Secretary of State. | 0:07:45 | 0:07:48 | |
Firstly, can I start by welcoming the honourable gentleman to | 0:07:48 | 0:07:51 | |
his position and welcoming him any time | 0:07:51 | 0:07:54 | |
that he wants to come to Moffat? | 0:07:54 | 0:07:57 | |
Of course, I have performed his role in the past - | 0:07:57 | 0:08:00 | |
the difference was there were 41 Scottish MPs opposite me | 0:08:00 | 0:08:04 | |
when I did that and, 15 months, later it has come to this. | 0:08:04 | 0:08:08 | |
On his question, obviously the issues around CAP | 0:08:08 | 0:08:14 | |
payments are one of the things that will be subject to negotiations. | 0:08:14 | 0:08:20 | |
As someone who argued for a Remain vote, | 0:08:20 | 0:08:23 | |
I made very clear to farmers in Scotland that there would be | 0:08:23 | 0:08:27 | |
a degree of uncertainty if there was a vote to Leave, | 0:08:27 | 0:08:31 | |
but one of the things that will happen as a result | 0:08:31 | 0:08:34 | |
of the withdrawal from the EU is that responsibility for these | 0:08:34 | 0:08:38 | |
agricultural matters will now rest directly with | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
the Scottish Parliament. | 0:08:41 | 0:08:42 | |
David Anderson. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:43 | |
Thank you for that response. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:45 | |
I do not think though that John and Heather will be reassured | 0:08:45 | 0:08:48 | |
and I noticed you didn't answer the question about the NHS. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:51 | |
The Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee was right yesterday | 0:08:51 | 0:08:55 | |
to accuse our hapless Prime Minister of being | 0:08:55 | 0:08:57 | |
guilty of a dereliction of duty for failing to set up withdrawal | 0:08:57 | 0:09:01 | |
planning units until after the referendum. | 0:09:01 | 0:09:04 | |
And will someone please tell the Prime Minister the words | 0:09:04 | 0:09:07 | |
of the song aren't, "When the going gets tough, the tough do a runner"? | 0:09:07 | 0:09:11 | |
With that in mind, can I ask the Secretary of State if he | 0:09:11 | 0:09:16 | |
believes that the Prime Minister's policy of placating fruitcakes | 0:09:16 | 0:09:20 | |
and loonies has been a price worth paying for the economic crisis | 0:09:20 | 0:09:24 | |
that's now upon us and the risk of the break-up of the United Kingdom? | 0:09:24 | 0:09:28 | |
-Secretary of State. -Mr Speaker, I'm a democrat. | 0:09:29 | 0:09:32 | |
I respect the democratic decision of the people | 0:09:32 | 0:09:36 | |
of the United Kingdom and that decision will be implemented. | 0:09:36 | 0:09:40 | |
Andrew Stephenson. | 0:09:40 | 0:09:42 | |
Question number two, Mr Speaker. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:45 | |
Mr Speaker, with permission, I will answer this question with | 0:09:45 | 0:09:50 | |
questions three, four, five and nine. | 0:09:50 | 0:09:54 | |
Since the outcome of the EU referendum, both the Prime Minister | 0:09:54 | 0:09:58 | |
and I have had discussions with Scottish Government Ministers | 0:09:58 | 0:10:01 | |
and we continue to do so over the coming weeks and months. | 0:10:01 | 0:10:05 | |
As the Prime Minister has made very clear, we will fully involve | 0:10:05 | 0:10:09 | |
the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations as | 0:10:09 | 0:10:12 | |
we prepare for negotiations with the European Union. | 0:10:12 | 0:10:15 | |
-Andrew Stephenson. -Thank you, Mr Speaker. | 0:10:15 | 0:10:18 | |
Does my right honourable friend agree that we should respect | 0:10:18 | 0:10:21 | |
the outcome of the democratic process, | 0:10:21 | 0:10:23 | |
even if some do not agree with the result? | 0:10:23 | 0:10:25 | |
Mr Speaker, I am quite clear that the | 0:10:26 | 0:10:29 | |
majority of people across the United Kingdom voted for the United Kingdom | 0:10:29 | 0:10:34 | |
to leave the European Union and that decision must be implemented, | 0:10:34 | 0:10:39 | |
but in doing so we must secure the best possible deal for Scotland | 0:10:39 | 0:10:44 | |
and indeed the rest of the United Kingdom. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:46 | |
-Martyn Day. -Thank you, Mr Speaker. | 0:10:46 | 0:10:50 | |
Can the Secretary of State confirm that it is the UK Government's | 0:10:50 | 0:10:53 | |
intention to invite the Scottish Government to participate | 0:10:53 | 0:10:56 | |
directly in their negotiations with the EU? | 0:10:56 | 0:10:59 | |
I confirm that the Scottish Government | 0:11:01 | 0:11:04 | |
are going to be at the heart of this negotiation process | 0:11:04 | 0:11:08 | |
and I can also confirm today that myself | 0:11:08 | 0:11:11 | |
and my Cabinet colleague, the Member for West Dorset, who is responsible | 0:11:11 | 0:11:16 | |
for the European Unit within the Government, will be meeting | 0:11:16 | 0:11:19 | |
with the First Minister next week to discuss how that might be achieved. | 0:11:19 | 0:11:24 | |
-Ian Blackford. -Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. | 0:11:24 | 0:11:27 | |
The Secretary of State says he's a democrat. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
Will he support the long-established position in Scotland that | 0:11:30 | 0:11:33 | |
sovereignty rests with the people? | 0:11:33 | 0:11:34 | |
And now that the Parliament has said that we wish to negotiate | 0:11:34 | 0:11:37 | |
Scotland's remaining within the single market, | 0:11:37 | 0:11:40 | |
will he stand-up for those rights? | 0:11:40 | 0:11:42 | |
Is he Scotland's man in the Cabinet or, as we suspect, | 0:11:42 | 0:11:45 | |
is he the Cabinet's man in Scotland? | 0:11:45 | 0:11:47 | |
-Secretary of State. -Mr Speaker, I do expect slightly more original | 0:11:49 | 0:11:52 | |
lines from the honourable gentleman. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:56 | |
The position and my position is quite clear. | 0:11:56 | 0:11:59 | |
I very much welcome any initiative pursued by the First Minister, | 0:11:59 | 0:12:04 | |
or by the Scottish Government, that can be to the benefit of Scotland | 0:12:04 | 0:12:09 | |
without being to the detriment of the rest of the United Kingdom | 0:12:09 | 0:12:12 | |
and I look forward to hearing from her, when I meet with her next week, | 0:12:12 | 0:12:16 | |
how the various initiatives she's pursuing is going. | 0:12:16 | 0:12:19 | |
We want to work together. As business yesterday made very | 0:12:19 | 0:12:23 | |
clear in Scotland, they want a Team UK approach, | 0:12:23 | 0:12:26 | |
the Scottish Government, | 0:12:26 | 0:12:27 | |
UK Government, working in tandem for the best interests of Scotland. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:33 | |
-Chris Green. -Thank you, Mr Speaker. | 0:12:33 | 0:12:35 | |
Does my right honourable friend agree that just as the | 0:12:36 | 0:12:39 | |
Scottish referendum was binding for a generation, | 0:12:39 | 0:12:43 | |
so too is the United Kingdom's decision on the European Union | 0:12:43 | 0:12:45 | |
and isn't it incumbent now for all politicians, including those | 0:12:45 | 0:12:49 | |
in the devolved administrations, to come together to make this work? | 0:12:49 | 0:12:53 | |
-Secretary of State. -Mr Speaker, I very much hope | 0:12:55 | 0:12:59 | |
that that will be the case. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:01 | |
Within hours of the EU declaration being made, | 0:13:01 | 0:13:05 | |
I met with Fiona Hyslop, the Minister responsible | 0:13:05 | 0:13:09 | |
in the Scottish Government. | 0:13:09 | 0:13:10 | |
My colleague, the Minister for Europe, is in Scotland today. | 0:13:10 | 0:13:15 | |
I am meeting with Fiona Hyslop tomorrow and, as I've already said, | 0:13:15 | 0:13:18 | |
I'm meeting with the First Minister next week. | 0:13:18 | 0:13:20 | |
We want to work as closely as we can with the devolved administrations | 0:13:20 | 0:13:23 | |
to get the best outcome for Scotland. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:25 | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. In relation to the last question, | 0:13:26 | 0:13:29 | |
I'd point out that Scotland voted by a large majority to stay in the EU. | 0:13:29 | 0:13:34 | |
Therefore, as a self-confessed Democrat, | 0:13:34 | 0:13:37 | |
will the Secretary of State confirm | 0:13:37 | 0:13:39 | |
he will support the Scottish Government's | 0:13:39 | 0:13:41 | |
efforts to find a mechanism to keep Scotland in the European Union? | 0:13:41 | 0:13:45 | |
Mr Speaker, the honourable gentleman may not have read the ballot paper, | 0:13:45 | 0:13:49 | |
but the question on the ballot paper | 0:13:49 | 0:13:51 | |
was not about Scottish independence - | 0:13:51 | 0:13:53 | |
it was about whether voters in Scotland | 0:13:53 | 0:13:57 | |
wanted the United Kingdom to remain in the EU. | 0:13:57 | 0:14:01 | |
I was part of the 1.6 million people in Scotland who voted to remain | 0:14:01 | 0:14:08 | |
in the EU, but I didn't do it on the basis that Scotland would then be | 0:14:08 | 0:14:12 | |
dragged out of the United Kingdom if I didn't get the decision I wanted. | 0:14:12 | 0:14:17 | |
-Mr Henry Smith. -Thank you, Mr Speaker. | 0:14:17 | 0:14:21 | |
With over a million people in Scotland voting to leave | 0:14:21 | 0:14:25 | |
the European Union last month, what is my right honourable friend's | 0:14:25 | 0:14:29 | |
assessment of the rush | 0:14:29 | 0:14:31 | |
for a second independence referendum on the union? | 0:14:31 | 0:14:35 | |
Mr Speaker, I do think it is important, | 0:14:37 | 0:14:40 | |
it is important that we respect the views of people that we don't agree | 0:14:40 | 0:14:46 | |
with and what's become evident, | 0:14:46 | 0:14:47 | |
in relation to the Scottish National Party, is they can't respect | 0:14:47 | 0:14:51 | |
the views of the two million people | 0:14:51 | 0:14:53 | |
who voted to remain within the United Kingdom in the referendum | 0:14:53 | 0:14:57 | |
in 2014 and they don't respect the people who voted to leave. | 0:14:57 | 0:15:00 | |
I don't agree, I don't agree with the people who voted to leave, | 0:15:00 | 0:15:06 | |
but their views do need to be respected. | 0:15:06 | 0:15:09 | |
Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh. | 0:15:09 | 0:15:11 | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. In light of statements | 0:15:11 | 0:15:13 | |
made by the Secretary of State for Justice, and indeed the new | 0:15:13 | 0:15:16 | |
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland over the weekend, | 0:15:16 | 0:15:19 | |
can the Secretary of State for Scotland give us an unequivocal | 0:15:19 | 0:15:22 | |
confirmation that the Barnett Formula will not be changed | 0:15:22 | 0:15:25 | |
or affected as a result of the EU referendum | 0:15:25 | 0:15:27 | |
and that Scotland's budget will be protected? | 0:15:27 | 0:15:29 | |
Mr Speaker, the Government was elected on a manifesto clear | 0:15:31 | 0:15:37 | |
that there would be no changes to the Barnett Formula, | 0:15:37 | 0:15:42 | |
but, Mr Speaker, the honourable lady has been in several political | 0:15:42 | 0:15:45 | |
parties over her political career. | 0:15:45 | 0:15:49 | |
Perhaps, earlier this week, she may have noticed that there's a vacancy | 0:15:49 | 0:15:53 | |
at the head of UKIP and that that might be her next destination. | 0:15:53 | 0:15:57 | |
Mrs Sheryll Murray. | 0:15:57 | 0:16:01 | |
Could my honourable friend tell the House | 0:16:01 | 0:16:04 | |
what discussions he's had with regard to the possibility | 0:16:04 | 0:16:08 | |
of Scotland having to accept joining the euro, | 0:16:08 | 0:16:13 | |
if, as they claim, they want to stay in the European Union? | 0:16:13 | 0:16:16 | |
Well, what I think, in response to the honourable lady's question, | 0:16:16 | 0:16:25 | |
is that clearly the parameters have changed | 0:16:25 | 0:16:30 | |
and if any proposition was put forward for independence | 0:16:30 | 0:16:34 | |
in any prospective further independence referendum, | 0:16:34 | 0:16:37 | |
it would be on quite a different basis than from the 2014 proposition | 0:16:37 | 0:16:42 | |
and, clearly, required membership of the euro might be part of that. | 0:16:42 | 0:16:46 | |
Mr Wayne David. | 0:16:46 | 0:16:48 | |
A close relationship between Scotland | 0:16:48 | 0:16:50 | |
and the European Union is obviously in the best interests of Scotland. | 0:16:50 | 0:16:54 | |
Has the Secretary of State any specific suggestions about how | 0:16:54 | 0:16:57 | |
that relationship might be made real in the future? | 0:16:57 | 0:17:00 | |
'Wayne David is a former member of the Shadow Scottish election team, | 0:17:00 | 0:17:05 | |
'Labour's team. He too resigned last week. | 0:17:05 | 0:17:08 | |
'He's now the Member for Caerphilly in Wales.' | 0:17:08 | 0:17:10 | |
..with the Scottish Government and the UK Government | 0:17:10 | 0:17:13 | |
working as closely as they possibly can together. | 0:17:13 | 0:17:17 | |
That's the way in which we're going to get | 0:17:17 | 0:17:19 | |
the best possible arrangements for Scotland. | 0:17:19 | 0:17:21 | |
That's the message from business leaders that I met yesterday, | 0:17:21 | 0:17:25 | |
that we need a Team UK approach to get that deal for Scotland. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:29 | |
Helen Hayes. | 0:17:29 | 0:17:30 | |
Question number seven, Mr Speaker. | 0:17:30 | 0:17:33 | |
Mr Speaker, I am committed to working with the Scottish Government | 0:17:35 | 0:17:38 | |
to ensure a safe and secure transfer of welfare powers. | 0:17:38 | 0:17:42 | |
I met with Scottish ministers | 0:17:42 | 0:17:44 | |
in the Joint Ministerial Working Group On Welfare on 16th June. | 0:17:44 | 0:17:48 | |
We had a constructive meeting | 0:17:48 | 0:17:49 | |
and issued a joint communique about our discussions. | 0:17:49 | 0:17:52 | |
-Helen Hayes. -Thank you, Mr Speaker. | 0:17:54 | 0:17:55 | |
What assurances can the Secretary of State give | 0:17:55 | 0:17:58 | |
that Scotland will be no worse off | 0:17:58 | 0:17:59 | |
with the devolution of new Social Security powers? | 0:17:59 | 0:18:02 | |
Mr Speaker, I certainly hope that individuals within Scotland will be | 0:18:03 | 0:18:10 | |
no worse off, but, inevitably, what the devolution of these powers | 0:18:10 | 0:18:15 | |
means is very specific decisions about their use will be made | 0:18:15 | 0:18:20 | |
by the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government | 0:18:20 | 0:18:23 | |
and the amount of certain payments, | 0:18:23 | 0:18:25 | |
the shape and nature of certain payments, | 0:18:25 | 0:18:27 | |
will be matters for them. | 0:18:27 | 0:18:29 | |
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck. | 0:18:29 | 0:18:31 | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can the Secretary of State give an update | 0:18:31 | 0:18:33 | |
on discussions regarding the devolution | 0:18:33 | 0:18:36 | |
of the Social Fund Funeral Payments? | 0:18:36 | 0:18:40 | |
Mr Speaker, what I can say is that I'm hoping to move forward | 0:18:42 | 0:18:46 | |
with a commencement order in relation to those powers before | 0:18:46 | 0:18:52 | |
this Parliament goes into recess, which would effectively mean | 0:18:52 | 0:18:56 | |
the transfer of the arrangements to the Scottish Government. | 0:18:56 | 0:19:00 | |
Margaret Ferrier. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:02 | |
Mr Speaker, I have asked the Scottish Secretary twice now | 0:19:02 | 0:19:06 | |
by written question when he last visited a food bank. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:10 | |
The answer has been the same on both occasions. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
He has not visited a food bank in his capacity | 0:19:13 | 0:19:15 | |
as Secretary of State for Scotland. | 0:19:15 | 0:19:18 | |
So, today, will he agree to visit a food bank, with me, | 0:19:18 | 0:19:21 | |
in my constituency, so that he can see first-hand the devastating | 0:19:21 | 0:19:25 | |
effects of Tory sanctions and welfare policy? | 0:19:25 | 0:19:28 | |
Mr...Speaker, | 0:19:30 | 0:19:32 | |
the honourable lady is very well aware | 0:19:32 | 0:19:35 | |
that I have visited a food bank and know the issues that surround them. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:41 | |
-David Anderson. -Thank you, Mr Speaker. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:46 | |
The agreement between the United Kingdom | 0:19:46 | 0:19:48 | |
and Scottish governments | 0:19:48 | 0:19:49 | |
set out exactly how the new Scottish welfare budget would be agreed. | 0:19:49 | 0:19:54 | |
Can the Secretary of State explain what would happen in the event | 0:19:54 | 0:19:58 | |
of the UK Government abolishing a specific benefit | 0:19:58 | 0:20:01 | |
which has been devolved to Scotland? | 0:20:01 | 0:20:03 | |
In that circumstance, will the Scottish Government | 0:20:03 | 0:20:06 | |
retain the budget or will they lose it? | 0:20:06 | 0:20:08 | |
Secretary of State. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:10 | |
Mr Speaker, | 0:20:10 | 0:20:12 | |
the financial arrangements for the transfer of powers were dealt with | 0:20:12 | 0:20:18 | |
in the fiscal framework in which that circumstance was contemplated. | 0:20:18 | 0:20:24 | |
There are two sets of benefits, which are subject to transfer. | 0:20:24 | 0:20:28 | |
One are benefits for which the Scottish Government will have full responsibility | 0:20:28 | 0:20:32 | |
and therefore can shape or make a new benefit or change the benefits. | 0:20:32 | 0:20:37 | |
Other benefits, other powers relate to top ups of existing UK benefits. | 0:20:37 | 0:20:42 | |
Clearly, if an existing UK benefit didn't exist then the power | 0:20:42 | 0:20:45 | |
to top it up would not exist, | 0:20:45 | 0:20:47 | |
but the power to create an equivalent might well do. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:50 | |
Mr Alistair Carmichael. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:51 | |
'And this is a question about the contribution of women to the | 0:20:51 | 0:20:54 | |
'Scottish economy.' Minister Anna Soubry. | 0:20:54 | 0:20:57 | |
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. | 0:20:57 | 0:20:58 | |
Can I thank my right honourable friend, of course, | 0:20:58 | 0:21:01 | |
who originally commissioned the Sawers report? | 0:21:01 | 0:21:04 | |
The Government has published its response. | 0:21:04 | 0:21:06 | |
What I can say is that a new ministerial group, | 0:21:06 | 0:21:09 | |
now that we have had the elections in May, | 0:21:09 | 0:21:12 | |
is being put together from all the various administrations | 0:21:12 | 0:21:15 | |
across the United Kingdom with the equalities minister, | 0:21:15 | 0:21:19 | |
my honourable friend, the member for Gosport, | 0:21:19 | 0:21:21 | |
so that we can now make progress. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:23 | |
But the gender pay gap, Mr Speaker, | 0:21:23 | 0:21:25 | |
is of course diminishing to an all-time record low. | 0:21:25 | 0:21:28 | |
'And this question is being answered by the business minister, Anna Soubry.' | 0:21:28 | 0:21:31 | |
I thank the minister for that answer. | 0:21:31 | 0:21:33 | |
As we tackle the economic challenges facing | 0:21:33 | 0:21:35 | |
Scotland as a result of Brexit, | 0:21:35 | 0:21:38 | |
removing barriers to the full economic contribution of | 0:21:38 | 0:21:42 | |
women to Scotland's economy becomes more important than ever. | 0:21:42 | 0:21:46 | |
Professor Sawers' report offers the Government a roadmap for that. | 0:21:46 | 0:21:50 | |
Will she ensure that somebody in the Scotland Office blows | 0:21:50 | 0:21:53 | |
the dust off it and actually implements some of the very | 0:21:53 | 0:21:57 | |
good solid recommendations that are contained in it? | 0:21:57 | 0:22:00 | |
As I say, it is a very good report. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:02 | |
What is absolutely critical is, of course, is that everybody | 0:22:02 | 0:22:05 | |
works together. | 0:22:05 | 0:22:06 | |
And, of course, we now have a situation where the | 0:22:06 | 0:22:09 | |
Scottish Parliament actually has more devolved powers, | 0:22:09 | 0:22:13 | |
specifically to look at and address the problems of gender | 0:22:13 | 0:22:16 | |
equality, which, of course, includes any disadvantage for women. | 0:22:16 | 0:22:20 | |
-Tom Pursglove. -Number Ten, Mr Speaker. | 0:22:21 | 0:22:24 | |
Minister Soubry. | 0:22:24 | 0:22:25 | |
'And this is a question about the steel industry in Scotland.' | 0:22:25 | 0:22:28 | |
..the plant at Dalziel for the handover for both the Dalziel | 0:22:28 | 0:22:32 | |
and the Clyderidge plant from Tata to the Liberty Group | 0:22:32 | 0:22:36 | |
and I think the prospects, on the basis that we continue with | 0:22:36 | 0:22:39 | |
the excellent work, working together for the prospects for the steel | 0:22:39 | 0:22:42 | |
industry in Scotland, must be good. | 0:22:42 | 0:22:45 | |
-I'm going to be positive about its future. -Tom Pursglove. | 0:22:45 | 0:22:48 | |
I thank the Minister for that encouraging answer. | 0:22:48 | 0:22:51 | |
And what discussions is she having with both the First Minister | 0:22:51 | 0:22:54 | |
and other Government departments to make sure that the Scottish | 0:22:54 | 0:22:57 | |
industry, steel industry, receives all the help and support it needs? | 0:22:57 | 0:23:01 | |
Well, of course, we do work together, hand in glove - | 0:23:01 | 0:23:04 | |
I think that's very important. | 0:23:04 | 0:23:06 | |
It's also important to realise that the steel Council, | 0:23:06 | 0:23:09 | |
which this Government has established, | 0:23:09 | 0:23:11 | |
has a member, well, in fact, has more than one member, | 0:23:11 | 0:23:14 | |
a number of representatives from the Scottish | 0:23:14 | 0:23:16 | |
and indeed the Welsh governments as part and parcel of it. | 0:23:16 | 0:23:19 | |
So, together, we can make sure that throughout | 0:23:19 | 0:23:21 | |
the United Kingdom we have a strong and sustainable steel industry. | 0:23:21 | 0:23:26 | |
-Mr Peter Bone. -Mr Speaker, would the Minister welcome the fact that, | 0:23:26 | 0:23:30 | |
now we have Brexit, it would be better for and helpful for the | 0:23:30 | 0:23:34 | |
British Steel industry, including the steel industry in Scotland? | 0:23:34 | 0:23:37 | |
It's a good day that we've come out. Wouldn't the Minister welcome it? | 0:23:37 | 0:23:40 | |
'Peter Bone is the Conservative MP for Wellingborough.' | 0:23:40 | 0:23:43 | |
Mr Speaker, what I would say is this - | 0:23:43 | 0:23:45 | |
I think we now, all of us, have to work together, however we voted, | 0:23:45 | 0:23:49 | |
whatever our views were, come together to make sure that we | 0:23:49 | 0:23:53 | |
now do the very best for our country, | 0:23:53 | 0:23:56 | |
But we should be under no illusions whatsoever we are facing some | 0:23:56 | 0:24:01 | |
very big challenges. | 0:24:01 | 0:24:02 | |
Some very difficult, not just days, months and years. | 0:24:02 | 0:24:05 | |
But coming together, putting the past behind us, | 0:24:05 | 0:24:08 | |
that's what's important now. | 0:24:08 | 0:24:10 | |
Sir Henry Bellingham. | 0:24:10 | 0:24:12 | |
'And this is a question from the Conservative MP about small businesses.' | 0:24:12 | 0:24:15 | |
Mr Speaker, indeed procurement has been an important | 0:24:15 | 0:24:19 | |
part of the Government's work | 0:24:19 | 0:24:20 | |
and what I can say is we are determined to deliver our target | 0:24:20 | 0:24:23 | |
of central departments spending 33% of budgets with SMEs by 2020 | 0:24:23 | 0:24:29 | |
and, so far, the last set of results showed | 0:24:29 | 0:24:31 | |
-we were increasing it to 27.1%. -Bellingham. | 0:24:31 | 0:24:35 | |
I'm very grateful to the Minister for that reply. | 0:24:35 | 0:24:38 | |
Does she agree with me that, | 0:24:38 | 0:24:39 | |
rather than setting specific percentage targets on small business | 0:24:39 | 0:24:43 | |
procurement, the Scottish Government should follow best | 0:24:43 | 0:24:46 | |
practices in counties like Norfolk | 0:24:46 | 0:24:48 | |
and also work in really close cooperation with the UK Government? | 0:24:48 | 0:24:54 | |
The short answer, which I know you enjoy, Mr Speaker, | 0:24:56 | 0:24:59 | |
is an emphatic yes. | 0:24:59 | 0:25:02 | |
-Alan Mak. -Question 15, Speaker. | 0:25:03 | 0:25:07 | |
'And this is a question about the North Sea oil and gas industry.' | 0:25:07 | 0:25:10 | |
Mr Speaker, the 2015 budget, | 0:25:18 | 0:25:21 | |
the Government introduced a 1.3 billion package of tax | 0:25:21 | 0:25:24 | |
measures to help our oil and gas industry, and today I'm | 0:25:24 | 0:25:27 | |
launching the IMG's oil...that's Inter-Ministerial Group's oil and | 0:25:27 | 0:25:32 | |
gas workforce plan, setting out how we can retain talent in this sector. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:39 | |
-Opportunities for workers in other sectors. -Alan Mak. | 0:25:39 | 0:25:44 | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. North Sea oil and gas supports a range of | 0:25:44 | 0:25:47 | |
supply chain partners including businesses on the south coast. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:49 | |
Will the Minister continue to support those businesses | 0:25:49 | 0:25:52 | |
-as they diversify by exporting their expertise? -Minister. | 0:25:52 | 0:25:56 | |
Well, again, in short, yes, | 0:25:56 | 0:25:57 | |
because we fully understand the difficulties in the oil | 0:25:57 | 0:25:59 | |
and gas sector at the moment and that's why we've done this report. | 0:25:59 | 0:26:03 | |
I think, again, by working together, we can improve the lot, | 0:26:03 | 0:26:07 | |
but these are difficult times for the oil and gas sector. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:09 | |
Extremely grateful to the minister and to the honourable | 0:26:09 | 0:26:14 | |
gentleman who posed the question succinctly but comprehensively, | 0:26:14 | 0:26:19 | |
succinctly but comprehensively answered by the minister. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:22 | |
Well, I'm afraid that's all we've got time for at the moment. | 0:26:22 | 0:26:25 | |
Because of the upcoming summer break here at Westminster, the next | 0:26:25 | 0:26:29 | |
Scottish Questions won't be until Wednesday, 12 October, | 0:26:29 | 0:26:33 | |
so do put that in your diary and join us if you can. | 0:26:33 | 0:26:37 | |
Who knows? By then we will have a new Prime Minister | 0:26:37 | 0:26:40 | |
and who knows what else might have happened in UK politics? | 0:26:40 | 0:26:43 | |
But for now, from all of us here at Westminster, | 0:26:43 | 0:26:45 | |
goodbye and have a very enjoyable summer. | 0:26:45 | 0:26:48 |