Browse content similar to 09/11/2011. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Hello, ain't very warm welcome to Westminster for November's Scottish | :00:21. | :00:24. | |
Questions. Some pretty familiar themes on the order paper for MPs | :00:24. | :00:29. | |
today. Renewable energy, the constitutional question and the | :00:29. | :00:36. | |
economy. Also some changes, Labour has a new Scotland team in the | :00:36. | :00:40. | |
Commons and we will see how they got on. Proceedings got under way | :00:40. | :00:44. | |
with a question from Russell Brown, a specific question about what can | :00:44. | :00:51. | |
be done to help the construction industry in Scotland. Order, | :00:51. | :00:55. | |
questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland. Mr Russell Brown? | :00:55. | :01:00. | |
Question number one. A with permission, I will answer one and | :01:00. | :01:02. | |
seven together. I recognise the vital role that the construction | :01:02. | :01:06. | |
industry plays at the Scottish and UK economy. The plan for growth | :01:06. | :01:10. | |
includes a wide range of measures to support the industry across the | :01:10. | :01:15. | |
UK. I have regular discussions with Scottish ministers on these and | :01:15. | :01:19. | |
other matters of importance to the Scottish economy. Can I say to the | :01:19. | :01:22. | |
Secretary of State, his minister and I have one thing in common. We | :01:22. | :01:27. | |
still have construction workers that remain unemployed after | :01:27. | :01:32. | |
Aberdeen Construction went into administration. Does he recognise | :01:32. | :01:35. | |
that throughout the UK, and especially in Scotland, that there | :01:35. | :01:37. | |
are far too many unemployed construction workers that are | :01:37. | :01:42. | |
desperate to get back to work? He does need to encourage the Scottish | :01:42. | :01:48. | |
government to stimulate that sector. I quite agree with the Honourable | :01:48. | :01:51. | |
Gentleman that we should take all of the appropriate measures to get | :01:51. | :01:55. | |
the economy on the right footing. As he will appreciate, we have a | :01:55. | :01:58. | |
big challenge clearing up the mess left behind by the previous | :01:58. | :02:02. | |
government, and in the context of the challenging situation in the | :02:02. | :02:06. | |
eurozone. We are determined, through a credible deficit plan and | :02:06. | :02:09. | |
strong economy, to get construction and other sectors in the right | :02:09. | :02:15. | |
place. The Secretary of State may be aware that there is a major | :02:15. | :02:18. | |
lobby today of construction workers throughout the UK, many from | :02:18. | :02:25. | |
Scotland. They are concerned about a proposal by six national | :02:25. | :02:27. | |
construction companies to change the national agreement for | :02:27. | :02:31. | |
electricians. Given what is going on in Scotland, next time he meets | :02:31. | :02:35. | |
with the First Minister could he remind him of the excellent work | :02:35. | :02:39. | |
done in both parliaments in terms of providing a quality partnership? | :02:39. | :02:43. | |
These proposals could undermine all of that good work. I certainly | :02:43. | :02:47. | |
agree that it is vitally important that the UK government and Scottish | :02:47. | :02:51. | |
government worked together. Whether it is on terms and conditions or | :02:51. | :02:56. | |
the general state of the economy, that is really important. We, as | :02:56. | :02:59. | |
the UK government, have taken important steps to support the | :02:59. | :03:04. | |
Scottish government with the economy. Is my right honourable | :03:04. | :03:07. | |
friend aware of the considerable construction activity that is | :03:07. | :03:15. | |
taking place prior to deployment of Marine Energy in the Pentland Firth, | :03:15. | :03:17. | |
particularly in the harbour? What more can the Government do to | :03:17. | :03:20. | |
ensure that the right infrastructure is constructed now | :03:20. | :03:24. | |
so that we benefit from the opportunity of marine energy in the | :03:24. | :03:28. | |
future? As my Honourable Friend will be aware, through all our plan | :03:29. | :03:34. | |
for growth, which is setting out the important basis on which we | :03:34. | :03:37. | |
support the economy through these difficult times, cut in corporation | :03:37. | :03:41. | |
tax, reducing the burden of income tax and the national insurance | :03:41. | :03:47. | |
burden, a huge investment in Marine renewables, reforming the market, | :03:47. | :03:51. | |
we are laying the foundations for that important sector to develop. I | :03:51. | :03:55. | |
think it is very important that we don't have a undermined by the | :03:55. | :04:00. | |
uncertainty that an independence referendum is causing in Scotland. | :04:00. | :04:04. | |
If a competitive tax position is vital for the construction sector | :04:04. | :04:07. | |
and the Scottish economy, which is why the Scottish government is | :04:07. | :04:12. | |
calling for devolution of corporation tax powers. Will the | :04:12. | :04:15. | |
Secretary of State confirm that the UK government is actively | :04:15. | :04:18. | |
considering the devolution of corporation tax to Northern | :04:18. | :04:22. | |
Ireland? The Honourable Gentleman knows full well that we have had a | :04:22. | :04:25. | |
consultation about corporation tax devolution to Northern Ireland. We | :04:25. | :04:31. | |
are reviewing the responses to that. I wish we could say the same about | :04:31. | :04:36. | |
the Scottish government's proposals. We have asked a series of | :04:36. | :04:39. | |
fundamental questions about them which have gone unanswered. We have | :04:39. | :04:43. | |
yet to see the consultation responses. I suggest that the | :04:43. | :04:47. | |
Honourable Gentleman asks the First Minister to get on with that. | :04:48. | :04:50. | |
Secretary of State has taken the opportunity in the past to say that | :04:50. | :04:54. | |
the UK government will consider the devolution of corporation tax | :04:54. | :04:59. | |
powers to Scotland. However, an adviser to the Northern Ireland | :04:59. | :05:02. | |
Secretary confirmed in evidence to the Scottish parliament that the UK | :05:02. | :05:06. | |
government has already ruled out the devolution of corporation tax | :05:06. | :05:10. | |
under any circumstances. Both statements cannot be true, so which | :05:11. | :05:16. | |
one is? We have said that we want to consider any ballot proposals | :05:16. | :05:20. | |
brought forward by the Scottish government. However, they have to | :05:20. | :05:25. | |
establish some credible position, some detail, maintain the consensus | :05:26. | :05:29. | |
across the parties and make sure there is not a detriment, not just | :05:29. | :05:34. | |
to Scotland, but to the rest of the UK. So far, the SNP and the First | :05:34. | :05:40. | |
Minister had failed to deliver the details. Margaret Curran. The new | :05:40. | :05:48. | |
Scottish Secretary. Ken Knight return to the construction industry | :05:49. | :05:53. | |
and ask about the specific concerns, where 10,000 jobs have been lost | :05:53. | :05:55. | |
this year and the number of Scottish companies facing | :05:55. | :06:01. | |
bankruptcy have risen by 135% in the last two years. With this in | :06:01. | :06:06. | |
mind, will the Minister support Labour's call, and that of the | :06:06. | :06:12. | |
Scottish Building Federation, for a one-year cut in VAT to 5%, a | :06:12. | :06:15. | |
specific action to help boost the construction industry and get the | :06:15. | :06:21. | |
Scottish economy moving again? First of all, Mr Speaker, may I | :06:22. | :06:24. | |
welcome the honourable lady to her position? Without wishing her too | :06:24. | :06:29. | |
much success in it, if I may say so. She brings a great deal of | :06:29. | :06:35. | |
experience to this house. I look forward to our encounters. We have | :06:35. | :06:39. | |
heard the Labour Party's proposals for reducing VAT. When it was last | :06:39. | :06:46. | |
done, it didn't deliver what was hoped. I have to tell her, as we | :06:46. | :06:49. | |
are seeing a cross in the eurozone at the moment, you cannot borrow | :06:49. | :06:53. | |
your way out of a debt crisis. You have to have a credible plan and | :06:53. | :07:00. | |
you have to deliver on it. That is what we are doing. Can I thank the | :07:00. | :07:05. | |
Secretary of State for his kind opening remarks? I look forward to | :07:05. | :07:08. | |
robust debates and work in the years to come. But that is an | :07:08. | :07:16. | |
inadequate answer. The failed policies of this government mean we | :07:16. | :07:21. | |
will borrow more command not reduce the debt. In reality, Scots are | :07:21. | :07:25. | |
facing a double whammy from this Tory-led government cutting too far | :07:25. | :07:33. | |
and too fast. From an SNP government, presiding over cuts to | :07:33. | :07:37. | |
capital spending. In fact, Scotland is now in the midst of a crisis, a | :07:37. | :07:44. | |
jobs and growth crisis. If he will not follow Labour's 5 point plan to | :07:44. | :07:48. | |
boost jobs in Scotland, what specific action will this | :07:48. | :07:52. | |
government taking Scotland, for Scotland, to get our economy moving | :07:52. | :07:56. | |
again? The Honourable Lady cannot skip so lightly away from the mess | :07:56. | :08:01. | |
we inherited from her previous government, where we inherited the | :08:01. | :08:05. | |
highest deficit in peacetime history. We were borrowing �1 in | :08:05. | :08:11. | |
every four that we spend. It was not a sustainable position. It is | :08:11. | :08:14. | |
vital that we keep to our credible deficit reduction plan and deliver | :08:14. | :08:18. | |
on the plan for growth, which has cut in corporation tax, maintaining | :08:18. | :08:22. | |
low interest rates and reducing regulatory and national insurance | :08:22. | :08:26. | |
mergers. As far as Scotland is concerned, I agree that a tax hike | :08:26. | :08:30. | |
from the Scottish government in the spending review is bad for business. | :08:30. | :08:35. | |
They must acknowledge that we have helped on pre-payments, we have | :08:35. | :08:38. | |
helped with the availability of land from the MoD. Dad are many | :08:38. | :08:43. | |
ways in which we are helping the Scottish government. Kevin Brennan. | :08:44. | :08:48. | |
STUDIO: This is a question about the threshold for votes in a | :08:48. | :08:51. | |
referendum. The Government has no such policy. | :08:51. | :08:54. | |
The Scottish government has said it will bring forward proposals for a | :08:54. | :09:00. | |
referendum. We urge them to end the delay and uncertainty by doing so. | :09:00. | :09:04. | |
Whenever there is a referendum, the United Kingdom government will make | :09:04. | :09:08. | |
the case for a prosperous Scotland in the UK. Shouldn't any referendum | :09:08. | :09:13. | |
that has profound implications for Northern Ireland, Wales, England | :09:13. | :09:18. | |
and Scotland itself involve a clear and straightforward tries between | :09:18. | :09:23. | |
remaining in the UK and separation, and not muddy the waters with what | :09:23. | :09:28. | |
my Honourable Friend has called, I can't believe it's not independence | :09:28. | :09:31. | |
option? The Honourable Gentleman makes a very fair point. Perhaps it | :09:31. | :09:35. | |
is not a great surprise, after the BBC poll at the weekend showed | :09:35. | :09:39. | |
barely a quarter of Scots in favour of independence, it is maybe no | :09:39. | :09:43. | |
surprise that the SNP are taking Scotland for granted and running | :09:43. | :09:47. | |
away from an independent poll. It is creating uncertainty, that is | :09:47. | :09:52. | |
damaging for business. Let's have a clear question and get on with it. | :09:52. | :09:55. | |
In considering Scottish independence, has the Secretary of | :09:55. | :10:00. | |
State seen recent legal advice that states that an independent Scotland | :10:00. | :10:03. | |
would either be outside the European Union, and therefore lose | :10:03. | :10:07. | |
EU funding and access to free markets, or be required to join the | :10:07. | :10:12. | |
euro as a new accession state? Does he agree with me that it is further | :10:12. | :10:15. | |
evidence that breaking up the United Kingdom would be bad for the | :10:16. | :10:22. | |
people of Scotland? STUDIO: Eleanor Laing is the MP for Epping Forest, | :10:22. | :10:26. | |
in Essex. The idea that the SNP could take for granted that | :10:26. | :10:30. | |
Scotland would enter the European Union without negotiation or | :10:30. | :10:34. | |
consideration to these kinds of issues is entirely fanciful. We | :10:34. | :10:37. | |
need to get that sorted out. It is part of the uncertainty that needs | :10:37. | :10:44. | |
to be resolved, sooner rather than later. On 8th May, the Scottish | :10:44. | :10:49. | |
Secretary ruled out a 40% rule in a rigged referendum. He also said it | :10:49. | :10:52. | |
was entirely a matter for the Scottish government and he would | :10:52. | :10:55. | |
not be raising constitutional questions regarding a referendum on | :10:55. | :11:02. | |
that matter. Does he stand by that? I don't think we should take any | :11:02. | :11:06. | |
lessons on rigged referendums from the party opposite! They are | :11:06. | :11:09. | |
determined not to have a straightforward referendum about | :11:09. | :11:13. | |
the whole reason they exist, to make Scotland independent, but to | :11:13. | :11:17. | |
bring other issues in as well. Let's get a straightforward | :11:17. | :11:20. | |
question and end the damaging uncertainty. STUDIO: This is a | :11:20. | :11:24. | |
question about cutting the costs of the Scotland Office. Scotland | :11:25. | :11:28. | |
offers ministers are determined that the Office contributes to the | :11:28. | :11:32. | |
task of reducing the deficit. I and my officials are bearing down hard | :11:32. | :11:37. | |
on administrative costs by a range of administrative measures | :11:37. | :11:41. | |
including sharing resources with other officers and making more | :11:41. | :11:46. | |
efficient use of leasehold property. Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister | :11:46. | :11:50. | |
wants to see small and more effective government. The Secretary | :11:50. | :11:53. | |
of State for Scotland, only last year, called for the abolition of | :11:53. | :11:57. | |
the Scottish Office. Would not the very capable minister be making a | :11:57. | :12:02. | |
career enhancing move if he suggested at the dispatch box now | :12:02. | :12:07. | |
that we abolish the Scottish Office, the Welsh Office and the Office for | :12:07. | :12:13. | |
Northern Ireland and replace it with an office for the union? | :12:14. | :12:21. | |
Absolutely not, Mr Speaker. At this time, when the United Kingdom faces | :12:21. | :12:25. | |
the greatest danger from separatists that it has ever faced, | :12:25. | :12:32. | |
the Scotland Office is a bulwark against independence. Is that what | :12:32. | :12:39. | |
is called cutting the Department to the bone, Mr Speaker? I wonder if | :12:39. | :12:42. | |
the minister will name all of his department? I always remember | :12:42. | :12:46. | |
telling a previous Secretary of State that it must be the only | :12:46. | :12:49. | |
empire in the whole of Westminster where the Secretary of State is | :12:50. | :12:58. | |
able to name all of his staff. Can he? Mr Speaker, I pay tribute to | :12:58. | :13:02. | |
the staff in the Scotland Office. With a small number of staff, we | :13:02. | :13:06. | |
have pursued the Scotland Bill, which is a very significant piece | :13:06. | :13:10. | |
of legislation through this house and into the other place. The | :13:10. | :13:15. | |
Scotland Office has a key role to play as we move forward to preserve | :13:15. | :13:20. | |
Scotland's place in the United Kingdom. STUDIO: This is a question | :13:20. | :13:25. | |
about the benefits of the union to Scotland. Scotland's economic | :13:26. | :13:29. | |
opportunities are larger, our finances are more robust. Our | :13:29. | :13:33. | |
defences are stronger, influence on international stage greater, the | :13:33. | :13:37. | |
welfare system more secure and family ties closer. These are just | :13:37. | :13:42. | |
half a dozen reasons why we are stronger together. Does the | :13:42. | :13:44. | |
Secretary of State agree that, given the tough economic crisis | :13:45. | :13:48. | |
facing small European countries, the worst thing for Scotland would | :13:48. | :13:53. | |
be a small, independent country, dependent on the eurozone, apart | :13:53. | :13:57. | |
from the United Kingdom and the strength that brings? I think my | :13:57. | :14:02. | |
Honourable Friend is absolutely right to highlight the issues that | :14:02. | :14:05. | |
face Scotland if it chooses to be independent. The fact that we | :14:05. | :14:10. | |
cannot go down that process without some very hard-nosed negotiations | :14:10. | :14:13. | |
with European partners, who are facing real difficulties all over | :14:13. | :14:19. | |
the Continent at present. What we need is to get the SNP's plans | :14:19. | :14:25. | |
spelled out, and then let's get on with the referendum. Does the | :14:25. | :14:28. | |
Secretary of State agree that the Social Union, the Commonwealth, the | :14:28. | :14:31. | |
monarchy and the current Queen would be important, whatever | :14:31. | :14:36. | |
constitutional arrangements that Scotland has in the future? This | :14:36. | :14:39. | |
will their independent Canada, New Zealand and Australia, with | :14:39. | :14:47. | |
Scotland being the Queen's 17th independent realm? I understand | :14:47. | :14:51. | |
what the Honourable Gentleman's passion for Scotland's Independent | :14:51. | :14:55. | |
it's his. I wish it was shared by some of those wanting to get on | :14:55. | :15:04. | |
with the debate. What are they My right honourable friend has | :15:04. | :15:08. | |
outlined the benefits to Scotland of its membership of the European | :15:08. | :15:12. | |
Union and the uncertainty which would surround these benefits in | :15:12. | :15:15. | |
the event Scotland was to become independent. Does my right | :15:15. | :15:19. | |
honourable friend agree that it would help to resolve that | :15:19. | :15:21. | |
uncertainty if the Scottish Government would publish the legal | :15:21. | :15:25. | |
advice it has had on this point so that it may contribute properly to | :15:25. | :15:31. | |
the debate? My right honourable and learned friend makes a very | :15:31. | :15:36. | |
important point. The idea that we would somehow simply get membership | :15:36. | :15:39. | |
of the European Union without discussion with complete agreement | :15:39. | :15:42. | |
and without needing to worry about the terms and negotiations is quite | :15:42. | :15:47. | |
fanciful. It's a journey into the unknown. We need to have the detail. | :15:47. | :15:52. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. One of the many benefits associated with the | :15:52. | :15:55. | |
union is the certainty it provides in Scotland's continuing membership | :15:55. | :15:59. | |
of the European Union. Has the Secretary of State seen research | :15:59. | :16:03. | |
that the impartial House of Commons library published yesterday which | :16:03. | :16:06. | |
indicates Scotland might have to go through an accession process to | :16:06. | :16:10. | |
stay in the EU if it became a separate state and that even if | :16:10. | :16:15. | |
accepted as a member state, on the most recent data, net annual | :16:15. | :16:20. | |
contributions to the EU from Scottish taxpayers would rise to | :16:20. | :16:24. | |
�92 per capita compared with only �57 per capita from the rest of the | :16:24. | :16:29. | |
UK? Would it not be contrary to Scotland's national and economic | :16:29. | :16:32. | |
interests to separate from the rest of the UK if that meant Scotland | :16:32. | :16:39. | |
ending up out of the EU or paying more to stay in the EU and only if | :16:39. | :16:46. | |
it adopted the euro? These new Shadow Scotland Minister. May I | :16:46. | :16:52. | |
welcome the honourable gentleman to his new role. I am delighted he's | :16:52. | :16:57. | |
put his point across. I agree with him, the uncertainty this cause. | :16:57. | :17:01. | |
This is a question about energy prices in Scotland. I recently | :17:01. | :17:05. | |
discussed this issue with OFGEM and other key stake holders at the | :17:05. | :17:14. | |
summit in Bathgate on October 20. This Government is determined to | :17:14. | :17:19. | |
reduce energy bills. I welcome this. The right honourable gentleman's | :17:19. | :17:27. | |
government is wanting to put a bonfire under quangos, so how does | :17:27. | :17:36. | |
OFGEM's chairman's �200,000 a year salary set with not drawing above | :17:36. | :17:41. | |
the Prime Minister's own salary? We're talking about energy prices | :17:41. | :17:45. | |
rather than salaries, but I am sure the talents of the Secretary of | :17:45. | :17:49. | |
State will allow him to remain in order. Secretary of State. I am | :17:49. | :17:53. | |
delighted to say to the honourable gentleman he's right - I recognise | :17:53. | :17:57. | |
his long-standing concerns on all of these issue, salaries, but also | :17:57. | :18:00. | |
energy prices. That's why our proposals to simplify, help people | :18:00. | :18:04. | |
to switch and get greater transparency in their bills and all | :18:05. | :18:11. | |
the other reforms introduced by OFGEM are crucial. Thank you, Mr | :18:11. | :18:14. | |
Speaker. One of the key groups of customers facing high energy prices | :18:14. | :18:19. | |
this year are those not on the gas main who heat their homes with oil, | :18:19. | :18:24. | |
LPG and other fuels. OFGEM sadly at the moment do not have a remit for | :18:24. | :18:29. | |
them. Will he discuss with the Secretary of State for Energy and | :18:29. | :18:33. | |
Climate Change whether there is any way those suppliers can be made to | :18:33. | :18:38. | |
engage with their consumers who are vulnerable in the same way mains | :18:38. | :18:43. | |
gas semiers have to? I know my colleagues in the Energy and | :18:43. | :18:45. | |
Climate Change department will be meeting to discuss this in the next | :18:45. | :18:48. | |
few weeks. I think my right honourable friend is right to | :18:48. | :18:52. | |
highlight this issue. I look forward to picking it up with him | :18:52. | :18:55. | |
at some point in the near future. Following on for that the Secretary | :18:55. | :19:01. | |
of State for DEC sent around a letter yesterday promoting the | :19:01. | :19:06. | |
Government's policy of checks which insulate. How does he suggest off- | :19:06. | :19:10. | |
grid customers with either check or switch when in many areas there is | :19:11. | :19:15. | |
a virtual monopoly of home fuel oil? There are far too many private | :19:15. | :19:18. | |
conversations taking place in the chamber. We need to hear the | :19:18. | :19:22. | |
Secretary of State. As I say, in answer to the question from my | :19:22. | :19:26. | |
honourable friend, these are issues which we want to discuss and I | :19:26. | :19:29. | |
recognise representing a big rural area without gas grid access that | :19:29. | :19:33. | |
this is an important issue. I am happy to discuss it with him too. | :19:33. | :19:38. | |
This is a question about a report from the Electoral Commission into | :19:38. | :19:45. | |
the Scottish Parliamentry commission. | :19:45. | :19:50. | |
- was voter focused. Given the Scottish Commission didn't complain | :19:50. | :19:52. | |
about the Electoral Commission being involved in the elections, | :19:52. | :19:57. | |
doesn't he think it's odd they now want to set up their own | :19:57. | :20:01. | |
independent commission on the referendum? Mr Speaker, I agree | :20:01. | :20:04. | |
with my honourable friend given that the SNP had no complaint about | :20:04. | :20:07. | |
the Electoral Commission's involvement in the Scottish | :20:07. | :20:12. | |
Parliament election and the AV referendum at great tax to the | :20:12. | :20:15. | |
taxpayer, they intend to set up their own commission to oversee the | :20:15. | :20:18. | |
referendum. No wonder so many people are speculating that is an | :20:18. | :20:24. | |
attempt to rig that referendum. Will the Minister be meeting the | :20:24. | :20:30. | |
Electoral Commission in Scotland on the 30th of November, or will he, | :20:30. | :20:32. | |
like me, be supporting the public sector strike against Tory cuts and | :20:32. | :20:39. | |
pensions? What I do welcome is that the honourable gentleman, as | :20:39. | :20:45. | |
convener of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee brought it before | :20:45. | :20:48. | |
his committee and will provide valuable evidence in the debate on | :20:48. | :20:52. | |
the role that they should play in any referendum. | :20:52. | :20:55. | |
THE SPEAKER: Mr Ian Stuart. Thank you, Mr Speaker is my right | :20:55. | :20:59. | |
honourable friend aware of any recommendation in that report about | :20:59. | :21:04. | |
changing the electorate in Scotland in the same way the Scottish | :21:04. | :21:06. | |
Government wants to gerrymander the electorate for their independence | :21:07. | :21:13. | |
referendum? Despite the accept, Ian Stuart is the Conservative MP for | :21:13. | :21:17. | |
Milton Keynes South. The Electoral Commission report that my right | :21:17. | :21:21. | |
honourable friend is correct to highlight those issues causing such | :21:21. | :21:24. | |
uncertainty in relation to the Scottish separatists' referendum, | :21:24. | :21:30. | |
namely, the franchise, the question and the timing. | :21:30. | :21:33. | |
THE SPEAKER: Order. I appeal to the House to come to order and listen | :21:33. | :21:39. | |
to Mr Frank Doran. This is a question about carbon capture in | :21:39. | :21:43. | |
the north-east of Scotland. My most recent meeting with the Secretary | :21:43. | :21:49. | |
of State for Energy and Climate Change was in October. Although it | :21:49. | :21:53. | |
wasn't possible to reach a deal, the Government remains firmly | :21:53. | :21:59. | |
committed to carbon capture and storage. I welcome the �1 billion | :21:59. | :22:06. | |
of funding will be made available for future projects. Given that in | :22:06. | :22:10. | |
the '80s we refused to invest in wind power and threw away the lead | :22:10. | :22:16. | |
we had in renewables, is this government going to make the same | :22:16. | :22:21. | |
mistake in the carbon capture? don't agree with the honourable | :22:21. | :22:25. | |
gentleman on that, but I do agree with him that we're determined to | :22:25. | :22:29. | |
see Britain take a leading role in this important technology. That's | :22:29. | :22:35. | |
why the �1 billion of investment is still available and why Peter Head | :22:35. | :22:40. | |
-- Peterhead and other parts of the UK will be able to bid for it. | :22:40. | :22:43. | |
Speaker, I hope the Secretary of State will welcome the announcement | :22:43. | :22:46. | |
by Scottish and Southern Energy this morning and Shell that they're | :22:46. | :22:50. | |
bringing the project to Peterhead one step closer. What assurances | :22:50. | :22:54. | |
can the Secretary of State give us that that project will not be | :22:55. | :22:59. | |
shelved like the last Peterhead project from the last government | :22:59. | :23:05. | |
and that we will see this investment to the place where - | :23:05. | :23:09. | |
THE SPEAKER: Minister - Can I say to her in a week when we have seen | :23:09. | :23:12. | |
a major international bank talk about the uncertainty of | :23:12. | :23:17. | |
independence and the impact that's having on renewables investment in | :23:17. | :23:24. | |
Scotland, I don't think we'll take lessons from the SNP about this. As | :23:24. | :23:30. | |
I said to the gentleman, it is vitally important Peterhead and | :23:30. | :23:34. | |
others come available with their bids. There is �1 billion to help | :23:34. | :23:39. | |
them. This is a question about the Common | :23:39. | :23:46. | |
fisheries policy. I have frequent discussions with the Cabinet | :23:46. | :23:51. | |
Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, including a meeting | :23:51. | :24:01. | |
last week on the Common Fisheries Policy and other matters. | :24:01. | :24:06. | |
THE SPEAKER: Macintosh. Order! It's very unfair to the member asking | :24:06. | :24:09. | |
the question, and indeed the Minister answering it. Let's have a | :24:10. | :24:14. | |
bit of order. Ms Ann Macintosh. Does the Minister agree that the | :24:14. | :24:19. | |
direction in which the negotiations on fisheries are going are entirely | :24:19. | :24:24. | |
in the interests of the Scottish and UK fisheries to end discards | :24:24. | :24:31. | |
and to allow for regional fisheries agreements going forward? I do | :24:31. | :24:34. | |
indeed agree with the honourable lady, as I agree with Bertie | :24:35. | :24:38. | |
Armstrong, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Fisheries Federation, | :24:39. | :24:43. | |
who stated in his evidence to her Select Committee that the UK should | :24:43. | :24:49. | |
speak with one voice in fisheries negotiations. How many | :24:49. | :24:54. | |
conversations has he had with the fisheries commission to make sure | :24:54. | :24:59. | |
they're not taken advantage by multinationals to use the UK as a | :24:59. | :25:03. | |
flag of convenience? A I am sure the Minister will have understood | :25:03. | :25:07. | |
the point that the honourable lady is making and she, like me, will | :25:07. | :25:11. | |
welcome the fact there will be a backbench committee debate on | :25:11. | :25:15. | |
fisheries next week. This is a question about unemployment in | :25:15. | :25:18. | |
Scotland. Mr Speaker, my right honourable friend, the Secretary of | :25:18. | :25:23. | |
State, and I are in regular contact about unemployment in Scotland with | :25:23. | :25:28. | |
John sweenny, the Scottish Minister responsible for employment matters. | :25:28. | :25:31. | |
Scottish Government agencies have been involved in all the employment | :25:32. | :25:35. | |
seminars. My right honourable friend, the Secretary of State, has | :25:35. | :25:41. | |
held over the past six months. the Minister tell the people of my | :25:41. | :25:48. | |
constituency who have lost their jobs since he got his job - is | :25:48. | :25:52. | |
unemployment a price worth paying for a deficit reduction plan that | :25:52. | :25:57. | |
is choking off growth and raising Government debt? Well, I can | :25:57. | :26:00. | |
certainly tell the honourable lady to be slightly less predictable, | :26:00. | :26:09. | |
and I can also tell her to finally take some responsibility for the | :26:09. | :26:13. | |
situation which her Government left this country in with the biggest | :26:13. | :26:20. | |
peacetime deficit in our history. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Unemployment | :26:20. | :26:25. | |
could be reduced if the community bid to take over the former RAS and | :26:25. | :26:27. | |
PROBLEM WITH SOUND Goes ahead. I hope the Ministry of | :26:27. | :26:30. | |
Defence will make a contribution towards making the water supply fit | :26:30. | :26:34. | |
for purpose so the communities bid is viable. Will the Minister please | :26:34. | :26:38. | |
have a word with the Ministry of Defence to encourage them to do so? | :26:39. | :26:42. | |
Mr Speaker, I am happy to meet with my honourable friend and take | :26:42. | :26:47. | |
forward his concerns with the Ministry of Defence. To take | :26:47. | :26:51. | |
responsibility for something his Government has done. This morning | :26:51. | :26:57. | |
House of Commons figures show youth unemployment in my constituency has | :26:57. | :27:01. | |
risen by 200.82%. What is he going to say to the people of the | :27:01. | :27:05. | |
Sterling constituency that they have done over the last 18 months? | :27:05. | :27:09. | |
Well, what the right honourable lady knows is that youth | :27:09. | :27:14. | |
unemployment rose under her Labour Government too. It is a serious - | :27:14. | :27:20. | |
it is a serious issue which should not be the subject of party | :27:20. | :27:24. | |
politicking, and we should all work together to resolve youth | :27:24. | :27:28. | |
unemployment. I am afraid that's all we have time for at the moment | :27:28. | :27:31. | |
and indeed for 2011 because the way the parliamentary calendar works, | :27:31. | :27:36. |