Browse content similar to 14/09/2011. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Welcome to a very sunny Westminster for the September edition. The | 0:00:16 | 0:00:20 | |
party political conferences are round the corner but in the | 0:00:20 | 0:00:24 | |
meantime, MPs are keen to show that their back at work after that long | 0:00:24 | 0:00:28 | |
summer break. There are a variety of questions for Michael Moore and | 0:00:28 | 0:00:33 | |
his ministerial team on subjects ranging from the economy to law and | 0:00:33 | 0:00:36 | |
order and that old favourite, the West Lothian question. Here is how | 0:00:36 | 0:00:43 | |
it got underway. Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland. | 0:00:43 | 0:00:50 | |
Question number one. The Government is committed to supporting disabled | 0:00:50 | 0:00:54 | |
people into employment and the amount of money going into this is | 0:00:54 | 0:00:58 | |
being protected. A consultation on the future strategy of Remploy will | 0:00:58 | 0:01:04 | |
take place in Glasgow today and the staff have been invited to attend. | 0:01:04 | 0:01:10 | |
Thank you. I thank the Minister for that response. As job losses | 0:01:10 | 0:01:14 | |
continue to increase in my constituency, could the Minister | 0:01:14 | 0:01:23 | |
tell may if he means to engage on the subjective Remploy to make sure | 0:01:23 | 0:01:30 | |
that jobs are protected? I can assure the Honourable Member, who | 0:01:30 | 0:01:35 | |
is a good fighter on the case of Remploy, that decisions have been | 0:01:35 | 0:01:39 | |
made about Remploy. I understand he attended a meeting in the Scottish | 0:01:39 | 0:01:46 | |
Parliament organised by Helen et, which undertook to do a response to | 0:01:46 | 0:01:52 | |
the consultation and that response is very welcome in the consultation | 0:01:52 | 0:01:59 | |
process. The Dundee factory is in the Honourable gentleman's | 0:01:59 | 0:02:03 | |
constituency and a number of my constituents work in it and it | 0:02:03 | 0:02:07 | |
makes first-class chemical and biological suits. They are required | 0:02:07 | 0:02:12 | |
by emergency services and the military. Can I ask the Minister | 0:02:12 | 0:02:18 | |
not just to speak to the DWP, but also the MoD and the Home Secretary, | 0:02:18 | 0:02:21 | |
to ensure emergency services and the military look very carefully at | 0:02:21 | 0:02:29 | |
what Remploy produce, particularly the quality of those suits. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:35 | |
Honourable Gentleman will know that his fellow member from Dundee has | 0:02:35 | 0:02:39 | |
already met with the MoD and they have confirmed the high standard | 0:02:39 | 0:02:45 | |
and quality of work which Remploy carry out in the factory in Dundee | 0:02:45 | 0:02:49 | |
but I would urge him and everyone in Scotland with an interest in | 0:02:49 | 0:02:56 | |
this matter to take part in the consultation. I am sure the | 0:02:56 | 0:02:59 | |
Minister will be aware that there is seven other Remploy factories in | 0:02:59 | 0:03:03 | |
Scotland. Does the Minister accept that while colleagues in government | 0:03:03 | 0:03:07 | |
talk about the importance of manufacturing, it would be crass | 0:03:07 | 0:03:11 | |
and foolhardy to embark on the closure of factories providing | 0:03:11 | 0:03:14 | |
goods and jobs and were public sector procurement could make the | 0:03:14 | 0:03:19 | |
difference to making sure they are viable in the future. Will he make | 0:03:19 | 0:03:26 | |
representations to ensure those jobs are protected? I am sure the | 0:03:26 | 0:03:29 | |
Honourable Gentleman will agree that the fact that around 50% of | 0:03:29 | 0:03:34 | |
disabled people are out of work and those in work are often working in | 0:03:34 | 0:03:37 | |
shops below their potential isn't acceptable. Closing the | 0:03:37 | 0:03:42 | |
unemployment gap between disabled and non-disabled people could boost | 0:03:42 | 0:03:47 | |
the economy by �13 billion and the Government wants to achieve that. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:50 | |
We are undertaking a consultation and I urge him and everyone with | 0:03:50 | 0:03:57 | |
any interest to take part. Sheridan. No. 2. This is a question | 0:03:57 | 0:04:04 | |
about energy providers... I will answer a question to and question 5. | 0:04:04 | 0:04:08 | |
Increases continue to be a matter of concern. I recently discussed | 0:04:08 | 0:04:12 | |
this with the six largest energy providers in Scotland as well as | 0:04:12 | 0:04:21 | |
consumer groups. Thank you. You'll be aware that the energy companies | 0:04:21 | 0:04:24 | |
are just a major cartel. Can I suggest he goes forward with one of | 0:04:24 | 0:04:30 | |
two options. One is to give the real powers to of Jim to say no to | 0:04:30 | 0:04:34 | |
these companies when they come forward with huge increases, or | 0:04:34 | 0:04:42 | |
better, bring the power back to this house? Can I say that we share | 0:04:42 | 0:04:46 | |
the desire to be vigilant in all that we see in the energy market | 0:04:46 | 0:04:52 | |
and that is why the work that OFGEM does is very important and having | 0:04:52 | 0:04:57 | |
had the latest series of discussions, building on one's | 0:04:57 | 0:05:01 | |
earlier, they are in no doubt that the Government expects them to look | 0:05:01 | 0:05:05 | |
carefully at their policies and I can assure him he will continue to | 0:05:05 | 0:05:11 | |
be vigilant on that. 100,000 pensioners in Glasgow face cuts to | 0:05:11 | 0:05:16 | |
the winter fuel allowance totalling �4 million. At the same time, | 0:05:16 | 0:05:21 | |
energy companies put up prices by 20%. Does the Secretary of State | 0:05:21 | 0:05:26 | |
agree that no pensioner should have to choose between heating and foot | 0:05:26 | 0:05:33 | |
and what will he do? You are right to focus attention on some of the | 0:05:33 | 0:05:38 | |
most honourable in society, class go and indeed elsewhere. I will | 0:05:38 | 0:05:42 | |
point out that the winter fuel allowance will return as planned by | 0:05:42 | 0:05:45 | |
the previous government to its previous level but the cold weather | 0:05:45 | 0:05:51 | |
payment on which we spent over �50 million last year will continue to | 0:05:51 | 0:05:56 | |
be at the higher level than before. As he will be aware, he studies | 0:05:56 | 0:06:02 | |
these matches, through the Warm Home discount scheme, which is | 0:06:02 | 0:06:06 | |
statutory, replacing the voluntary scheme, we will ensure we get more | 0:06:06 | 0:06:14 | |
than double the amount of assistance to vulnerable households. | 0:06:14 | 0:06:18 | |
The secretary of state should take the opportunity to talk to | 0:06:18 | 0:06:25 | |
renewable energy providers, given that the only way at connected to | 0:06:25 | 0:06:31 | |
the great is by overhead pylons and if they have on to ground in Alpine | 0:06:31 | 0:06:38 | |
countries, will he insist on this in the Highlands? I understand the | 0:06:38 | 0:06:41 | |
sensitivity for my friend and it does occur across the country. This | 0:06:41 | 0:06:46 | |
is something that is very important to have careful consideration of | 0:06:46 | 0:06:49 | |
and as proposals for the transmission network come forward, | 0:06:49 | 0:06:57 | |
they take full account of other considerations. In his decisions -- | 0:06:57 | 0:07:01 | |
discussions, has the Secretary of State discussed those million | 0:07:01 | 0:07:05 | |
households not on the gasmen and what are the energy company is | 0:07:05 | 0:07:09 | |
going to do to give them the opportunity for cheaper fuel? | 0:07:09 | 0:07:14 | |
are keen to ensure that consumers have as much choice as possible and | 0:07:14 | 0:07:18 | |
whether it is through extending the transmission network for different | 0:07:18 | 0:07:22 | |
sources of energy or looking at ways in which we can enhance | 0:07:22 | 0:07:26 | |
competitiveness in the market through increased transparency and | 0:07:26 | 0:07:30 | |
improvements in smart meters. All these measures must be looked at | 0:07:30 | 0:07:33 | |
and I will put this points to the energy companies the next time we | 0:07:33 | 0:07:42 | |
talk. In these discussions with those suppliers, did he talk about | 0:07:42 | 0:07:45 | |
the escalating price and what actions they are taking to avoid a | 0:07:45 | 0:07:49 | |
repeat of the difficulties that supplied during the severe weather | 0:07:49 | 0:07:56 | |
last winter? The situation with the weather last winter and the winter | 0:07:56 | 0:08:03 | |
before is something people are very aware of, and that is particularly | 0:08:03 | 0:08:07 | |
wide there our energies to keep his millions in the network and equally, | 0:08:07 | 0:08:12 | |
we recognise that that adds cost to consumers, which is why we are | 0:08:12 | 0:08:16 | |
maintaining the cold weather payments and through a new measures | 0:08:16 | 0:08:21 | |
to enhance the support to vulnerable people across Scotland. | 0:08:21 | 0:08:25 | |
Many of my constituents, especially on low income, are struggling with | 0:08:25 | 0:08:29 | |
the large increases in energy bills. I welcome the recent news that | 0:08:29 | 0:08:33 | |
OFGEM has brought in specialist auditors to help their | 0:08:33 | 0:08:39 | |
investigation of whether they are justified. With the Secretary of | 0:08:39 | 0:08:43 | |
State ensure that of Jim have the necessary support to make a | 0:08:43 | 0:08:45 | |
thorough investigation and sufficient powers to sanction the | 0:08:46 | 0:08:52 | |
Big Six if they are acting unfairly? A feature of the | 0:08:52 | 0:08:55 | |
discussions I have been having recently is that many other | 0:08:55 | 0:08:59 | |
companies recognise they have to restore trust with the consent or | 0:08:59 | 0:09:04 | |
about the price rises and why they have come about and in the next few | 0:09:04 | 0:09:07 | |
weeks I will bring together the energy companies and consumer | 0:09:07 | 0:09:12 | |
groups in Scotland to look at the issues in detail, make sure that | 0:09:12 | 0:09:16 | |
companies are focused on the appropriate response and take away | 0:09:16 | 0:09:23 | |
whatever work we need to do. When surveys by Consumer Focus Scotland | 0:09:23 | 0:09:26 | |
tell us that nine out of him people who bought energy products on the | 0:09:26 | 0:09:33 | |
doorstep would never do so again, does he not agree that it is time | 0:09:33 | 0:09:37 | |
for all energy providers in Scotland to end the practice of | 0:09:37 | 0:09:42 | |
cold calling and if so, when will we see legislation to make sure | 0:09:42 | 0:09:49 | |
this vile practice ceases? Can I join her in condemning their sharp | 0:09:49 | 0:09:52 | |
practices that have been on display in the country, particularly in | 0:09:52 | 0:09:57 | |
Scotland. It is one of the issues we will discuss at the meeting I | 0:09:57 | 0:10:03 | |
referred to. We are determined that we would get the companies to | 0:10:03 | 0:10:09 | |
recognise that this isn't an acceptable practice. Thank you. | 0:10:09 | 0:10:12 | |
Does the Minister agree that at a time when Scottish and Southern | 0:10:12 | 0:10:19 | |
Energy will add �171 a year to each customer's bill, tipping thousands | 0:10:19 | 0:10:25 | |
of people in to the fuel poverty bracket and others will follow suit, | 0:10:25 | 0:10:29 | |
it is morally in appropriate that the chief executive officer | 0:10:29 | 0:10:36 | |
received a bonus of �2 million on top of his �840,000 salary when the | 0:10:36 | 0:10:44 | |
wholesale price of energy were going down? Well, can I say that | 0:10:44 | 0:10:48 | |
renumeration is a matter for the companies themselves. But for all | 0:10:48 | 0:10:52 | |
of us, we have to ensure that we're Kerr fully focused on the | 0:10:52 | 0:10:56 | |
performance and behaviour of all of these companies, which is why I | 0:10:56 | 0:11:00 | |
have been making sure their focus to what consumers deed and | 0:11:01 | 0:11:05 | |
particularly, the most vulnerable. She is right to focus on fuel | 0:11:05 | 0:11:10 | |
poverty, a third of Scottish house holes in 2009 when I should to be | 0:11:10 | 0:11:19 | |
in this and the measures I have outlined will tackle that. -- This | 0:11:19 | 0:11:23 | |
is about the economic prospects of the Highlands. The UK and Scottish | 0:11:23 | 0:11:27 | |
economy is growing, rebalancing and creating jobs and the Government is | 0:11:28 | 0:11:32 | |
creating a new model which is more evenly balanced across the UK. | 0:11:32 | 0:11:42 | |
0:11:42 | 0:11:43 | ||
Thank you. He has welcomed the formal confirmation of the | 0:11:43 | 0:11:46 | |
university status for the University of the Highlands and | 0:11:47 | 0:11:51 | |
Islands and they have now put in an application to the Scottish | 0:11:51 | 0:11:56 | |
Government for an additional �3 million, given the extra demands | 0:11:56 | 0:12:01 | |
that are being placed upon them. Is that something to which he can give | 0:12:01 | 0:12:07 | |
his discreet support? I am always happy to look at these cases and | 0:12:07 | 0:12:11 | |
provide support as necessary. I Right Honourable Friend is | 0:12:11 | 0:12:15 | |
absolutely right to say that it is an important step forward for the | 0:12:15 | 0:12:19 | |
Highlands and Islands and I hope the Scottish Government will fight | 0:12:19 | 0:12:26 | |
carefully on what others have said. Yesterday I had a debate in | 0:12:26 | 0:12:30 | |
Westminster Hall on fuel duty and is the Secretary of State aware | 0:12:30 | 0:12:36 | |
that the duty is then taxed by VAT? Everybody in this house is very | 0:12:36 | 0:12:40 | |
aware of the realities of fuel taxation and I'm sure he was | 0:12:40 | 0:12:44 | |
welcoming the fact that in the Budget earlier this year, we | 0:12:44 | 0:12:49 | |
reduced fuel duty rather than increasing it in the way the last | 0:12:49 | 0:12:52 | |
government planned. And it gives me some opportunity to remind the | 0:12:52 | 0:12:56 | |
House that we have made further progress in the derogation for the | 0:12:56 | 0:13:04 | |
Highlands and Islands fuel prices, The economy is being held back by | 0:13:04 | 0:13:08 | |
the high price of fuel, I warmly welcome the Government's progress | 0:13:08 | 0:13:13 | |
on the fuel discount and the cut in fuel duty in the budget, but | 0:13:13 | 0:13:17 | |
further increase in fuel duty is planned for January, and if the | 0:13:17 | 0:13:22 | |
price of fuel remains high, I hope that will not go ahead. Will the | 0:13:22 | 0:13:30 | |
Secretary of State make reputations to the Chancellor? I am very aware | 0:13:30 | 0:13:35 | |
of the extremely channelling circumstances for users of cars and | 0:13:35 | 0:13:39 | |
vehicles across rural area, indeed all of Scotland. I particularly | 0:13:40 | 0:13:44 | |
therefore welcome and repeat the point about the budget reduck shund | 0:13:44 | 0:13:48 | |
-- reduction and the announcement made by the European Commission and | 0:13:48 | 0:13:51 | |
their sup foth port for our derogation. What we want the see is | 0:13:51 | 0:13:55 | |
we keep all the things in balance. His comment also have been heard by | 0:13:55 | 0:13:59 | |
the Chancellor but he alone is responsible for taxation matters. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:02 | |
It is to be welcome that unemployment is down in Scotland | 0:14:02 | 0:14:05 | |
and employment is up, but challenges remairpbgs not least in | 0:14:05 | 0:14:09 | |
the north of Scotland, where because of defence cuts, 30 million | 0:14:09 | 0:14:16 | |
pounds is going to be lost every year due to the closure of RAF | 0:14:16 | 0:14:21 | |
Kinloss as an air base. Will the Secretary of State confirm no | 0:14:21 | 0:14:24 | |
financial support has been provided by the UK Government to help with | 0:14:24 | 0:14:27 | |
this economic shock? I hope the honourable gentleman will recognise | 0:14:27 | 0:14:33 | |
in reaching some very difficult and complex decisions, over the future | 0:14:33 | 0:14:37 | |
of not only RAF basing but army and navy too, we will see an increased | 0:14:37 | 0:14:42 | |
footprint in Scotland as a whole, and in his own area, we will see | 0:14:42 | 0:14:46 | |
additional army resources, going into Kinloss in particular. As far | 0:14:46 | 0:14:50 | |
as the discussions about how we support the communities through the | 0:14:50 | 0:14:55 | |
next few years, we will be aware these are at an early stage. I am | 0:14:55 | 0:15:02 | |
looking forward to them continuing in a constructive manner. He wasn't | 0:15:02 | 0:15:06 | |
able to confirm there hasn't been any specific financial support, | 0:15:06 | 0:15:10 | |
because there hasn't beenlet. It has been nearly a year since the | 0:15:10 | 0:15:15 | |
closure, more than two months confirmation about the army | 0:15:15 | 0:15:18 | |
deployment. Agencies supported by the Scottish Government have been | 0:15:18 | 0:15:21 | |
active in support of economic diversification, in contrast, UK | 0:15:21 | 0:15:25 | |
Government has provided little or no details to these local agencies | 0:15:26 | 0:15:31 | |
to assist in the transition. Why is this? Well I have discussed this | 0:15:31 | 0:15:34 | |
matter particularly with the Finance Secretary, on a couple of | 0:15:34 | 0:15:38 | |
occasions, now. We are continuing the Scotland Office to be engaged | 0:15:38 | 0:15:44 | |
with the task forces, in his of the world and in Fife as well. We are | 0:15:44 | 0:15:49 | |
working very hard, and we get the detail and the other aspects of the | 0:15:49 | 0:15:53 | |
plan in place, and I am sure the honourable gentleman will welcome | 0:15:53 | 0:15:59 | |
the announcement whence there are made. There are too many noisy | 0:15:59 | 0:16:09 | |
conversations taking place in the chamber. I want to hear Fiona Bruce. | 0:16:09 | 0:16:12 | |
Scottish forces provided assistance to forces in England through the | 0:16:12 | 0:16:17 | |
provision of police support units. During the debate in this House on | 0:16:17 | 0:16:21 | |
11 August my Right Honourable friend the Prime Minister said I am | 0:16:21 | 0:16:25 | |
aware of the role Scottish police officers played particularly | 0:16:25 | 0:16:28 | |
helping the West Midlands force. Say the impact when they arrived in | 0:16:28 | 0:16:32 | |
Birmingham, it is good our forces can co-operate in this way. I thank | 0:16:32 | 0:16:37 | |
him for that. Does he agree the excellent cross border support | 0:16:37 | 0:16:41 | |
provided by Scottish police have exemplified to everyone in Britain | 0:16:41 | 0:16:47 | |
the advantages of a flexible devolved United Kingdom? I fully | 0:16:48 | 0:16:52 | |
agree with my honourable friend, and there are many example, Mr | 0:16:52 | 0:16:57 | |
Speaker of Scottish forces playing an important role in incidents | 0:16:57 | 0:17:01 | |
elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Not least in the shootings which | 0:17:01 | 0:17:08 | |
took place this Cumbria in 2010. Londoners welcome the robust | 0:17:08 | 0:17:12 | |
standard of policing brought from Scotland during the recent riots. | 0:17:12 | 0:17:16 | |
What plans are there now, for closer cooperation, joint | 0:17:16 | 0:17:21 | |
operations, and further training so we can learn the lessons from the | 0:17:21 | 0:17:28 | |
past? He is the Conservative MP for Harrow East. On 11th August, there | 0:17:28 | 0:17:31 | |
has been significant success with the Strathclyde Police, | 0:17:31 | 0:17:35 | |
particularly in Glasgow in pursuing gang initiatives, and initiative | 0:17:35 | 0:17:40 | |
known as the community initiative to reduce violence and Strathclyde | 0:17:40 | 0:17:44 | |
Police are committed to work with the Metropolitan Police and other | 0:17:44 | 0:17:51 | |
forces, in England to share best practise in that regard. I, during | 0:17:51 | 0:17:55 | |
the recess spent six days with the police as part of the Parliamentary | 0:17:55 | 0:17:59 | |
police scheme. I have to say among the people I work with, there is | 0:17:59 | 0:18:03 | |
some concern that the call on Scottish forces will deny them for | 0:18:03 | 0:18:08 | |
example any holidays in August next year, during Olympics. And also the | 0:18:08 | 0:18:13 | |
question about the impact on the budget of Scottish forces. Is the | 0:18:13 | 0:18:17 | |
Secretary of State hoping to get adequate recompense for the | 0:18:17 | 0:18:20 | |
Scottish forces for the contribution they have made, will | 0:18:20 | 0:18:24 | |
make to the future of English policing? The honourable member | 0:18:24 | 0:18:27 | |
will know there are arrangements in place with the Home Office when | 0:18:27 | 0:18:30 | |
police forces are deployed from other parts of the United Kingdom, | 0:18:30 | 0:18:33 | |
but I am sure the Home Secretary will have heard the specific points, | 0:18:33 | 0:18:38 | |
that he has made, and we will, I will raise them directly also with | 0:18:38 | 0:18:44 | |
the Scottish Government. This is a question from a Conservative MP | 0:18:44 | 0:18:48 | |
about the West Lothian question. With permission Mr Speakerly answer | 0:18:48 | 0:18:53 | |
questions eight, nine, ten and 11 together. I have regular | 0:18:54 | 0:18:56 | |
discussions with my right honourable friend the Deputy Prime | 0:18:56 | 0:18:59 | |
Minister on a range of issue, the Government last week set out the | 0:18:59 | 0:19:03 | |
steps we were taking to establish a commission on the West Lothian | 0:19:03 | 0:19:08 | |
question. Will the Secretary of State tell the House what the | 0:19:08 | 0:19:13 | |
timescale for the Commission is, and will he reassure every one of | 0:19:13 | 0:19:18 | |
us that the present unfair voting system is resolved by the end of | 0:19:18 | 0:19:24 | |
this Parliament? Can I say to my honourable friend that the details | 0:19:24 | 0:19:28 | |
of the remit and the timescale will be set out by my right honourable | 0:19:28 | 0:19:31 | |
friend the constitution minister at the appropriate moment as he | 0:19:31 | 0:19:35 | |
indicated earlier last week. As far as all the issues to be considered | 0:19:35 | 0:19:38 | |
by the Commission are concerned, I am sure they have heard his opening | 0:19:38 | 0:19:46 | |
bid. Will the Secretary of State make reputation to the Deputy Prime | 0:19:46 | 0:19:49 | |
Minister to make sure it is taken into consider as part of the terms | 0:19:49 | 0:19:53 | |
of reference on the Commission on the West Lothian question. Can I | 0:19:53 | 0:19:58 | |
say specifically, the Commission will not be looking at the Barnett | 0:19:58 | 0:20:02 | |
Formula or the funding arrangements round the UK. We have made a | 0:20:02 | 0:20:04 | |
separate commitment within the coalition agreement which will look | 0:20:04 | 0:20:08 | |
at all these matters when we have got our primary objective of | 0:20:08 | 0:20:15 | |
sorting out the public finances, sorted well and good. Thank you. | 0:20:15 | 0:20:18 | |
Will the minister confirm that the Commission will not only look at | 0:20:18 | 0:20:22 | |
the issue with regards to Scotland, but also with regards to the other | 0:20:22 | 0:20:30 | |
devolved assemblys in Wales and Northern Ireland? May I ask he | 0:20:30 | 0:20:34 | |
repeated the first pat of his question again. There is far too | 0:20:34 | 0:20:38 | |
much noise in the chamber which is very discourteous. The honourable | 0:20:38 | 0:20:40 | |
gentleman should repeat his question. Will the minister confirm | 0:20:40 | 0:20:43 | |
the Commission will not only look at the issue with regards to | 0:20:43 | 0:20:48 | |
Scotland, but also with regards to the other devolved assembly? I am | 0:20:48 | 0:20:51 | |
happy to confirm that, although it is called the West Lothian | 0:20:51 | 0:20:55 | |
commission it will look at all issues to do with the matters we | 0:20:55 | 0:21:00 | |
discussed before this House, regarding all parts of the UK. | 0:21:00 | 0:21:04 | |
does the Secretary of State share my view resolving the question does | 0:21:04 | 0:21:08 | |
not damage the union? I think what we have now got the opportunity to | 0:21:08 | 0:21:12 | |
do, is ensure that we consider carefully the issues that have, | 0:21:12 | 0:21:16 | |
were first posed back famously in 1977, but as we have seen | 0:21:17 | 0:21:21 | |
devolution develop in recent years, we come more and more urgent for | 0:21:21 | 0:21:26 | |
people to add cress. We are dene see that is done, that is, why with | 0:21:26 | 0:21:29 | |
rethe first Government set up a commission to look at it and we | 0:21:29 | 0:21:32 | |
look forward to them getting on with their work. Does the Secretary | 0:21:32 | 0:21:36 | |
of State accept there is an elegance solution to the question. | 0:21:36 | 0:21:40 | |
It is about Scotland having the normal powers of a normal nation | 0:21:40 | 0:21:49 | |
and it is called independence. I say nobody could ever doubt's | 0:21:49 | 0:21:52 | |
honourable gentlemans in this. It only begs the question why the | 0:21:52 | 0:21:55 | |
Scottish Government is delaying having the referendum on | 0:21:55 | 0:22:04 | |
independence. Thank you. Thank you Mr Speaker. Can I vieant the | 0:22:05 | 0:22:09 | |
Secretary of State to ignore the little englaers behind him and the | 0:22:09 | 0:22:12 | |
little Scotlanders behind me and come to the despatch box and tell | 0:22:12 | 0:22:18 | |
us we are going to allow the Scottish MPs to the Scot r discuss | 0:22:18 | 0:22:23 | |
Scotland as a grand committee. Can he reconvene that as soon as | 0:22:23 | 0:22:26 | |
possible? May say that this was a plea that the honourable gentleman | 0:22:26 | 0:22:29 | |
made on many occasions to the previous Government, we are of | 0:22:29 | 0:22:33 | |
course keen to ensure that all matters Scottish continue to be | 0:22:33 | 0:22:39 | |
debated in the appropriate way in this House and will ensure they are. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:42 | |
Mr Speaker, I am sure the right honourable is embarrassed by the | 0:22:42 | 0:22:46 | |
four questions that have been looped together which is planted by | 0:22:46 | 0:22:50 | |
his frontbench. Can I ask him, when he is looking at these things will | 0:22:50 | 0:22:55 | |
he remember London and treat Scotland the same way London has | 0:22:55 | 0:22:58 | |
been treated. I have no idea what the honourable gentleman is saying | 0:22:58 | 0:23:01 | |
about the way the questions have appeared. Perhaps he would like to | 0:23:01 | 0:23:06 | |
look to the way the previous Government behaved. I have no idea | 0:23:06 | 0:23:12 | |
if he is giving us an insight to we are determined, unlike the previous | 0:23:12 | 0:23:15 | |
government, to recognise there San issue that needs to be discussed. | 0:23:15 | 0:23:19 | |
It is complex b there are lots of issues we have to consider and then | 0:23:19 | 0:23:25 | |
we can get on with this House doing all the work it needs to do. | 0:23:25 | 0:23:29 | |
Speaker, as a West Lothian member of Parliament, does the minister | 0:23:29 | 0:23:34 | |
not agree with me, it is unsatisfactory a commission on a | 0:23:34 | 0:23:38 | |
constitutional issue affecting Scotland has been set up with no | 0:23:38 | 0:23:43 | |
opportunity for any consultation on its terms of ren reference, nor any | 0:23:43 | 0:23:48 | |
involvement by Parliament, until the Commission presents its | 0:23:48 | 0:23:51 | |
findings. I am sorry that is the honourable's gentleman's attitude. | 0:23:51 | 0:23:55 | |
I thought he would have welcomed the fact we are setting up the | 0:23:55 | 0:23:58 | |
Commission. I am sure that when it is set up he will want to | 0:23:58 | 0:24:02 | |
contribute to it. But particularly, on the terms of reference, my | 0:24:02 | 0:24:05 | |
honourable friend the minister has made it clear, we will listen to | 0:24:05 | 0:24:12 | |
all points that are made to us. House is in a very excitable state. | 0:24:12 | 0:24:16 | |
It is not even lunchtime. The House must calm down and compose itself | 0:24:16 | 0:24:22 | |
in an ordinary manner. Mr William bain. This is a question about | 0:24:22 | 0:24:30 | |
National Insurance. Mr Speaker, as of 7th September HMRC has received | 0:24:30 | 0:24:34 | |
922 application for the National Insurance holiday scheme from new | 0:24:34 | 0:24:40 | |
businesses located in Scotland. Of the 396 applications received, for | 0:24:40 | 0:24:45 | |
2010, 2011 financial year, 386 claimed the National Insurance | 0:24:45 | 0:24:53 | |
contributions holiday, supporting approximately 1300 new jobs. | 0:24:53 | 0:24:58 | |
Shouldn't the minister be lobbying the Chancellor to create a proper | 0:24:58 | 0:25:01 | |
strategy for growth for Scottish manufacturing and construction | 0:25:01 | 0:25:05 | |
instead of offering support for a scheme which has created less than | 0:25:05 | 0:25:09 | |
so% of the jobs forecast and described by the Federation of | 0:25:09 | 0:25:13 | |
Small Businesses in Scotland as badly designed, and failing to | 0:25:13 | 0:25:18 | |
deliver at a time when the country needs new jobs. Mr Speaker, we | 0:25:18 | 0:25:22 | |
certainly won't be taking any lectures from the party opposite on | 0:25:22 | 0:25:27 | |
National Insurance, party that sought to introduce a jobs tax, in | 0:25:27 | 0:25:31 | |
2009. I had the benefit of visiting the honourable members constituency | 0:25:31 | 0:25:34 | |
last week, and I would have thought he would have welcomed the fact | 0:25:34 | 0:25:39 | |
these jobs did not exist before, and they have a better chance of | 0:25:39 | 0:25:47 | |
becoming permanent with the NIC holiday. Order. I want to hear Mr | 0:25:47 | 0:25:56 | |
Angus McNeil. Thank you. It seems you are not alone! Job creation is | 0:25:56 | 0:26:02 | |
maidgely affected by fuel costs. It is 1.50 a litre many my stit. A | 0:26:02 | 0:26:06 | |
huge component is the cost of distribution. A few months ago the | 0:26:06 | 0:26:12 | |
Secretary of State gave assurances he would look into. I wonder if he | 0:26:12 | 0:26:17 | |
can update me. What I can update the honourable member is progress | 0:26:17 | 0:26:21 | |
in receiving the derogation from the EU to allow fuel prices in his | 0:26:21 | 0:26:25 | |
constituency, and other remote parts, to be lower than they | 0:26:25 | 0:26:28 | |
currently are. I would have thought he would welcome this coalition | 0:26:28 | 0:26:32 | |
Government delivering that commitment. I am photograph -- | 0:26:32 | 0:26:37 | |
afraid that is all we have time for at the moment. Because of the party | 0:26:37 | 0:26:38 | |
political conferences which are just about to get under way, the | 0:26:39 | 0:26:42 | |
next Scottish questions here at Westminster isn't until Wednesday | 0:26:42 | 0:26:46 |