:00:21. > :00:27.Hello and a very warm welcome to a sunny and springlike Westminster for
:00:28. > :00:31.April's Scottish Questions. Whatever else you think of the people in the
:00:32. > :00:37.building behind me you cannot complain that politics is boring at
:00:38. > :00:42.the moment. We know there is going to be a general election on the 8th
:00:43. > :00:44.of June, adds to that the continuing controversy about whether there
:00:45. > :00:50.should be a second Scottish Independence Referendum, you will
:00:51. > :00:51.not be surprised to hear that Scottish Questions was spicy in the
:00:52. > :00:56.House of Commons. Questions to the Secretary
:00:57. > :00:58.of State for Scotland. Secretary of State for Scotland,
:00:59. > :01:06.Secretary David Mundell. As the Prime Minister has said,
:01:07. > :01:10.at the heart of the United Kingdom is the unity of our people,
:01:11. > :01:13.a unity of interests, This transcends politics
:01:14. > :01:18.and institutions, the constitution and the economy,
:01:19. > :01:20.it is about the values I will never stop making
:01:21. > :01:26.the passionate and positive case for our United Kingdom and look
:01:27. > :01:28.forward to having the opportunity to do so during the forthcoming
:01:29. > :01:31.general election. With the Defence Secretary
:01:32. > :01:40.confirming a ?1.7 billion investment in Scottish military bases,
:01:41. > :01:45.does my right honourable friend agree that Scotland plays a crucial
:01:46. > :01:50.role in defending my constituents in Eddisbury, the whole of the UK,
:01:51. > :01:55.from growing threats at sea, in the air and at land and that
:01:56. > :01:57.divisive policies of the nationalists threaten
:01:58. > :02:01.that crucial role? I absolutely agree
:02:02. > :02:03.with my honourable friend. Scotland is on the front line
:02:04. > :02:08.of defending the UK from these growing threats at sea,
:02:09. > :02:15.in the air and on land. It is the home to essential defence
:02:16. > :02:17.capabilities and our commitment to the future of defence in Scotland
:02:18. > :02:23.is underlined by increased investment in better infrastructure
:02:24. > :02:25.for our Armed Forces to help them Given in the last quarter
:02:26. > :02:35.that the Scottish economy contracted by 0.2%, is it not time that we got
:02:36. > :02:40.off the independence referendum merry-go-round and indeed
:02:41. > :02:43.the general election and got the Prime Minister and the First
:02:44. > :02:46.Minister to both concentrate on what is important,
:02:47. > :02:50.and that is the economy of Scotland? Mr Speaker, I would give
:02:51. > :02:52.the honourable gentleman more credibility with that statement
:02:53. > :02:56.if he was not standing on the ticket of a leader who has said that he has
:02:57. > :03:01.no problem with another independence referendum and clearly would do
:03:02. > :03:03.a deal with the SNP to get Will the Secretary of State confirm
:03:04. > :03:14.that Scotland's membership of the single market of the UK
:03:15. > :03:17.is more important to Scotland than membership of the single market
:03:18. > :03:26.of the European Union? Mr Speaker, my honourable friend
:03:27. > :03:29.is correct and absolutely right to highlight that the market
:03:30. > :03:33.for Scottish goods and services in the rest of the UK is four times
:03:34. > :03:37.greater than the market in the EU. Mr Speaker, in the last few years,
:03:38. > :03:47.Iceland and Ireland have leapfrogged the UK in terms of growth
:03:48. > :03:51.and deficit reduction and have always had a higher GDP
:03:52. > :03:54.in the last ten years. Norway's oil fund is now
:03:55. > :04:12.920 billion, having grown from 815 billion, a growth
:04:13. > :04:14.of 105 billion. The equivalent figures for the UK
:04:15. > :04:17.are zero, zero and zero. Does the Secretary of State not
:04:18. > :04:19.agree that Scotland could be as good as tiny Iceland,
:04:20. > :04:22.as good as Ireland, and even Norway Mr Speaker, I well remember
:04:23. > :04:27.when the SNP advocated the arc of prosperity,
:04:28. > :04:29.with Ireland, Scotland and Iceland, and I very, very much doubt
:04:30. > :04:32.that the people of Scotland would want to endure the pain
:04:33. > :04:35.that the people of both Iceland and Ireland have endured
:04:36. > :04:37.to ensure their economy is back At least all of us on this side
:04:38. > :04:44.of the House can agree that the greatest contribution
:04:45. > :04:46.from Scotland is to show that there is actually
:04:47. > :04:49.an alternative to the destructive It is worth remembering that
:04:50. > :04:56.in Scotland we have free prescriptions, free eye tests
:04:57. > :04:58.and childcare, free We have scrapped bridge tolls,
:04:59. > :05:04.we've reopened railways, invested in infrastructure,
:05:05. > :05:06.we are building more council That is what the SNP has delivered
:05:07. > :05:13.in government in Scotland. Does he not agree that this stands
:05:14. > :05:17.in marked contrast to the Tories' mismanagement and destruction
:05:18. > :05:18.of public services Mr Speaker, what I see
:05:19. > :05:27.in my constituency is falling educational standards,
:05:28. > :05:30.Scotland's once proud education system having the lowest
:05:31. > :05:36.international ratings ever, what I see is my constituents having
:05:37. > :05:45.increasing waiting times for the health service
:05:46. > :05:47.and what I see them is dealing I do not believe that the SNP
:05:48. > :05:51.Government in Scotland is focusing on the day job,
:05:52. > :05:53.they are focusing on their Quotes about doing the day job
:05:54. > :05:58.when you are calling Let us rest on a neutral observer,
:05:59. > :06:11.not the Tory Party Research Officer but the director of the Institute
:06:12. > :06:14.of health and society and I quote his words,
:06:15. > :06:17.Scotland is in a much stronger position than England with respect
:06:18. > :06:20.to both health and social care, the problem at the moment
:06:21. > :06:24.is that the English Government is not committed to
:06:25. > :06:29.a National Health Service. If this is not another example
:06:30. > :06:35.that the real alternative to the Tory UK Government
:06:36. > :06:37.is the progressive Absolutely not, Mr Speaker,
:06:38. > :06:42.and I look forward to debating these I think the right honourable
:06:43. > :06:50.gentleman was very, very careful not to mention education
:06:51. > :06:55.standards in Scotland. The latest international figures
:06:56. > :06:58.demonstrate that education standards in Scotland are at the lowest
:06:59. > :07:03.ever on record. I do not think that that is a proud
:07:04. > :07:06.record of the Scottish Government and I look forward to holding it
:07:07. > :07:17.to account over the next six weeks. Mr Speaker, in our negotiations
:07:18. > :07:22.with the EU we will seek the best The joint ministerial committee
:07:23. > :07:26.on EU negotiations was established to facilitate engagement
:07:27. > :07:28.between the UK Government and devolved administrations
:07:29. > :07:30.and has had regular, substantive and
:07:31. > :07:32.constructive discussions. If he is so keen and supportive
:07:33. > :07:40.of the JMC, why did they vote against putting it on a statutory
:07:41. > :07:43.footing for the Brexit negotiations Secondly, when was the last
:07:44. > :07:49.time a positive idea, I am sure there are many
:07:50. > :07:52.from the devolved administrations, was taken on board to form part
:07:53. > :07:55.of the Brexit negotiations to improve the exit of the EU
:07:56. > :07:58.for the devolved nations? Mr Speaker, we have been very clear
:07:59. > :08:03.that Scotland's place in Europe, a contribution
:08:04. > :08:07.of the Scottish Government to the discussions, as has been
:08:08. > :08:11.constructive discussions from the Welsh Government and indeed
:08:12. > :08:17.from the Northern Irish executive. They have set out many things that
:08:18. > :08:22.have formed part of the White Paper, part of the Prime Minister's speech
:08:23. > :08:25.and will be part of the future discussions as we continue our
:08:26. > :08:28.negotiations over the exit Is there not a really important
:08:29. > :08:33.issue about the role played by machinery of government
:08:34. > :08:36.in helping hold together the UK? Does my right honourable friend
:08:37. > :08:39.agree that a priority for the new Government should be
:08:40. > :08:42.to take a long, hard look at developing new ways of working
:08:43. > :08:45.between ministers and civil servants across the devolved administrations
:08:46. > :08:53.to strengthen our United Kingdom? Mr Speaker, I absolutely agree
:08:54. > :08:56.with my right honourable friend. He has considerable experience
:08:57. > :09:01.because despite what we hear at these questions,
:09:02. > :09:05.despite what we see in the media, actually, the UK Government
:09:06. > :09:08.and devolved administrations are able on a range of issues
:09:09. > :09:11.to work very closely and constructively together,
:09:12. > :09:13.and that is the element that we Now is not the time,
:09:14. > :09:22.is what the Prime Minister said to the Scottish Parliament
:09:23. > :09:25.when Scotland wants to decide its own future
:09:26. > :09:28.and relationship with Europe. But now is the time
:09:29. > :09:31.for the screeching U-turn in this Does he also believe it is time
:09:32. > :09:36.for the Scottish people to once again reject this Government's
:09:37. > :09:39.austerity obsession, the assault on the poor,
:09:40. > :09:43.the obnoxious rape clause, and the desire to drive
:09:44. > :09:45.Scotland over the cliff Mr Speaker, I acknowledge
:09:46. > :09:51.that the honourable gentleman is an expert on screeching
:09:52. > :09:56.but what I would say to him is that the proposal
:09:57. > :09:59.by the Prime Minister to have a general election in six
:10:00. > :10:04.weeks' time to ensure certainty, clarity and security for the period
:10:05. > :10:09.of the Brexit negotiations is quite different from the proposal
:10:10. > :10:13.to have a disruptive referendum campaign during the period
:10:14. > :10:17.of those negotiations. Common commercial policy
:10:18. > :10:24.is for the UK to pursue, as we leave the EU, for example,
:10:25. > :10:28.an animal health and food safety, are as essential to Scotland
:10:29. > :10:31.as they are to Somerset. How can the JMC help ensure
:10:32. > :10:38.that they will be adopted? Mr Speaker, I would certainly hope
:10:39. > :10:44.that the JMC will be involved in the discussion
:10:45. > :10:47.of the repatriation of important powers from the EU
:10:48. > :10:50.to the Scottish Parliament and the other devolved
:10:51. > :10:51.administrations. I recognise more than anyone how
:10:52. > :10:55.important it is to have common The main livestock market
:10:56. > :11:01.for my constituency is one mile south of the Scottish
:11:02. > :11:06.border in England. Scotland voted to remain in the EU
:11:07. > :11:11.and the single market but the Scottish Government's paper
:11:12. > :11:14.that would have kept Scotland in the single market and the UK
:11:15. > :11:17.was roundly ignored by the Tory UK Government intent on pursuing
:11:18. > :11:21.a reckless hard Brexit. Can the Secretary of State
:11:22. > :11:24.for Scotland tell us what personal action he took to convince
:11:25. > :11:27.the Prime Minister to take account of the views of the people
:11:28. > :11:30.of Scotland and can he provide Mr Speaker, I have been quite clear
:11:31. > :11:36.that the place of Scotland in Europe did play an important part
:11:37. > :11:47.in the Government's thinking and just so the hecklers opposite
:11:48. > :11:49.are clear, the Government has formally responded
:11:50. > :11:51.to the Scottish Government in relation to the place of Scotland
:11:52. > :11:54.in Government, and surprisingly the Scottish Government asked us not
:11:55. > :11:56.to publish our response. In his assessment of
:11:57. > :11:58.the effectiveness of the Joint Ministerial Council,
:11:59. > :12:02.did he share my conclusion that actually the Joint Ministerial
:12:03. > :12:05.Council would be more effective if all parties were focusing
:12:06. > :12:08.on building a strong UK after Brexit, not
:12:09. > :12:12.pursuing separatist agendas? As we head into what will be
:12:13. > :12:21.unprecedented peacetime negotiations with the EU,
:12:22. > :12:23.it is vital that all parts of the United Kingdom pull together
:12:24. > :12:28.to take a Team UK approach and by doing so we will get the best
:12:29. > :12:31.possible deal for Scotland The JMC is supposed to be
:12:32. > :12:44.the platform for the devolved administrations to have their voices
:12:45. > :12:51.not just heard but responded to. The Secretary of State paints a rosy
:12:52. > :12:53.picture but he's not The Northern Ireland voice is not
:12:54. > :12:57.heard at the moment as they're not allowed to attend,
:12:58. > :13:00.the Scottish voice, we've heard this morning very clearly,
:13:01. > :13:01.they're being ignored, and the Welsh feel at best less
:13:02. > :13:04.than impressed by this. Will this government give this
:13:05. > :13:06.body the teeth it needs, put it on a statutory footing
:13:07. > :13:11.to allow it to do its job properly? The purpose of the JMC is to bring
:13:12. > :13:14.together the UK Government and the devolved administrations
:13:15. > :13:16.and to work together and formulating our position as we go forward
:13:17. > :13:21.in these negotiations. I very much regret the fact
:13:22. > :13:25.that the Northern Ireland Executive has not been able to be politically
:13:26. > :13:29.present in recent times and that is something
:13:30. > :13:32.that we all want to see brought to a conclusion, but these meetings
:13:33. > :13:40.have been robust and I believe, certainly in terms of the actions
:13:41. > :13:43.that have flowed from them, A question about Holyrood's new tax
:13:44. > :13:58.powers. With permission, Mr Speaker, I will
:13:59. > :14:00.answer question four and question The UK and Scottish Governments
:14:01. > :14:04.continue to engage closely The Scottish Government is now
:14:05. > :14:08.responsible for setting the rates and thresholds of income tax
:14:09. > :14:11.and it is incumbent on them to use their powers to make
:14:12. > :14:13.Scotland an attractive place Now that the Scottish Government
:14:14. > :14:23.has unprecedented power to shape the economy of Scotland,
:14:24. > :14:28.will my right honourable friend join me on calling on the SNP
:14:29. > :14:31.to start delivering jobs and economic growth rather
:14:32. > :14:33.than focusing on an independence Mr Speaker, the shouts
:14:34. > :14:41.from the opposition benches just highlight the complacency of the SNP
:14:42. > :14:47.in relation to the Scottish economy. It contracted by 2% in the fourth
:14:48. > :14:51.quarter of 2016 compared to the UK No Scots can be proud
:14:52. > :15:02.of that comparison. Does my right honourable friend
:15:03. > :15:05.agree that it is terrible that middle earners in Scotland
:15:06. > :15:11.are being penalised by the Scottish Government,
:15:12. > :15:14.?400 this year and up to ?1400 by 2021, compared to in England
:15:15. > :15:18.where we have higher tax thresholds My honourable friend is right
:15:19. > :15:30.to highlight that point although, while I might not like the plans
:15:31. > :15:33.to make Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK,
:15:34. > :15:38.I do acknowledge it is a matter But they will have to account
:15:39. > :15:42.for themselves in relation to their taxation policies,
:15:43. > :15:46.and the forthcoming general election will no doubt highlight
:15:47. > :15:51.those issues. The average Band D council tax bill
:15:52. > :15:54.in Scotland is almost ?400 Will these discussions include how
:15:55. > :15:58.local authorities in England can learn from Scotland's successes
:15:59. > :16:02.in providing local and national services
:16:03. > :16:04.while maintaining the lowest council The honourable lady may have spoken
:16:05. > :16:18.to the SNP press office, but she certainly hasn't spoken
:16:19. > :16:21.to councils up and down Scotland who are absolutely
:16:22. > :16:24.uniform in their negativity of the Scottish Government's
:16:25. > :16:28.approach to the funding As a last act of kindness
:16:29. > :16:42.and while he still has his seat and his position, will he addressed
:16:43. > :16:47.the issue of closure of the HMRC office in my Livingston constituency
:16:48. > :16:49.threatening 1000 jobs have written to him,
:16:50. > :17:02.including his own party. In his last swansong,
:17:03. > :17:13.will he come to Livingston As the honourable lady knows,
:17:14. > :17:16.I have set out clearly in correspondence with all of those
:17:17. > :17:19.who have been in touch with me, the rationales for the move
:17:20. > :17:22.and the change in the arrangements Many of which have been called
:17:23. > :17:26.for across this house in terms of efficiency and effectiveness
:17:27. > :17:28.of HMRC working. Nobody likes to see significant
:17:29. > :17:30.change in employment patterns I commend the honourable lady for
:17:31. > :17:47.the way she has pursued the issue. A question about the opportunities
:17:48. > :17:47.for business during Brexit in Scotland.
:17:48. > :17:49.Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer questions
:17:50. > :17:53.The UK government's plan for Britain seeks to help businesses
:17:54. > :17:56.across the UK to trade beyond Europe and make Britain a leading advocate
:17:57. > :18:00.Scotland's ministers have had over 70 meetings with businesses
:18:01. > :18:04.across Scotland since last summer's referendum and only last month,
:18:05. > :18:07.my honourable friend, the Secretary of State
:18:08. > :18:11.for International Trade was in Glasgow to meet innovative
:18:12. > :18:19.Scottish businesses trading with the world.
:18:20. > :18:22.The question is being answered by the Treasury minister.
:18:23. > :18:25.I thank my honourable friend for that response.
:18:26. > :18:27.What steps is he taking to support international trade and investment
:18:28. > :18:30.I thank my honourable friend for that question.
:18:31. > :18:32.The Department for International Trade is quite clear.
:18:33. > :18:35.We are a Department for the whole of the United Kingdom.
:18:36. > :18:37.All of our services are accessible to companies in Scotland, England,
:18:38. > :18:44.Wales and Northern Ireland, including the great campaign,
:18:45. > :18:46.including our portal, great.gov.uk, the trade-show access programme
:18:47. > :18:48.and we have had major announcements of more overseas
:18:49. > :18:50.investments coming into all parts of the United Kingdom
:18:51. > :19:01.Could my honourable friend tell the House his view on the damage
:19:02. > :19:13.to Scottish business if Scotland left the United Kingdom?
:19:14. > :19:15.Well, my honourable friend has hit the nail on the head.
:19:16. > :19:18.If Scotland were to leave the UK, the potential damage to Scottish
:19:19. > :19:20.business and Scottish trade would be huge.
:19:21. > :19:22.The Scottish Government's own figures show that 64% of goods
:19:23. > :19:26.and services leaving Scotland go to the UK,
:19:27. > :19:28.compared to only 15% going to the rest of the EU.
:19:29. > :19:33.Mr Speaker, can the Minister tell us what assessment he has made
:19:34. > :19:45.of the contribution of Scotland to the EU's single market?
:19:46. > :19:47.I think the honourable gentleman is missing the point.
:19:48. > :19:51.The point is surely the centrality and importance
:19:52. > :19:54.of the UK single market as we go forward from here.
:19:55. > :20:10.It is 49.8 billion going to the rest of the UK,
:20:11. > :20:14.It is clear that the union that matters the most
:20:15. > :20:23.The Secretary of State has previously said he supports
:20:24. > :20:26.That being part of the single market was clearly the best
:20:27. > :20:35.I wonder if the Secretary of State could tell his constituents,
:20:36. > :20:40.will he now stand on a manifesto to take Scotland out
:20:41. > :20:44.Well, the Prime Minister and the whole Government
:20:45. > :20:50.Our objective is to secure a comprehensive free trade agreement
:20:51. > :20:52.with the European Union as we leave the European Union.
:20:53. > :20:57.That will be any better interests of all parts of the UK,
:20:58. > :21:11.What assessment has my honourable friend made of the opportunities
:21:12. > :21:14.for increasing the export of whiskey across the world as part
:21:15. > :21:19.of a free-trade agreement once we leave the European Union?
:21:20. > :21:21.The honourable gentleman was asking about whiskey exports.
:21:22. > :21:30.My honourable friend raises a good point.
:21:31. > :21:31.Whisky is a vital part of our export mix.
:21:32. > :21:38.-- exports of whiskey reached 3.999 billion in 2016.
:21:39. > :21:41.Actually, Mr Speaker, whiskey has been a part of quite
:21:42. > :21:48.Notably, when the Secretary of State International Trade,
:21:49. > :21:50.myself and the Prime Minister were in India,
:21:51. > :21:53.we took with us the Scotch Whisky Association and we have seen
:21:54. > :21:59.Mr Speaker, the former Prime Minister David Cameron
:22:00. > :22:02.promised he would not resign if he lost the EU referendum.
:22:03. > :22:12.He reneged on that promise within hours.
:22:13. > :22:14.The current Prime Minister on seven occasions said she would not
:22:15. > :22:17.She reneged on that promise yesterday.
:22:18. > :22:19.Will you break the mould and renew a commitment given
:22:20. > :22:27.three occasions that, whatever support is put in place,
:22:28. > :22:30.for businesses in the North East like Nissan, will be put
:22:31. > :22:37.Mr Speaker, we have been absolutely clear that our support
:22:38. > :22:39.for Nissan and indeed the rest of the automotive sector
:22:40. > :22:48.That is the most important point and I'm sure it'll be an important
:22:49. > :22:51.point of the general election campaign as they go
:22:52. > :22:58.I'm looking forward to the Conservatives
:22:59. > :23:00.being competitive in the north-east in this coming general
:23:01. > :23:02.election and we look forward to taking the fight
:23:03. > :23:07.The question was whether he would renew the promise given
:23:08. > :23:11.to Scotland to have the same deal and, if you will, will you tell
:23:12. > :23:13.the people in the oil and gas supply chain that the reports
:23:14. > :23:18.from the Robert Gordon University last week that said Brexit
:23:19. > :23:20.would cost them ?200 million, that money will be sorted,
:23:21. > :23:23.they will be looked after in the same way as Nissan
:23:24. > :23:26.is prepared to be, or will he break another promise?
:23:27. > :23:29.Mr Speaker, I'm glad he has raised the question of oil
:23:30. > :23:41.What I can say to him, Mr Speaker, is that I know
:23:42. > :23:51.he and I would agree that the one thing that would be most disastrous
:23:52. > :23:54.for the Scottish economy, including the oil and gas sector,
:23:55. > :23:56.would be seeing Scottish separation leading to an overnight budget
:23:57. > :24:08.I will answer questions six, nine, ten and 11 together.
:24:09. > :24:11.Sales from Scotland's US and UK with nearly ?50 billion,
:24:12. > :24:14.a figure increased by nearly 70% since 2002 and is four times
:24:15. > :24:16.the values of the export from Scotland to the EU.
:24:17. > :24:19.There is no doubt that the United Kingdom is the vital
:24:20. > :24:30.Does my honourable friend agree that the best deal
:24:31. > :24:34.for Scotland is to stay part of the United Kingdom and to work
:24:35. > :24:39.with the UK government to do all it can to support
:24:40. > :24:45.a new free-trade agreement for the EU?
:24:46. > :24:49.Mr Speaker, I absolutely agree with my honourable friend.
:24:50. > :24:52.Mr Speaker, the IMF predicted dire consequences for the UK
:24:53. > :24:55.They upgraded the growth yesterday for the second time
:24:56. > :25:09.Much of the confident about the growth in UK economy
:25:10. > :25:11.is deserved by our leadership of our Prime Minister.
:25:12. > :25:14.Does he agree with me that when people look to buy British
:25:15. > :25:27.Thank you, my constituents have a long and proud tradition
:25:28. > :25:29.in the textile industry, many of whom trade with all parts
:25:30. > :25:39.How will these companies in my constituency be helped
:25:40. > :25:48.by Scotland leaving the hugely successful UK single market?
:25:49. > :25:51.As the honourable gentleman will know, in 2015, Scotland
:25:52. > :26:01.exported 49.8 billion to the rest of the UK, four times more than that
:26:02. > :26:04.which is exported to the EU and three times greater than sales
:26:05. > :26:09.The benefits to Scotland and full access to the UK market are clear.
:26:10. > :26:13.Does my honourable friend agree that Scottish representation in this
:26:14. > :26:15.Parliament must focus on what benefits the whole
:26:16. > :26:25.That is why I can confirm to my honourable friend
:26:26. > :26:33.that when Ruth Davidson and the Scottish Conservatives go
:26:34. > :26:36.into the general election, it will be on the bases of keeping
:26:37. > :26:38.Scotland at the heart of the United Kingdom.
:26:39. > :26:40.75% of Canada's exports go to the US.
:26:41. > :26:44.Whereas only 63% of Scotland's go to the UK.
:26:45. > :26:45.Canada is a successful independent country.
:26:46. > :26:48.Does the Secretary of State agree with me that neighbouring countries
:26:49. > :26:54.can have close trading relations while maintaining sovereignty?
:26:55. > :27:01.Of course countries can have close...
:27:02. > :27:08...close trading relationships but what Scotland
:27:09. > :27:11.benefits from being part of the United Kingdom
:27:12. > :27:14.is no barriers in trade, freedom of movement between Scotland
:27:15. > :27:21.and the rest of the UK, that's good for Scottish business
:27:22. > :27:29.Scottish exports of food and drink doubled in the past ten years.
:27:30. > :27:33.James Withers, the chief executive Scotland Food and Drink said
:27:34. > :27:35.he was afraid of the consequences of leaving the European Union,
:27:36. > :27:44.Will the Secretary of State guarantee the Scottish food
:27:45. > :27:46.and drink sector will not have to deal with that
:27:47. > :27:52.From my discussions with the Scottish food and drink
:27:53. > :27:55.industry, their greatest concern is that the SNP would seek to drag
:27:56. > :28:03.Will the Secretary of State stand by his comments he made last
:28:04. > :28:05.year when he said, my role is to
:28:06. > :28:08.ensure Scotland gets the best possible deal involving clearly
:28:09. > :28:16.Will he be honest with his constituents in a few weeks' time,
:28:17. > :28:19.are they voting for an MP who being in single market
:28:20. > :28:22.or are they voting for an MP who wants to go along
:28:23. > :28:24.with a damaging hard Brexit, whatever the costs to families
:28:25. > :28:32.What certainly I look forward to when I contest my constituency
:28:33. > :28:35.in the next general election is knowing exactly what the SNP
:28:36. > :28:39.Are they for taking Scotland back into the EU or are they not?
:28:40. > :28:48.I hope we will find out in the next six weeks.
:28:49. > :28:54.Normally at this point I'd ask you to get your diaries out and give you
:28:55. > :28:58.the date for the next Scottish Questions, but because of the
:28:59. > :29:01.general election, the parliamentary timetable is a little bit fluid at
:29:02. > :29:06.the moment, so we don't know when the next Scottish Questions will be.
:29:07. > :29:10.But what I can predict over the next seven weeks of the general election
:29:11. > :29:11.campaign, it will not be boring. Firm all of us here in Westminster,
:29:12. > :29:21.goodbye. this super-sized hospital has been
:29:22. > :29:27.transforming lives in Scotland. He said it had been
:29:28. > :29:32.grown in America. There's nowhere else in Scotland
:29:33. > :29:35.that could have done everything that we've done.
:29:36. > :29:38.Yes, there's the sad times, but we get to see people
:29:39. > :29:42.with happy endings.