19/04/2017 Scottish Questions

Hello and a very warm welcome to a sunny and springlike Westminster for

April's Scottish Questions. Whatever else you think of the people in the

building behind me you cannot complain that politics is boring at

the moment. We know there is going to be a general election on the 8th

of June, adds to that the continuing controversy about whether there

should be a second Scottish Independence Referendum, you will

not be surprised to hear that Scottish Questions was spicy in the

House of Commons. Questions to the Secretary

of State for Scotland. Secretary of State for Scotland,

Secretary David Mundell. As the Prime Minister has said,

at the heart of the United Kingdom is the unity of our people,

a unity of interests, This transcends politics

and institutions, the constitution and the economy,

it is about the values I will never stop making

the passionate and positive case for our United Kingdom and look

forward to having the opportunity to do so during the forthcoming

general election. With the Defence Secretary

confirming a ?1.7 billion investment in Scottish military bases,

does my right honourable friend agree that Scotland plays a crucial

role in defending my constituents in Eddisbury, the whole of the UK,

from growing threats at sea, in the air and at land and that

divisive policies of the nationalists threaten

that crucial role? I absolutely agree

with my honourable friend. Scotland is on the front line

of defending the UK from these growing threats at sea,

in the air and on land. It is the home to essential defence

capabilities and our commitment to the future of defence in Scotland

is underlined by increased investment in better infrastructure

for our Armed Forces to help them Given in the last quarter

that the Scottish economy contracted by 0.2%, is it not time that we got

off the independence referendum merry-go-round and indeed

the general election and got the Prime Minister and the First

Minister to both concentrate on what is important,

and that is the economy of Scotland? Mr Speaker, I would give

the honourable gentleman more credibility with that statement

if he was not standing on the ticket of a leader who has said that he has

no problem with another independence referendum and clearly would do

a deal with the SNP to get Will the Secretary of State confirm

that Scotland's membership of the single market of the UK

is more important to Scotland than membership of the single market

of the European Union? Mr Speaker, my honourable friend

is correct and absolutely right to highlight that the market

for Scottish goods and services in the rest of the UK is four times

greater than the market in the EU. Mr Speaker, in the last few years,

Iceland and Ireland have leapfrogged the UK in terms of growth

and deficit reduction and have always had a higher GDP

in the last ten years. Norway's oil fund is now

920 billion, having grown from 815 billion, a growth

of 105 billion. The equivalent figures for the UK

are zero, zero and zero. Does the Secretary of State not

agree that Scotland could be as good as tiny Iceland,

as good as Ireland, and even Norway Mr Speaker, I well remember

when the SNP advocated the arc of prosperity,

with Ireland, Scotland and Iceland, and I very, very much doubt

that the people of Scotland would want to endure the pain

that the people of both Iceland and Ireland have endured

to ensure their economy is back At least all of us on this side

of the House can agree that the greatest contribution

from Scotland is to show that there is actually

an alternative to the destructive It is worth remembering that

in Scotland we have free prescriptions, free eye tests

and childcare, free We have scrapped bridge tolls,

we've reopened railways, invested in infrastructure,

we are building more council That is what the SNP has delivered

in government in Scotland. Does he not agree that this stands

in marked contrast to the Tories' mismanagement and destruction

of public services Mr Speaker, what I see

in my constituency is falling educational standards,

Scotland's once proud education system having the lowest

international ratings ever, what I see is my constituents having

increasing waiting times for the health service

and what I see them is dealing I do not believe that the SNP

Government in Scotland is focusing on the day job,

they are focusing on their Quotes about doing the day job

when you are calling Let us rest on a neutral observer,

not the Tory Party Research Officer but the director of the Institute

of health and society and I quote his words,

Scotland is in a much stronger position than England with respect

to both health and social care, the problem at the moment

is that the English Government is not committed to

a National Health Service. If this is not another example

that the real alternative to the Tory UK Government

is the progressive Absolutely not, Mr Speaker,

and I look forward to debating these I think the right honourable

gentleman was very, very careful not to mention education

standards in Scotland. The latest international figures

demonstrate that education standards in Scotland are at the lowest

ever on record. I do not think that that is a proud

record of the Scottish Government and I look forward to holding it

to account over the next six weeks. Mr Speaker, in our negotiations

with the EU we will seek the best The joint ministerial committee

on EU negotiations was established to facilitate engagement

between the UK Government and devolved administrations

and has had regular, substantive and

constructive discussions. If he is so keen and supportive

of the JMC, why did they vote against putting it on a statutory

footing for the Brexit negotiations Secondly, when was the last

time a positive idea, I am sure there are many

from the devolved administrations, was taken on board to form part

of the Brexit negotiations to improve the exit of the EU

for the devolved nations? Mr Speaker, we have been very clear

that Scotland's place in Europe, a contribution

of the Scottish Government to the discussions, as has been

constructive discussions from the Welsh Government and indeed

from the Northern Irish executive. They have set out many things that

have formed part of the White Paper, part of the Prime Minister's speech

and will be part of the future discussions as we continue our

negotiations over the exit Is there not a really important

issue about the role played by machinery of government

in helping hold together the UK? Does my right honourable friend

agree that a priority for the new Government should be

to take a long, hard look at developing new ways of working

between ministers and civil servants across the devolved administrations

to strengthen our United Kingdom? Mr Speaker, I absolutely agree

with my right honourable friend. He has considerable experience

because despite what we hear at these questions,

despite what we see in the media, actually, the UK Government

and devolved administrations are able on a range of issues

to work very closely and constructively together,

and that is the element that we Now is not the time,

is what the Prime Minister said to the Scottish Parliament

when Scotland wants to decide its own future

and relationship with Europe. But now is the time

for the screeching U-turn in this Does he also believe it is time

for the Scottish people to once again reject this Government's

austerity obsession, the assault on the poor,

the obnoxious rape clause, and the desire to drive

Scotland over the cliff Mr Speaker, I acknowledge

that the honourable gentleman is an expert on screeching

but what I would say to him is that the proposal

by the Prime Minister to have a general election in six

weeks' time to ensure certainty, clarity and security for the period

of the Brexit negotiations is quite different from the proposal

to have a disruptive referendum campaign during the period

of those negotiations. Common commercial policy

is for the UK to pursue, as we leave the EU, for example,

an animal health and food safety, are as essential to Scotland

as they are to Somerset. How can the JMC help ensure

that they will be adopted? Mr Speaker, I would certainly hope

that the JMC will be involved in the discussion

of the repatriation of important powers from the EU

to the Scottish Parliament and the other devolved

administrations. I recognise more than anyone how

important it is to have common The main livestock market

for my constituency is one mile south of the Scottish

border in England. Scotland voted to remain in the EU

and the single market but the Scottish Government's paper

that would have kept Scotland in the single market and the UK

was roundly ignored by the Tory UK Government intent on pursuing

a reckless hard Brexit. Can the Secretary of State

for Scotland tell us what personal action he took to convince

the Prime Minister to take account of the views of the people

of Scotland and can he provide Mr Speaker, I have been quite clear

that the place of Scotland in Europe did play an important part

in the Government's thinking and just so the hecklers opposite

are clear, the Government has formally responded

to the Scottish Government in relation to the place of Scotland

in Government, and surprisingly the Scottish Government asked us not

to publish our response. In his assessment of

the effectiveness of the Joint Ministerial Council,

did he share my conclusion that actually the Joint Ministerial

Council would be more effective if all parties were focusing

on building a strong UK after Brexit, not

pursuing separatist agendas? As we head into what will be

unprecedented peacetime negotiations with the EU,

it is vital that all parts of the United Kingdom pull together

to take a Team UK approach and by doing so we will get the best

possible deal for Scotland The JMC is supposed to be

the platform for the devolved administrations to have their voices

not just heard but responded to. The Secretary of State paints a rosy

picture but he's not The Northern Ireland voice is not

heard at the moment as they're not allowed to attend,

the Scottish voice, we've heard this morning very clearly,

they're being ignored, and the Welsh feel at best less

than impressed by this. Will this government give this

body the teeth it needs, put it on a statutory footing

to allow it to do its job properly? The purpose of the JMC is to bring

together the UK Government and the devolved administrations

and to work together and formulating our position as we go forward

in these negotiations. I very much regret the fact

that the Northern Ireland Executive has not been able to be politically

present in recent times and that is something

that we all want to see brought to a conclusion, but these meetings

have been robust and I believe, certainly in terms of the actions

that have flowed from them, A question about Holyrood's new tax

powers. With permission, Mr Speaker, I will

answer question four and question The UK and Scottish Governments

continue to engage closely The Scottish Government is now

responsible for setting the rates and thresholds of income tax

and it is incumbent on them to use their powers to make

Scotland an attractive place Now that the Scottish Government

has unprecedented power to shape the economy of Scotland,

will my right honourable friend join me on calling on the SNP

to start delivering jobs and economic growth rather

than focusing on an independence Mr Speaker, the shouts

from the opposition benches just highlight the complacency of the SNP

in relation to the Scottish economy. It contracted by 2% in the fourth

quarter of 2016 compared to the UK No Scots can be proud

of that comparison. Does my right honourable friend

agree that it is terrible that middle earners in Scotland

are being penalised by the Scottish Government,

?400 this year and up to ?1400 by 2021, compared to in England

where we have higher tax thresholds My honourable friend is right

to highlight that point although, while I might not like the plans

to make Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK,

I do acknowledge it is a matter But they will have to account

for themselves in relation to their taxation policies,

and the forthcoming general election will no doubt highlight

those issues. The average Band D council tax bill

in Scotland is almost ?400 Will these discussions include how

local authorities in England can learn from Scotland's successes

in providing local and national services

while maintaining the lowest council The honourable lady may have spoken

to the SNP press office, but she certainly hasn't spoken

to councils up and down Scotland who are absolutely

uniform in their negativity of the Scottish Government's

approach to the funding As a last act of kindness

and while he still has his seat and his position, will he addressed

the issue of closure of the HMRC office in my Livingston constituency

threatening 1000 jobs have written to him,

including his own party. In his last swansong,

will he come to Livingston As the honourable lady knows,

I have set out clearly in correspondence with all of those

who have been in touch with me, the rationales for the move

and the change in the arrangements Many of which have been called

for across this house in terms of efficiency and effectiveness

of HMRC working. Nobody likes to see significant

change in employment patterns I commend the honourable lady for

the way she has pursued the issue. A question about the opportunities

for business during Brexit in Scotland.

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer questions

The UK government's plan for Britain seeks to help businesses

across the UK to trade beyond Europe and make Britain a leading advocate

Scotland's ministers have had over 70 meetings with businesses

across Scotland since last summer's referendum and only last month,

my honourable friend, the Secretary of State

for International Trade was in Glasgow to meet innovative

Scottish businesses trading with the world.

The question is being answered by the Treasury minister.

I thank my honourable friend for that response.

What steps is he taking to support international trade and investment

I thank my honourable friend for that question.

The Department for International Trade is quite clear.

We are a Department for the whole of the United Kingdom.

All of our services are accessible to companies in Scotland, England,

Wales and Northern Ireland, including the great campaign,

including our portal, great.gov.uk, the trade-show access programme

and we have had major announcements of more overseas

investments coming into all parts of the United Kingdom

Could my honourable friend tell the House his view on the damage

to Scottish business if Scotland left the United Kingdom?

Well, my honourable friend has hit the nail on the head.

If Scotland were to leave the UK, the potential damage to Scottish

business and Scottish trade would be huge.

The Scottish Government's own figures show that 64% of goods

and services leaving Scotland go to the UK,

compared to only 15% going to the rest of the EU.

Mr Speaker, can the Minister tell us what assessment he has made

of the contribution of Scotland to the EU's single market?

I think the honourable gentleman is missing the point.

The point is surely the centrality and importance

of the UK single market as we go forward from here.

It is 49.8 billion going to the rest of the UK,

It is clear that the union that matters the most

The Secretary of State has previously said he supports

That being part of the single market was clearly the best

I wonder if the Secretary of State could tell his constituents,

will he now stand on a manifesto to take Scotland out

Well, the Prime Minister and the whole Government

Our objective is to secure a comprehensive free trade agreement

with the European Union as we leave the European Union.

That will be any better interests of all parts of the UK,

What assessment has my honourable friend made of the opportunities

for increasing the export of whiskey across the world as part

of a free-trade agreement once we leave the European Union?

The honourable gentleman was asking about whiskey exports.

My honourable friend raises a good point.

Whisky is a vital part of our export mix.

-- exports of whiskey reached 3.999 billion in 2016.

Actually, Mr Speaker, whiskey has been a part of quite

Notably, when the Secretary of State International Trade,

myself and the Prime Minister were in India,

we took with us the Scotch Whisky Association and we have seen

Mr Speaker, the former Prime Minister David Cameron

promised he would not resign if he lost the EU referendum.

He reneged on that promise within hours.

The current Prime Minister on seven occasions said she would not

She reneged on that promise yesterday.

Will you break the mould and renew a commitment given

three occasions that, whatever support is put in place,

for businesses in the North East like Nissan, will be put

Mr Speaker, we have been absolutely clear that our support

for Nissan and indeed the rest of the automotive sector

That is the most important point and I'm sure it'll be an important

point of the general election campaign as they go

I'm looking forward to the Conservatives

being competitive in the north-east in this coming general

election and we look forward to taking the fight

The question was whether he would renew the promise given

to Scotland to have the same deal and, if you will, will you tell

the people in the oil and gas supply chain that the reports

from the Robert Gordon University last week that said Brexit

would cost them ?200 million, that money will be sorted,

they will be looked after in the same way as Nissan

is prepared to be, or will he break another promise?

Mr Speaker, I'm glad he has raised the question of oil

What I can say to him, Mr Speaker, is that I know

he and I would agree that the one thing that would be most disastrous

for the Scottish economy, including the oil and gas sector,

would be seeing Scottish separation leading to an overnight budget

I will answer questions six, nine, ten and 11 together.

Sales from Scotland's US and UK with nearly ?50 billion,

a figure increased by nearly 70% since 2002 and is four times

the values of the export from Scotland to the EU.

There is no doubt that the United Kingdom is the vital

Does my honourable friend agree that the best deal

for Scotland is to stay part of the United Kingdom and to work

with the UK government to do all it can to support

a new free-trade agreement for the EU?

Mr Speaker, I absolutely agree with my honourable friend.

Mr Speaker, the IMF predicted dire consequences for the UK

They upgraded the growth yesterday for the second time

Much of the confident about the growth in UK economy

is deserved by our leadership of our Prime Minister.

Does he agree with me that when people look to buy British

Thank you, my constituents have a long and proud tradition

in the textile industry, many of whom trade with all parts

How will these companies in my constituency be helped

by Scotland leaving the hugely successful UK single market?

As the honourable gentleman will know, in 2015, Scotland

exported 49.8 billion to the rest of the UK, four times more than that

which is exported to the EU and three times greater than sales

The benefits to Scotland and full access to the UK market are clear.

Does my honourable friend agree that Scottish representation in this

Parliament must focus on what benefits the whole

That is why I can confirm to my honourable friend

that when Ruth Davidson and the Scottish Conservatives go

into the general election, it will be on the bases of keeping

Scotland at the heart of the United Kingdom.

75% of Canada's exports go to the US.

Whereas only 63% of Scotland's go to the UK.

Canada is a successful independent country.

Does the Secretary of State agree with me that neighbouring countries

can have close trading relations while maintaining sovereignty?

Of course countries can have close...

..close trading relationships but what Scotland

benefits from being part of the United Kingdom

is no barriers in trade, freedom of movement between Scotland

and the rest of the UK, that's good for Scottish business

Scottish exports of food and drink doubled in the past ten years.

James Withers, the chief executive Scotland Food and Drink said

he was afraid of the consequences of leaving the European Union,

Will the Secretary of State guarantee the Scottish food

and drink sector will not have to deal with that

From my discussions with the Scottish food and drink

industry, their greatest concern is that the SNP would seek to drag

Will the Secretary of State stand by his comments he made last

year when he said, my role is to

ensure Scotland gets the best possible deal involving clearly

Will he be honest with his constituents in a few weeks' time,

are they voting for an MP who being in single market

or are they voting for an MP who wants to go along

with a damaging hard Brexit, whatever the costs to families

What certainly I look forward to when I contest my constituency

in the next general election is knowing exactly what the SNP

Are they for taking Scotland back into the EU or are they not?

I hope we will find out in the next six weeks.

Normally at this point I'd ask you to get your diaries out and give you

the date for the next Scottish Questions, but because of the

general election, the parliamentary timetable is a little bit fluid at

the moment, so we don't know when the next Scottish Questions will be.

But what I can predict over the next seven weeks of the general election

campaign, it will not be boring. Firm all of us here in Westminster,

goodbye. this super-sized hospital has been

transforming lives in Scotland. He said it had been

grown in America. There's nowhere else in Scotland

that could have done everything that we've done.

Yes, there's the sad times, but we get to see people

with happy endings.