Browse content similar to 22/06/2011. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Hello and a warm welcome to Westminster for the June edition of | :00:23. | :00:27. | |
the Scottish questions. What a difference a few weeks makes. The | :00:27. | :00:31. | |
last programme came the day before the Hollyrood elections which gave | :00:31. | :00:36. | |
the SNP an overall majority and now we have the commitment to an | :00:36. | :00:40. | |
independence referendum within the next five years. So no shortage of | :00:40. | :00:44. | |
topics for MPs to get their teeth into. Here is a flavour of how | :00:44. | :00:50. | |
things began... Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland, Mr | :00:50. | :00:56. | |
Graham Morris. Question number one. I have regular discussions with my | :00:57. | :00:59. | |
right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a | :00:59. | :01:03. | |
wide range of issues including the state of the economy. Inflation is | :01:03. | :01:07. | |
being pushed higher by rising global commodity prices, a global | :01:07. | :01:13. | |
problem that requires global solutions. I thank the Minister for | :01:13. | :01:19. | |
his answers. It is clear the government's VAT hike in January | :01:19. | :01:24. | |
has helped to drive up inflation which is hitting consumer spending, | :01:24. | :01:26. | |
squeezing family incomes and holding back growth. Will the | :01:26. | :01:31. | |
Secretary of State now speak up for families and businesses in Scotland | :01:31. | :01:34. | |
and urge the Chancellor to reverse that rise to help boost consumer | :01:35. | :01:40. | |
confidence and bring down inflation? As the honourable member | :01:40. | :01:44. | |
knows the former Chancellor and Scottish MP the right honourable | :01:44. | :01:48. | |
member for Edinburgh South said he would have done exactly the same in | :01:48. | :01:53. | |
relation to VAT. And a cut in VAT would do nothing to reverse global | :01:53. | :01:57. | |
commodity price rises but we do a lot to reverse the government's | :01:57. | :02:01. | |
hard-won credibility for getting the deficit down. Credibility on | :02:01. | :02:08. | |
economic matters does not seem to be important to the party opposite. | :02:08. | :02:11. | |
In answer to a written parliamentary questions by me the | :02:11. | :02:15. | |
Office for National Statistics confirmed that four out of the last | :02:15. | :02:18. | |
five years the rise in domestic gas prices outstripped the rate of | :02:18. | :02:22. | |
inflation and that is before the latest rise. Yet family income is | :02:22. | :02:26. | |
about best remain static. What steps can the government take to | :02:26. | :02:35. | |
help hard-pressed families to avoid these costs in the winter? As the | :02:35. | :02:39. | |
honourable member will know the government is concerned about the | :02:39. | :02:45. | |
rise of fuel prices, particularly gas prices as he highlights. One of | :02:45. | :02:51. | |
the measures it has taken is to ensure that the poorest families do | :02:51. | :02:58. | |
have protection a relation to their fuel costs. I am sure the Minister | :02:58. | :03:03. | |
will welcome the inquiry announced today but Ofgem on the price rise | :03:03. | :03:07. | |
to be announced by ScottishPower and the way they have announced it | :03:07. | :03:11. | |
to consumers. Does he agree with me that it is inappropriate for energy | :03:11. | :03:14. | |
companies do have added to the increased cost of living in | :03:14. | :03:18. | |
Scotland with a decision to hike domestic bills and can he tell us | :03:18. | :03:25. | |
what he is doing about it? As the honourable lady knows there is | :03:25. | :03:30. | |
widespread concern in Scotland at the actions, particularly in | :03:30. | :03:39. | |
relation to the recent rises in fuel costs by ScottishPower. As the | :03:39. | :03:42. | |
honourable lady knows the Secretary of State and I have raised these | :03:42. | :03:48. | |
issues with the energy companies. Although it is very nice to meet up | :03:48. | :03:52. | |
I think what Scottish consumers want it action as their bills are | :03:52. | :03:57. | |
facing a rise an average of �198 a year when wages are being frozen | :03:57. | :04:04. | |
cod prices are rising above the target inflation rate and now that | :04:04. | :04:08. | |
borrowing is �46 billion higher unexpected because of that decrease | :04:08. | :04:12. | |
in economic activity, would the Minister now greet his time for | :04:12. | :04:17. | |
another plan and a temporary cut in VAT which Labour called for? | :04:17. | :04:22. | |
will not surprise the honourable lady to say that most certainly not. | :04:22. | :04:27. | |
The honourable lady, in setting it out -- in setting out the woes she | :04:27. | :04:33. | |
does, never acknowledges her part as a minister in bringing this | :04:33. | :04:41. | |
country to the verge of bankruptcy, or a party's part. Or the need to | :04:41. | :04:46. | |
take action, she knows as well that the shadow chancellor is in a | :04:46. | :04:50. | |
majority of one in terms of his proposals and has not set out... | :04:50. | :04:58. | |
must move on. This was a question about the benefits of the union | :04:58. | :05:02. | |
from the Tory MP for Carlisle. There are government formally | :05:02. | :05:05. | |
believes - Matt Ridley Scott and benefits from being part of the UK | :05:05. | :05:12. | |
and that the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. I agree | :05:12. | :05:18. | |
wholeheartedly. As someone who represents a seat just over the | :05:18. | :05:21. | |
border in England would the Minister also agree that England | :05:21. | :05:27. | |
benefits from being part of the Union and it is in the interests of | :05:27. | :05:31. | |
all of us that we all remain part of the UK? I endorse what my | :05:31. | :05:38. | |
honourable friend has just said. The union is of great benefit to | :05:38. | :05:41. | |
all of the UK, however, my constituents still want to see | :05:41. | :05:44. | |
fairness between Scotland and England. With this in mind what | :05:44. | :05:48. | |
plans as the Minister had to review the current Barnett Formula? Grey M | :05:48. | :05:56. | |
Evans is the Tory MP for Weaver Vale. Last night we recognised this | :05:56. | :05:59. | |
was an issue across the UK, however, we are committed to reviewing it | :05:59. | :06:03. | |
when we have resolved at the current financial problems we | :06:03. | :06:09. | |
inherited from the party opposite. Is that a separate Scotland simply | :06:09. | :06:13. | |
would not have been able to answer by the global banking crisis on its | :06:13. | :06:17. | |
own and had it been separate would now be heading the way of Ireland | :06:17. | :06:27. | |
:06:27. | :06:27. | ||
The scale of the financial disaster that befell the Royal Bank of | :06:27. | :06:32. | |
Scotland and Halifax Bank of Scotland would have put a crippling | :06:32. | :06:36. | |
burden on Scotland by being part of the UK. We are sharing the risks | :06:36. | :06:42. | |
and recovery and that is the right way forward. Does the Secretary of | :06:42. | :06:47. | |
State agree with me that whilst the future of the Constitution is hotly | :06:47. | :06:52. | |
debated there is no place for leading Unionists to describe the | :06:52. | :06:59. | |
supporters of Scottish independence as neo-fascists? It is incumbent | :06:59. | :07:03. | |
upon all of us in this debate to ensure we use moderate appropriate | :07:03. | :07:09. | |
language. Given what the Secretary of State has just said is it a | :07:09. | :07:13. | |
benefit to the union and Scotland that the House of Commons Scottish | :07:13. | :07:16. | |
affairs select committee is chaired by somebody who last night | :07:16. | :07:22. | |
described Scotland's majority party of government as neo-fascist? | :07:22. | :07:27. | |
is an issue he should take up with the honourable gentleman himself. | :07:27. | :07:33. | |
In this House we do not like challenges to one another's on a, | :07:33. | :07:38. | |
or otherwise. It is a matter for the honourable gentleman to raise. | :07:38. | :07:42. | |
I have made my commission -- position clear. It is important we | :07:42. | :07:45. | |
are careful about language and we have a debate on the substance of | :07:45. | :07:55. | |
the issues. I will answer question three and five together with | :07:55. | :07:58. | |
permission. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State and I | :07:58. | :08:00. | |
have had regular discussions with my right honourable friend the | :08:00. | :08:03. | |
debited from in astonishes. The government is committed to | :08:03. | :08:06. | |
establishing they Commission later this year to consider the West | :08:06. | :08:13. | |
Lothian question. Time is of the essence here because this is a | :08:13. | :08:17. | |
difficult question. The commission will need time to consider its | :08:17. | :08:21. | |
recommendations and then this House will need time to consider the | :08:21. | :08:24. | |
outcome of those recommendations. It would be much better that this | :08:24. | :08:27. | |
is done at a time of constitutional peace rather than at a time of | :08:27. | :08:34. | |
crisis. I respect the honourable lady's passion on the subject and | :08:34. | :08:39. | |
she has a Bill before the House was charters on these issues which I | :08:39. | :08:44. | |
understand will be heard on the first Friday of the September sit- | :08:44. | :08:48. | |
in which will give the House eight chance to debate these issues. I | :08:48. | :08:52. | |
will convey her call for urgency to the debited Prime Minister. Having | :08:53. | :08:57. | |
passed the Scotland Bill and with new powers devolved to Wales does | :08:57. | :09:02. | |
my honourable friend agree that the last thing we want is another | :09:02. | :09:06. | |
expensive Parliament Assembly, or talking shop in England? The | :09:06. | :09:12. | |
British Parliament here can cope with matters than with -- with | :09:12. | :09:19. | |
English matters but decided by English MPs. I have always | :09:19. | :09:25. | |
expressed the view that there was no desire for an English parliament | :09:25. | :09:29. | |
and the same two be but always written to me after two so I was | :09:29. | :09:36. | |
wrong. -- people have always written to me after to say I was | :09:36. | :09:40. | |
wrong. Does he agree the issue is more complex than some members give | :09:40. | :09:45. | |
to understand and a good example of that was the debates we had before | :09:45. | :09:48. | |
Christmas on tuition fees for universities. That might have been | :09:48. | :09:51. | |
regarded as a purely English issue but in fact it had tremendous | :09:51. | :09:58. | |
consequences for Scotland. I do acknowledge that comment, it is a | :09:58. | :10:01. | |
complex issue and that is why the coalition government is committed | :10:01. | :10:06. | |
to establishing a commission to look at the issue and I hope it | :10:06. | :10:13. | |
will be able to take evidence from people like the honourable lady. | :10:13. | :10:16. | |
am sure the honourable gentleman is right when he says there is no | :10:16. | :10:20. | |
demand for an English parliament but does he not accept that the | :10:20. | :10:27. | |
proposal to it effectively have two classes of MPs in his house does | :10:27. | :10:32. | |
amount to setting up an English parliament in this building and | :10:32. | :10:35. | |
that is a road he will go down if his government except having two | :10:35. | :10:41. | |
classes of MPs in his house. I do not acknowledge that. Because the | :10:42. | :10:47. | |
devolution settlement -- that comment because the devolution | :10:47. | :10:50. | |
settlement means there are different spot it -- | :10:50. | :10:54. | |
responsibilities in this House. The government is committed to looking | :10:54. | :10:57. | |
at the issue of the West Lothian question which is based at standard | :10:57. | :11:01. | |
issue which the previous government ignored and will set up a | :11:01. | :11:11. | |
:11:11. | :11:13. | ||
With permission I will answer the questions together. The plan for | :11:13. | :11:17. | |
growth published in the March Budget set at Ibrahim Mogra forms | :11:17. | :11:20. | |
to create the right conditions for private sector-led growth. This | :11:20. | :11:23. | |
month the government launched the next stage of the growth of the | :11:23. | :11:26. | |
with the central purpose of creating the right conditions for | :11:26. | :11:31. | |
business to be established to invest, grow and create jobs. | :11:31. | :11:34. | |
time when the Treasury is bringing about stability to the banking | :11:34. | :11:37. | |
sector and banking regulation does my right honourable friend agree | :11:37. | :11:41. | |
with me that the SNP's right for independent Scotland could | :11:41. | :11:51. | |
:11:51. | :11:57. | ||
destabilise gone and Oz are The number of questions and the | :11:57. | :12:01. | |
timing is uncertainty which is no good for the Scottish economy. | :12:01. | :12:04. | |
Small and medium-sized companies are vital engines of growth and | :12:04. | :12:08. | |
also job-creation in Scotland and across the UK. In the economic | :12:08. | :12:13. | |
climate improving access to funding for those is a priority. Can my | :12:13. | :12:16. | |
right honourable friend tell the House was at sea is taking to | :12:16. | :12:19. | |
address this challenge and do those steps include working with | :12:19. | :12:25. | |
organisations like the Federation for small businesses in Scotland? | :12:25. | :12:29. | |
The Conservative MP for Macclesfield. | :12:29. | :12:34. | |
Access to Finance is a critical issue and unless we get another | :12:34. | :12:37. | |
lending to small and medium-sized businesses we will not get the | :12:37. | :12:41. | |
economy growing once again. That is why it is central to the plan for | :12:41. | :12:45. | |
growth to make sure we create the conditions in which we can see | :12:45. | :12:49. | |
businesses start, grow and invest in the appropriate way. And why we | :12:49. | :12:59. | |
:12:59. | :13:00. | ||
have set out tough targets for Way to the Secretary of State agree | :13:00. | :13:04. | |
that it is essential for business growth that businesses have access | :13:04. | :13:09. | |
to faster broadband? Dotty to share my concern that many constituencies | :13:09. | :13:12. | |
in Scotland do not have access to this, and can he say what | :13:12. | :13:17. | |
discussions he has had with the Scottish Government over this? | :13:17. | :13:21. | |
week or so ago when I met the honourable lady to discuss the | :13:21. | :13:24. | |
situation with the economy in Ayrshire, this was one of the key | :13:24. | :13:29. | |
issues she wanted to raise. We are committed to fast broadband across | :13:29. | :13:32. | |
the United Kingdom, and we're in discussions with the Scottish | :13:32. | :13:36. | |
Government about how they should go about implementing that. It is | :13:36. | :13:40. | |
vital that we see it in M and the Borders and all parts of the | :13:40. | :13:44. | |
country, and we're happy to work with her to make sure we achieve | :13:44. | :13:50. | |
that. Has the Secretary of State had an opportunity to read the | :13:50. | :13:54. | |
government expenditure and revenue study published this morning, which | :13:54. | :13:57. | |
shows that the Scottish economy is outperforming the UK economy and | :13:57. | :14:01. | |
carrying a lower deficit? Will he take this opportunity to | :14:01. | :14:04. | |
congratulate the Scottish Government on its efforts to | :14:04. | :14:09. | |
promote stability pride promoting economic growth. Us that is a | :14:09. | :14:12. | |
typically interesting interpretation of the figures in | :14:12. | :14:17. | |
the report this morning, which show that Scotland is running at a | :14:17. | :14:21. | |
deficit. That highlights the volatility and the difficulties | :14:21. | :14:25. | |
that are associated with the different measures. Can I say that | :14:25. | :14:29. | |
it is absolutely vital that we get Scotland's economy back on the | :14:29. | :14:34. | |
right that in. That is why we are cutting corporation tax, keeping | :14:34. | :14:38. | |
interest rates low, reducing the burden on national insurance. I am | :14:39. | :14:42. | |
happy to work with the Scottish Government to ensure the economy | :14:42. | :14:49. | |
grows. We need to work in partnership. This is a question | :14:49. | :14:59. | |
:14:59. | :14:59. | ||
about the Greenock coastguard station. I want to pay tribute to | :14:59. | :15:03. | |
David Cairns who had been campaigning to save the Clyde | :15:03. | :15:09. | |
coastguard station before his tragic death. The waters around | :15:09. | :15:15. | |
Argyll and Bute presents a unique challenges seafarers. And if the | :15:15. | :15:19. | |
Clyde coastguard station is closed, all that valuable local knowledge | :15:19. | :15:23. | |
held by the people who work there will be lost. Will the Minister | :15:23. | :15:27. | |
please drop his to the attention of the Transport Secretary and urge | :15:27. | :15:32. | |
him to keep the station opened? is appropriate there is mention of | :15:32. | :15:38. | |
David Cairns at this first Scottish Questions since his death, having | :15:38. | :15:43. | |
served with such distinction as a Scotland Office minister. I can | :15:43. | :15:46. | |
assure my honourable friend that the points he made will have been | :15:46. | :15:51. | |
heard, as they were in the recent Westminster Hall debate that he | :15:51. | :15:55. | |
took part in, and the Department of Transport will not make any | :15:55. | :15:59. | |
announcement on the future of Coastguard stations until the | :15:59. | :16:04. | |
transport select committee has reported. I would like to associate | :16:04. | :16:09. | |
myself with the comments regarding David Cairns. The Minister would be | :16:09. | :16:13. | |
aware of the concern in Scotland about what it is it at -- he | :16:13. | :16:19. | |
actually does. Could I offer him the opportunity to LA that concern | :16:19. | :16:24. | |
by making, in a very clear and unambiguous way, his opposition to | :16:24. | :16:30. | |
his government's plans to close the coastguard centre in Greenock. Will | :16:30. | :16:37. | |
he stand up for Scotland now in regard to Greenock? As he knows, | :16:37. | :16:41. | |
the Scotland offers always makes the case for Scotland and poor | :16:41. | :16:45. | |
facilities and resources within Scotland. I very much welcome the | :16:45. | :16:49. | |
approach of my colleagues in the Department of Transport, saying | :16:49. | :16:52. | |
that they will listen to all the representations that are made, | :16:52. | :16:57. | |
having carried out a consultation and awaiting the report of the | :16:57. | :17:03. | |
Transport Select Committee. Clyde Coast Guard is important on the | :17:03. | :17:09. | |
west coast, and as a West Coast MP I believe we have already suffered | :17:09. | :17:16. | |
enough on this. Does he agree that we need Stornoway, Shetland and the | :17:16. | :17:23. | |
Clyde as an insurance policy? characterise the honourable member | :17:23. | :17:28. | |
as a doughty fighter for the station in Stornoway. He has made | :17:28. | :17:32. | |
very significant representations, and they have been heard, and my | :17:33. | :17:36. | |
colleagues in the Department of Transport will announce their | :17:36. | :17:38. | |
conclusion after the Transport Select Committee has delivered its | :17:38. | :17:48. | |
:17:48. | :17:53. | ||
report. The Scottish Government included to the devolution of | :17:53. | :17:57. | |
corporation tax within his requests for the amendment of the devolution | :17:57. | :18:05. | |
Bills. On the same day, the Business Secretary said that the | :18:05. | :18:09. | |
logic of devolving corporation tax was irresistible. He then said that | :18:09. | :18:15. | |
he fully supported the government's position in opposing it. Is not the | :18:15. | :18:18. | |
Business Secretary at bit of an embarrassment bows to the | :18:18. | :18:21. | |
government and to Scottish Business? And is it not about time | :18:21. | :18:25. | |
that he starts speaking to the Secretary of State of Scotland | :18:25. | :18:30. | |
about important matters like corporation tax? For I can assure | :18:30. | :18:40. | |
him that the Business Secretary and I are at one on this issue. This is | :18:40. | :18:50. | |
a question about discussions with the agriculture industry. We | :18:50. | :18:53. | |
regularly discussed devolution issues as part of the Scotland Bill, | :18:53. | :18:56. | |
which is delivering the government's commitment to settle | :18:57. | :19:03. | |
in -- strengthening the devolution settlement. I thank him for that | :19:03. | :19:08. | |
response. He will no doubt be acutely aware of how important | :19:08. | :19:11. | |
reform of the Common Agricultural Policy is, to farming in Scotland | :19:11. | :19:16. | |
and elsewhere in the UK. Given the importance of the industry to the | :19:16. | :19:21. | |
economy, does he agree with me that it is essential we secure a deal | :19:21. | :19:28. | |
that is fairer and more transparent for our farmers? He gave an answer | :19:28. | :19:33. | |
to a different question, and the Speaker is now telling us that. | :19:34. | :19:40. | |
Just to clarify that. Thank you Mr Speaker, I can advise the | :19:40. | :19:45. | |
honourable lady that that my right honourable friend the Secretary of | :19:45. | :19:48. | |
State for Scotland was in Brussels last week and was making the very | :19:48. | :19:58. | |
:19:58. | :20:02. | ||
point that she has made in her questions. I could referred the | :20:02. | :20:09. | |
honourable lady to my previous answers. I am most grateful as ever | :20:09. | :20:14. | |
to my honourable friend. Has the Advocate-General had time, have | :20:14. | :20:19. | |
they received an update on progress being made by the expert group set | :20:19. | :20:25. | |
up by the Scottish Government looking at the role of the UK | :20:25. | :20:31. | |
Supreme Court? The Advocate-General wrote to the chair of the Scottish | :20:31. | :20:35. | |
Government's expert group offering to meet with them, but now has | :20:35. | :20:40. | |
received a response saying that their timetable means they have not | :20:40. | :20:43. | |
had time in the first instance to receive submissions or hear | :20:43. | :20:49. | |
evidence. So what we appear to have his and you expert group set up by | :20:49. | :20:53. | |
the First Minister one week, which meets the following week, no | :20:53. | :21:00. | |
evidence taking in any week, and reports the next week. That is a | :21:00. | :21:05. | |
disappointing response. Will the government has start supporting the | :21:05. | :21:15. | |
:21:15. | :21:16. | ||
integrity and independence of Scots Lough? -- Scots Law. I would have | :21:16. | :21:23. | |
hoped Mr Speaker that the honourable gentle man, like his | :21:23. | :21:27. | |
colleague, it would have sought to disassociate himself from the | :21:27. | :21:32. | |
appalling comments which the First Minister has made about Lord Hope, | :21:32. | :21:40. | |
which had been described as foolish as juvenile. There are too many | :21:40. | :21:47. | |
private conversations taking place here. It is discourteous. What | :21:47. | :21:52. | |
possible confidence can we have in the findings of a group which is | :21:52. | :21:55. | |
unwilling to meet the Advocate- General, who last year established | :21:55. | :22:00. | |
an inquiry for precisely the same purpose as this group has been | :22:00. | :22:07. | |
established? He makes an extremely good point, as I said in my initial | :22:07. | :22:13. | |
response, it seems incredible that a great set up to look at this very | :22:13. | :22:18. | |
complicated issue is not going to take evidence, not going to receive | :22:18. | :22:23. | |
submissions. I'm pleased to say that the Lord Advocate -- the | :22:23. | :22:27. | |
Advocate-General has made his information available to the grave. | :22:27. | :22:35. | |
So that may give us some confidence in the report he produces. | :22:35. | :22:39. | |
White Paper set out a strategy for creating opportunities and | :22:39. | :22:42. | |
providing the conditions for private sector growth through trade | :22:42. | :22:48. | |
and international investment. The Minister for trade and investment | :22:48. | :22:55. | |
is visiting Scotland in July. he share my fear that has got a | :22:55. | :22:58. | |
should government's plans for a referendum on 7th -- separation | :22:58. | :23:03. | |
will undermine its efforts to create jobs in Scotland? He is | :23:03. | :23:07. | |
right to highlight what we are focusing on as a government. The | :23:07. | :23:11. | |
plan for growth is 60 make us the most competitive tax system in the | :23:11. | :23:16. | |
G20, to insure that we are the best place in Europe to start, grow | :23:16. | :23:23. | |
Llansannan said business. -- and finance and business. None of that | :23:23. | :23:28. | |
can be done in the and 70 which the independence referendums would | :23:28. | :23:34. | |
create. Does he agree that the Olympics offer as splendid | :23:34. | :23:38. | |
opportunities for promoting investment to Scotland? In that | :23:38. | :23:46. | |
regard, is it not tragic that the talks will fly over John O'Groats? | :23:46. | :23:51. | |
He makes his point as elegantly as I would expect him to. I'm sure | :23:51. | :24:00. | |
those who are organising the trip will have heard his points. | :24:00. | :24:04. | |
seminar I hosted in Arizona last month discussed how to tackle a | :24:04. | :24:09. | |
high level of youth unemployment in M. The Scotland Office is working | :24:09. | :24:13. | |
with key partners to focus resources on the most challenging | :24:13. | :24:17. | |
areas identified at the seminar. We look forward to working with the | :24:18. | :24:24. | |
government on this issue. One of the areas of major concern | :24:24. | :24:31. | |
identified at a seminar was a high levels of unemployment fast amongst | :24:31. | :24:36. | |
people between 16 and 18, of which seems to have slipped off the radar. | :24:37. | :24:43. | |
He was present at that meeting and Mark that as a very important point. | :24:43. | :24:48. | |
What assessment has been made, and what is going to be done about that | :24:48. | :24:55. | |
particular issue? I thank him for his participation in that seminar, | :24:55. | :24:59. | |
the first in a series we will be holding to tackle what is a deep- | :24:59. | :25:04. | |
rooted problem, not just in Ayrshire but elsewhere. It is one | :25:04. | :25:08. | |
that has defied governments through the ages. He rightly points out | :25:08. | :25:12. | |
that the Secretary of State was at that salmon are. If we continue to | :25:12. | :25:15. | |
discuss the challenges faced by youth unemployment, and I'm happy | :25:15. | :25:21. | |
to discuss it with him again in due course. As he knows, Ayrshire has | :25:21. | :25:25. | |
some of the worst rates of unemployment and youth unemployment | :25:25. | :25:31. | |
in Scotland. In 2007, Scotland had the highest levels of employment in | :25:31. | :25:37. | |
Britain, it now has the lowest levels. What more can the | :25:37. | :25:41. | |
Westminster government do to work with the Scottish Government to | :25:42. | :25:47. | |
bring in concrete steps to address this problem? He I would make two | :25:47. | :25:52. | |
observations. On the first of those, of course, we are at a stage now | :25:52. | :25:56. | |
when we need to get the economy in a place where we can see sustained, | :25:56. | :26:00. | |
balanced growth. In complete contrast to the situation we | :26:01. | :26:05. | |
inherited from her government. On her second point, she is right to | :26:05. | :26:08. | |
highlight the serious economic power is that the Scottish | :26:08. | :26:14. | |
Government already have. And it is vitally important that we work | :26:14. | :26:22. | |
together to ensure that we do the best for people across Scotland. | :26:22. | :26:28. | |
the issue was raised in discussions between the Deputy Prime Minister | :26:28. | :26:32. | |
and the Secretary of State for Scotland, and the First Minister, | :26:32. | :26:36. | |
on 9th June. As announced by the Chancellor and the Secretary of | :26:36. | :26:41. | |
State on 13th June, the government is bringing forward to 2011 the | :26:42. | :26:50. | |
power for Scottish ministers to make repayments. As the Minister | :26:50. | :26:56. | |
will be aware, there are teenagers game is about to take case in the | :26:56. | :27:03. | |
UK. The force road rage is to be funded by the Treasury, the Mersey | :27:03. | :27:08. | |
gateway interests should -- Cheshire to be funded by tolls. How | :27:08. | :27:14. | |
can the Government justified that? The justification is devolution, it | :27:14. | :27:19. | |
is a decision of the Scottish Government to proceed with the 4th | :27:19. | :27:21. | |
road bridge replacement crossing on the basis that there will be no | :27:21. | :27:28. |