Browse content similar to 23/11/2016. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Very warm welcome to Westminster for November's Scottish questions. A | :00:20. | :00:28. | |
busy day, Philip Hammond delivering his Autumn Statement. The first one | :00:29. | :00:32. | |
since the Brexit vote five months ago. You will not be surprised if I | :00:33. | :00:37. | |
tell you that Scottish questioned also had and economic theme. | :00:38. | :00:46. | |
Devolution and independents also on the agenda. Proceedings began with a | :00:47. | :00:50. | |
very specific question about how fines being levied on banks could be | :00:51. | :00:55. | |
used to help Art galleries and museums in Scotland. Lots of good | :00:56. | :01:05. | |
causes across Scotland have put bids into the Treasury for a extra round | :01:06. | :01:12. | |
of allocations. We will need to be patient and wait for this | :01:13. | :01:16. | |
afternoon's Chancellor's Autumn Statement. Be patient. He knows | :01:17. | :01:25. | |
there is no greater cause in my constituency than that of Holmwood | :01:26. | :01:31. | |
house. Given that next year is the bicentenary of the architect's birth | :01:32. | :01:35. | |
and he knows how keen I am and the Thomson Society are on the promotion | :01:36. | :01:44. | |
of that internationally, will he try to make that happen? You should be | :01:45. | :02:01. | |
commended for trying to make Alexander Greek Thompson known. I | :02:02. | :02:07. | |
can assure the honourable gentleman, particular after my own visit to | :02:08. | :02:12. | |
Holmwood house and meeting with the Thomson Society that we will do all | :02:13. | :02:19. | |
we can to promote the bicentenary. The Chancellor of extractor suggests | :02:20. | :02:34. | |
that it could be used... Open casket since 2016? The UK Government have | :02:35. | :02:45. | |
done a great deal to work with East Ayrshire Council to ensure that | :02:46. | :02:49. | |
opencast restoration could proceed in that area following the collapse | :02:50. | :02:54. | |
of various companies involved in opencast mining. We continue that | :02:55. | :02:57. | |
dialogue with both the Scottish Government and east Ayrshire Council | :02:58. | :03:08. | |
to bring this to a satisfactory resolution. Scotland has wonderful | :03:09. | :03:15. | |
tourist attractions. Many in the border region. Same price to | :03:16. | :03:21. | |
Cumbria. The Secretary of State agree that there are real | :03:22. | :03:27. | |
opportunities to promote the border area, but it requires close | :03:28. | :03:31. | |
corporation between both sides and it is not just about finance. I am | :03:32. | :03:38. | |
very keen to promote cross-border working between Cumbria County | :03:39. | :03:45. | |
Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council. That is why I am a big | :03:46. | :03:53. | |
supporter of the so-called borderlands initiative to bring | :03:54. | :04:00. | |
those together and help significant economic development in that area. | :04:01. | :04:07. | |
Tourism would play a important part. We have made significant process to | :04:08. | :04:11. | |
transfer powers in the Scotland act of 2016 to the Scottish parliament. | :04:12. | :04:16. | |
A large number of provisions of the act are already in force and we will | :04:17. | :04:20. | |
continue to work with the Scottish Government for the smooth transition | :04:21. | :04:26. | |
of remaining powers. As the SNP Government has failed to introduce a | :04:27. | :04:31. | |
single piece of legislation in the last six months, the First Minister | :04:32. | :04:35. | |
prepares grandstanding across Europe in order to block Brexit. Isn't it | :04:36. | :04:41. | |
time she used the powers devolved to her in Scotland to start governing | :04:42. | :04:46. | |
rather than engaging in pointless photo opportunities? Mr Speaker, I | :04:47. | :04:56. | |
can update the honourable gentleman. This cottage Government have now | :04:57. | :05:01. | |
brought forward one piece of legislation since the Scottish | :05:02. | :05:07. | |
Parliament elections in May. We may be interested that this Government | :05:08. | :05:13. | |
has 19 pieces of legislation before this Parliament. Of course, I agree | :05:14. | :05:19. | |
with him and I think that the majority of people in Scotland who | :05:20. | :05:22. | |
want the First Minister and the Scottish Government to get on with | :05:23. | :05:26. | |
the day job of running Scotland and the devolved responsibilities and | :05:27. | :05:29. | |
not constantly talk about independence. The Scottish | :05:30. | :05:36. | |
Government has announced that new powers over benefits would be used | :05:37. | :05:42. | |
to end the misery being meted out on disabled Scots by the UK Government. | :05:43. | :05:47. | |
Our First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to reduce the need for | :05:48. | :05:51. | |
assessments for personal independence payment and disability | :05:52. | :05:55. | |
living allowance, particularly for those with long-term illness. Bobby | :05:56. | :05:59. | |
Secretary of State take the opportunity to welcome this and | :06:00. | :06:05. | |
urges UK colleagues to follow suit? What I will welcome when I see it is | :06:06. | :06:10. | |
some detail behind these fine words. We have heard lots of fine words, | :06:11. | :06:20. | |
but to date on welfare we have absolutely no detail as to what the | :06:21. | :06:27. | |
Scottish Government plan to do. He believes that they are fine words. | :06:28. | :06:32. | |
Perhaps he will follow the initiative of the Scottish | :06:33. | :06:35. | |
Government. It is fair to say that the majority of welfare and economic | :06:36. | :06:39. | |
powers are not being devolved to the Scottish parliament. So, will the | :06:40. | :06:43. | |
Secretary of State confirm that he has no plans to devolve powers to | :06:44. | :06:48. | |
deal with Scottish legal partnerships and the risks that they | :06:49. | :06:53. | |
pose in the fight against global money-laundering and organised | :06:54. | :06:55. | |
crime? I've raised this with the Prime Minister, I have spoken to him | :06:56. | :07:00. | |
about this. Will he now tell the house what he and the UK Government | :07:01. | :07:07. | |
will now do about it? As he knows, the settlement in relation to the | :07:08. | :07:15. | |
Scotland axe 2016 was the outcome of the commission and the Scottish | :07:16. | :07:21. | |
legal partnerships was not part of that and will not be devolved. I do | :07:22. | :07:25. | |
take the issue extremely seriously. I commend him for the way in which | :07:26. | :07:29. | |
he has highlighted it in this house and elsewhere. I commend the Herald | :07:30. | :07:33. | |
newspaper for the way in which they have highlighted the issue. | :07:34. | :07:37. | |
Colleagues within the UK Government are looking at how we can best take | :07:38. | :07:41. | |
the situation forward to end the abuses which are evident. I was | :07:42. | :07:47. | |
concerned to read in the Sunday Times that the Scottish Government | :07:48. | :07:51. | |
are delaying the introduction of the devolved welfare powers. Can my | :07:52. | :07:54. | |
right honourable friend confirm that this is the case? All members will | :07:55. | :08:02. | |
have access to the minutes of the last meeting of the last joint | :08:03. | :08:09. | |
welfare group between myself and the Scottish Government ministers. Those | :08:10. | :08:14. | |
minutes confirm that the introduction of the welfare powers | :08:15. | :08:19. | |
in Scotland are indeed being delayed potentially until 2020. The transfer | :08:20. | :08:30. | |
of powers of these is over to the Scottish Government. The UK | :08:31. | :08:35. | |
Government will not allowed non-EU fishermen to come in. People would | :08:36. | :08:42. | |
be welcome and required, but this Government is threatening jobs and | :08:43. | :08:49. | |
industry in the outer Hebrides. Willie deserving about it or will | :08:50. | :08:54. | |
you do nothing as usual? I recognise the concerns. Others have expressed | :08:55. | :08:59. | |
them. There are specific rules about who can work on fishing boats, but | :09:00. | :09:05. | |
immigration does remain a reserved issue and the responsibility of the | :09:06. | :09:12. | |
Home Office. Always a pleasure to follow hurricane came Angus. Thank | :09:13. | :09:26. | |
you for your generous to allow us to stand here. I have been immersing | :09:27. | :09:30. | |
myself in Scottish legislation and Irn-Bru for the last week. Mr | :09:31. | :09:35. | |
Speaker, can I tell the Secretary of State that many of us on this site | :09:36. | :09:39. | |
would give our right TV to get the powers contained in 2016. Does he | :09:40. | :09:51. | |
feel like the reluctance of Scotland to use their powers is a lack of | :09:52. | :09:59. | |
ambition or modesty? I welcome the member here. The one question I | :10:00. | :10:03. | |
would have is who is next? Because we have had a selection of | :10:04. | :10:10. | |
individuals. What I would say to the honourable gentleman is that these | :10:11. | :10:14. | |
are very significant powers over tax and welfare. Although today in the | :10:15. | :10:18. | |
Autumn Statement here in this house is a very important event, on the | :10:19. | :10:22. | |
15th of December, we will see the Scottish budget for the first time. | :10:23. | :10:28. | |
The Scottish Government able to raise income tax at its will in | :10:29. | :10:33. | |
relation to the Scottish budget. That I think is a very significant | :10:34. | :10:37. | |
moment in terms of taking responsibility and accountability. | :10:38. | :10:47. | |
The Government will continue to provide an environment when S M Es | :10:48. | :10:53. | |
everywhere can thrive. Cutting red tape, keeping taxes low, tackling | :10:54. | :10:57. | |
late payment and improving access to finance. We are committed to making | :10:58. | :11:02. | |
sure the whole of the UK is a great place to start and grow a business. | :11:03. | :11:10. | |
Figures produced by the Scottish Government show that SME take up | :11:11. | :11:18. | |
more than... If there is any sort of setback and the Chancellor is | :11:19. | :11:22. | |
predicting one, these enterprises are hardest hit. Given their | :11:23. | :11:26. | |
importance, what is the Minister doing to reduce uncertainty and to | :11:27. | :11:31. | |
support their growth? The UK economy is strong in spite of uncertainty. | :11:32. | :11:37. | |
Scottish SMEs are currently benefiting from more than ?400 | :11:38. | :11:44. | |
million of investment from the business bank. It will help | :11:45. | :11:47. | |
capitalise on new technologies and new export markets. Does the | :11:48. | :11:55. | |
Minister agree that the UK market is four times the size of the U market | :11:56. | :12:00. | |
in Scotland. It is very clear why businesses are saying loud and | :12:01. | :12:03. | |
clearly that they do not want talk of another independence referendum, | :12:04. | :12:07. | |
but instead wants stability to strengthen the economy. I do agree. | :12:08. | :12:18. | |
SMEs in Scotland trade four times as much in the single market of the | :12:19. | :12:23. | |
United Kingdom as they do in the European Union. Indeed, they trade | :12:24. | :12:26. | |
more with markets and the rest of the world than they do across the | :12:27. | :12:34. | |
entire EU. One of the key thing is that the Scottish Government and the | :12:35. | :12:37. | |
UK Government could do to take away uncertainty for the SMEs across | :12:38. | :12:42. | |
Scotland is to take off the table the second independence referendum. | :12:43. | :12:47. | |
Another thing that the Government could also do is to conclude the | :12:48. | :12:53. | |
Edinburgh city deal so that we want to make sure that we hear that in | :12:54. | :12:58. | |
the next few minutes. I share the enthusiasm for that city deal. But | :12:59. | :13:02. | |
the honourable gentleman, we will have to wait for another hour to | :13:03. | :13:05. | |
hear more detail on that. I could not agree with him more the | :13:06. | :13:10. | |
uncertainty in Scotland is coming far more from talk of another | :13:11. | :13:14. | |
referendum than it is from the EU referendum outcome. Thank you, Mr | :13:15. | :13:22. | |
Speaker. Yesterday it was announced that over 500 jobs in the tannic | :13:23. | :13:26. | |
side area of my constituency are under threat. Kwik-Fit insurance | :13:27. | :13:33. | |
have announced plans to axe their entire Scottish operation. If these | :13:34. | :13:37. | |
plans proceed it would be a devastating brooch at the local | :13:38. | :13:40. | |
community just before Christmas. -- devastating blow. What can you offer | :13:41. | :13:48. | |
to comfort these people in this tickled time? It will be a very | :13:49. | :13:52. | |
difficult time for the Kwik-Fit workforce and their families. At the | :13:53. | :13:56. | |
moment, particularly because the honourable gentleman mentions it is | :13:57. | :14:00. | |
in the art elite Mac run-up to Christmas. I understand Kwik-Fit are | :14:01. | :14:04. | |
consulting on closure by the end of March by the end of next year. I | :14:05. | :14:08. | |
hope they will be able to quickly move into alternative on climate. | :14:09. | :14:13. | |
The UK Government will assist with support with the Jobcentre plus | :14:14. | :14:18. | |
rapid reaction service, working also with North Lanarkshire Council to | :14:19. | :14:28. | |
help all those being made redundant. What is my honourable friend's | :14:29. | :14:32. | |
estimate in the number of jobs action involved in this process and | :14:33. | :14:36. | |
does that not demonstrate the importance to Scotland and the | :14:37. | :14:38. | |
economy of Scotland and staying in the United kingdom? Specifically to | :14:39. | :14:49. | |
SMEs which the honourable gentleman I'm sure intended to mention. The | :14:50. | :14:56. | |
employment rate is less in Scotland than in United Kingdom. Two free | :14:57. | :14:57. | |
benefit for this. On the 12th of October in response | :14:58. | :15:08. | |
to a question about the deal struck at Nissan the Secretary of State | :15:09. | :15:14. | |
said, and I quote, it whatever support is put in place for | :15:15. | :15:17. | |
businesses in the north-east will be put in place for Scotland. Is the | :15:18. | :15:22. | |
Secretary of State or minister willing to confirm this is still the | :15:23. | :15:26. | |
case and, if so, will she provide more detail of the. SMEs need to | :15:27. | :15:35. | |
know. My right honourable friend was right in what he said about the | :15:36. | :15:40. | |
Nissan deal. That level of support will be available to Scottish | :15:41. | :15:43. | |
businesses. As the detail, the honourable gentleman will have to | :15:44. | :15:46. | |
wait until the Autumn Statement for that. I am grateful, especially for | :15:47. | :15:52. | |
promotion to the Privy Council. Welcoming back commitment and I am | :15:53. | :15:57. | |
sure businesses of all sizes will be reassured, but in view of the | :15:58. | :16:01. | |
commitment there must've been an analysis of costs. Will the minister | :16:02. | :16:05. | |
informed the house what assessment has been made of the cost of | :16:06. | :16:11. | |
supports? My right honourable friend the Secretary of State will make an | :16:12. | :16:14. | |
assessment of costs and benefits of all such deals on an ongoing basis. | :16:15. | :16:27. | |
Mr Speaker, the Secretary of State for Scotland has had discussions | :16:28. | :16:33. | |
with me about the intra- UK budget allocations under the CAP and I've | :16:34. | :16:36. | |
had discussions with the National Farmers' Union Scotland, Scottish | :16:37. | :16:41. | |
members of Parliament and the Scottish Government's Cabinet | :16:42. | :16:49. | |
Secretary. The convergence uplift is worth 230 million euros. The UK | :16:50. | :16:54. | |
Government has withheld that money that should support Scotland's rural | :16:55. | :17:00. | |
economy. When will Scotland's man in the Cabinet do something about this? | :17:01. | :17:07. | |
Or will he continue to do nothing? I said to the honourable gentleman we | :17:08. | :17:11. | |
will give an update on the review of CAP allocations. The context has | :17:12. | :17:19. | |
changed following the decision to leave the EU and some argue the area | :17:20. | :17:23. | |
based payments as required have never suited Scotland well and NFU | :17:24. | :17:29. | |
Scotland have previously raised concerns about the level of payments | :17:30. | :17:33. | |
going to large landowners and argued we should instead direct support to | :17:34. | :17:37. | |
farmers and producers through livestock payments. We have an | :17:38. | :17:41. | |
opportunity to look at these issues and I will work with NFU Scotland | :17:42. | :17:53. | |
and officials. What we are seeking in Scottish questions is the | :17:54. | :17:57. | |
confirmation the Scottish Secretary of State backs Scottish farmers and | :17:58. | :18:01. | |
will get this promised money delivered. It is fantastic we have | :18:02. | :18:04. | |
the farming minister here but we have had so far is no detail, just | :18:05. | :18:18. | |
words. Can we have the detail? I disagree. As I make clear the | :18:19. | :18:22. | |
Secretary of State discusses this issue with me regularly. I am | :18:23. | :18:27. | |
passionate about Scotland and I discussed this with NFU Scotland | :18:28. | :18:32. | |
from January onwards and we are working on joint proposals and | :18:33. | :18:35. | |
agreements when it comes to post Brexit agricultural policy. Number | :18:36. | :18:46. | |
six, please. My right honourable friend has held 60 meetings with | :18:47. | :18:53. | |
well over 100 Scottish organisation since the referendum to hear their | :18:54. | :18:57. | |
views and the Business Secretary has met businesses in Aberdeen and the | :18:58. | :19:01. | |
Trade Minister has met business leaders in Edinburgh. Will my | :19:02. | :19:08. | |
honourable friend encouraged Scottish businesses to seize the | :19:09. | :19:12. | |
opportunities of our new relationship with Europe? And the | :19:13. | :19:17. | |
wider world. Including golf course my own constituency of Louth and | :19:18. | :19:24. | |
Horncastle? Will she urged the Scottish Government to support their | :19:25. | :19:28. | |
businesses, stop moaning about referenda and get on with | :19:29. | :19:36. | |
government. I thank my honourable friend and I am happy to give that | :19:37. | :19:41. | |
encouragement. The message the UK Government has heard is businesses | :19:42. | :19:47. | |
in Scotland want stability and not another divisive referendum. Talk of | :19:48. | :19:53. | |
independence is disrupted. People want economic stability that can | :19:54. | :19:56. | |
only be provided by Scotland remaining in the UK. Spit it out, | :19:57. | :20:08. | |
man, coming on this question, yours was similar. In July this Secretary | :20:09. | :20:12. | |
of State's party leader told the BBC, I want to stay in the single | :20:13. | :20:17. | |
market even if the consequence is maintaining free movement of labour. | :20:18. | :20:22. | |
Can the Secretary of State explain the U-turn? No U-turn on that | :20:23. | :20:32. | |
whatsoever, the UK Government will seek the best deal for all parts of | :20:33. | :20:38. | |
the UK and that will include limits on free movement and the best access | :20:39. | :20:43. | |
to and trade within the single market for British companies. The | :20:44. | :20:51. | |
creative industries in Scotland are one of the most successful areas of | :20:52. | :20:56. | |
Scottish business. There is concern about the regulatory regime that | :20:57. | :21:00. | |
off, preside over and its future relationship with the EU and what | :21:01. | :21:07. | |
that looks like. What discussions has she had concerning that | :21:08. | :21:15. | |
regulatory regime? My ministerial colleagues in the Department will | :21:16. | :21:18. | |
have had discussions and I will ask one of them to notify the honourable | :21:19. | :21:25. | |
member of the outcome. In the Northern Isles some of our most it | :21:26. | :21:31. | |
sporting -- important exporting distances are in the successful Food | :21:32. | :21:35. | |
and drinks sector but they say it is almost impossible to plan for the | :21:36. | :21:39. | |
future until they know what access they will have two EU markets. Will | :21:40. | :21:45. | |
the minister ensure their voices are heard in these negotiations as well | :21:46. | :21:49. | |
as the big boys in financial services and the automotive industry | :21:50. | :21:57. | |
is? The Darfur minister has regular meetings with the Scottish fishing | :21:58. | :22:03. | |
industry and agricultural sector. Across government there are | :22:04. | :22:06. | |
discussions with the Scottish whisky association about how they can | :22:07. | :22:10. | |
continue to build on the strengths of their exports beyond the EU as | :22:11. | :22:18. | |
well as within the single market. During a live televised debate two | :22:19. | :22:25. | |
days before Brexit, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said the EU | :22:26. | :22:29. | |
provides a level Plainfield for small businesses and if the UK left | :22:30. | :22:36. | |
the EU, the rest of the EU would impose tariffs and taxes. Can the | :22:37. | :22:43. | |
she advised the house how many of the 1.2 million jobs provided by | :22:44. | :22:48. | |
SMEs in Scotland are estimated to be at risk once these tariffs and taxes | :22:49. | :22:57. | |
coming? As I have said, the government is committed to gaining | :22:58. | :23:01. | |
the maximum access to the single market and trade within the single | :23:02. | :23:05. | |
market for all British companies, including Scottish SMEs. Order. | :23:06. | :23:12. | |
There is far too much noise in the chamber, a number of loud private | :23:13. | :23:16. | |
conversations. Let's have order for a senior and respected member of the | :23:17. | :23:21. | |
house of 33 years standing, Sir David Amis. Question number seven, | :23:22. | :23:34. | |
Mr Speaker. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for | :23:35. | :23:39. | |
Scotland held round tables with the Scottish food and drink industry and | :23:40. | :23:43. | |
in addition my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for | :23:44. | :23:47. | |
environment met with a range of food and drink businesses in a visit to | :23:48. | :23:52. | |
Scotland this month. With Scotch whiskey being the finest in the | :23:53. | :23:56. | |
world and a valuable export, would my honourable friend agree that as a | :23:57. | :24:03. | |
result of the UK deciding to leave the EU, there may be further export | :24:04. | :24:11. | |
opportunities? I very much agree with my honourable friend and the | :24:12. | :24:15. | |
truth is Scotch whiskey is a fantastic success story for this | :24:16. | :24:20. | |
country with overseas sales worth 3.9 billion in 2015. I attended an | :24:21. | :24:25. | |
event in Tokyo to promote great British drinks and it included | :24:26. | :24:28. | |
Scotch whiskey, which is popular in Japan. I wonder if the... I think | :24:29. | :24:43. | |
the honourable lady never fully realise the extent of her own | :24:44. | :24:48. | |
popularity on the government benches. Does the Secretary of State | :24:49. | :24:52. | |
for Scotland realise the value of exports from the rest of the UK to | :24:53. | :24:58. | |
Scotland are more than ?50 billion? That is more than Scotland exports | :24:59. | :25:03. | |
to the rest of the UK, so with the Secretary of State agree that | :25:04. | :25:06. | |
regardless of constitutional arrangements in the future, the | :25:07. | :25:12. | |
Scotland rest of UK trading relationship is an important one? I | :25:13. | :25:20. | |
think the fact is the honourable lady highlights underline the fact | :25:21. | :25:24. | |
the union that is vital to this country is the United Kingdom | :25:25. | :25:28. | |
because we have close trade. Number eight, Sir. I have regular meetings | :25:29. | :25:36. | |
with the Scottish Government ministers and last met the Cabinet | :25:37. | :25:43. | |
Secretary financing Constitution on the 21st of October. Both | :25:44. | :25:47. | |
governments are committed to providing all support to the | :25:48. | :25:50. | |
Scottish Fiscal Commission and Office for Budget Responsibility. | :25:51. | :25:55. | |
Does my right honourable friend agree that a core principle of | :25:56. | :25:59. | |
stable and accountable, but sure government must be government should | :26:00. | :26:06. | |
not bid its own forecasts but answer for its choices and consequences to | :26:07. | :26:12. | |
the people they govern? I absolutely agree and the transfer of income tax | :26:13. | :26:20. | |
and welfare powers to the Scottish Parliament does just that. No longer | :26:21. | :26:23. | |
will the SNP and Scottish Government simply be able to complain if they | :26:24. | :26:29. | |
genuinely have ideas, they will be able to do something about it and | :26:30. | :26:32. | |
the people of Scotland will understand what their tax | :26:33. | :26:40. | |
implications are. Exports from the services sector could be cut by 60% | :26:41. | :26:44. | |
of the UK is out of the single market. That would be a 2.3 billion | :26:45. | :26:50. | |
hit for Scotland and given that, can he tell us why his Conservative | :26:51. | :26:54. | |
colleagues at Holyrood voted against the Scottish Government motion to | :26:55. | :27:01. | |
protect Scotland's position. With reference to the work of the | :27:02. | :27:06. | |
independent Fiscal Commission. I am sure the independent Fiscal | :27:07. | :27:11. | |
Commission will have noted my colleagues, the Conservative group | :27:12. | :27:14. | |
in Holyrood, voted against the SNP motion because we have no idea where | :27:15. | :27:21. | |
the SNPs stand in relation to the UK's future relationship with the | :27:22. | :27:28. | |
EU. I am afraid that is all we have time for. That is the final Scottish | :27:29. | :27:34. | |
Questions of 2016, because of the Christmas break we will not be back | :27:35. | :27:38. | |
again for two months, when we will be back on the 18th of January. Join | :27:39. | :27:44. | |
us then. From all of us at Westminster, goodbye. | :27:45. | :27:46. |