25/10/2017 Scottish Questions

A very warm welcome to Westminster

for October's Scottish questions. As

you may have gathered it is

unseasonably mild down here at the

moment but whether any of that

warmth transferred to the Commons

chamber... I will let you be the

judge of that. As usual, a variety

of topics under discussion such as

the economy and, of course, Brexit.

Proceedings began about the question

of closure of further job centres in

Scotland.

Order, order. Questions to

the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Question one, Mr Speaker.

Most Jobcentres are staying put.

We are merging some

into neighbouring offices to create

bigger, multi-skilled teams,

moving them into better buildings,

or placing them into shared

local authority space,

all of which can lead

to better customer service.

In Glasgow, unemployment has

consistently been higher

than the national average,

child poverty is rising,

and the use of food banks

has increased by 20%

in the past two years.

How can Ministers justify

closing so many Jobcentres,

which provide vital support

for people struggling

to access the labour market?

I can confirm that Glasgow

will continue to have a considerably

higher concentration of Jobcentres

not only than the large cities

in England but compared with most

other large cities in Scotland.

We have redesigned the estate

to make sure that we can provide

well for our client base,

but from bigger Jobcentres.

There are a number of things we can

do from larger Jobcentres to help

unemployed people that it is not

so straightforward to

do from smaller ones.

Bridgeton Jobcentre in my

constituency will close and people

will have to take two buses

to get to Shettleston.

Will the Minister give a commitment

that not a single one

of my constituents will be

sanctioned for being late

because they could not get

there on time because of his cuts?

Damian Hines is the Work and

Pensions minister.

We expect people who are not in work

to have the working week effectively

available for their job-search

activities, including

visiting the Jobcentre and,

of course, applying for jobs.

As I think the honourable lady

already knows, the rate of sanctions

is down significantly.

The vast majority of people do not

get sanctioned every month,

and we run a policy of having

a reasonable approach.

If people have a good reason for not

being at an appointment,

they will not be sanctioned.

The Department for Work and Pensions

claims that the need for Jobcentres

is declining with the growth

of online services,

but in the constituency

of Glasgow East, which has one

of the highest claimant rates

in Scotland, at around 35%,

many do not have access

to the internet and 51%

are not IT literate,

yet the government are still closing

three Jobcentres, one of which

serves three homeless shelters.

What assessment has the Minister

made of the impact of closures

on service users, many of whom rely

on face-to-face interaction

with Jobcentre staff?

We did of course make an assessment

of the effect of the changes.

Where the changes would involve

people having to travel more

than three miles or 20 minutes

by public transport,

we had a public consultation.

In one case, we changed the plan

in the light of the consultation,

as the honourable member

for Glasgow South (Stewart Malcolm

McDonald) well knows.

We think it is right to move

to larger Jobcentres

in which we can do more.

They are better equipped and have

computers to ensure that

that facility is there,

and there are specialists

in the Jobcentre who can help people

with the computers and get

through the problems

of digital exclusion

that the honourable lady mentions.

I thank the Minister for that

answer, but I am afraid

it is not very convincing

or particularly reassuring.

He knows full well that

equality impact assessments

have been conducted,

as the Secretary of State

for Scotland told me

in response to my letter.

The Secretary of State also said

in his letter that if I wanted

to access that equality information,

I would have to make individual

freedom of information requests

for every single Jobcentre.

It is outrageous that the government

are covering up this

vital information.

They claim to value openness

and transparency, but they refuse

to publish information that should

be freely available,

no matter how much it shames them.

I have in my hand an FOI request...

Order.

I am sorry, but I need a single

sentence and a question

mark at the end of it.

There is a lot of pressure on time.

I apologise to the honourable lady,

but she is taking far too long.

She must be very quick.

The Minister has one more chance

to publish the information.

Otherwise, here is my FOI request.

The key point is that

an Equality Impact Assessment

is not just a document,

it is an entire way of thinking

and working and it runs

throughout these processes.

I can confirm that we have been

absolutely compliant with our duties

under the Equality Act 2010,

as we should be.

We are in agreement

with the devolved Administrations

that common frameworks will be

necessary in some areas but,

as I have made it clear,

we expect that there will be

a significant increase

in the decision-making power of each

devolved Administration.

The questioning includes number 14

rather than 15? Very good.

We hear about this powers

bonanza all the time,

but the Prime Minister was unable

to give us details on Monday,

and it seems that the Secretary

of State was unable to do

so yesterday at the Scottish

Affairs Committee.

Let us give him another opportunity.

Can he name one power that

will definitely come

to the Scottish Parliament

as a result of Brexit?

We hear repeatedly from

the Scottish National Benches

about engagement with the Scottish

government, and this engagement will

be with the Scottish government.

That is where the discussions

are going on in relation

to the transfer of powers.

I am absolutely certain that,

at the end of this process,

the Scottish Parliament will have

more powers and responsibilities

than it does right now.

Among all the fluff of that answer,

there was absolutely no substance.

For a second time, may I ask

the Secretary of State

what new powers will be coming

to Holyrood as a result of Brexit?

The honourable gentleman will have

seen a list of 111 powers

and responsibilities...

Order.

Mr Linden, you are a most

over-excitable individual.

Calm yourself.

I understand your interest,

but the question has been put...

Order.

There is no need for

excessive gesticulation.

Whether or not you like the answer,

Mr Linden, you must pay

the Secretary of State the respect

of hearing it,

preferably with courtesy.

This is all about grandstanding,

it is not about the substantive

issue of ensuring a transfer of very

significant powers from the 111

powers that were listed

to the Scottish Parliament.

I believe in devolution.

I am committed to devolution

and I want to see the maximum number

of powers transferred.

The Scottish National Party does not

believe in devolution.

Can I, for the third time,

ask the Secretary of State to name

one power that is coming?

If he is struggling for powers,

may I suggest that he considers

immigration, so that we can tackle

things such as the skills

immigration charge, which will be

causing a skills shortage

and damaging the economy

in my constituency?

I can give the honourable gentleman

a definitive answer on the last

part of his question.

Immigration is not being

devolved to Scotland.

The Smith Commission process

identified those areas

of responsibility to be devolved,

and immigration was not one of them.

The Scottish National Party

accepted that report and,

on the basis of that,

we implemented it in

the Scotland Act 2016.

I am disappointed that,

after three questions,

we still have not had an answer.

On immigration, I am disappointed

that the Secretary of State

was disinclined to listen

to my honourable friend

the Member for Linlithgow

and East Falkirk.

Perhaps he will listen to Nobel

laureate Joe Stiglizt who,

over the weekend, said that Scotland

should have the powers to go its own

way in migration policy.

He knows a bit more about this

than we do, so is he right?

I seem to remember that

Professor Joe Stiglizt supported

independence for Scotland,

but the people of Scotland knew

a bit more than the professor

and decided to keep Scotland

in the United Kingdom.

My right honourable friend has been

crystal clear that Brexit offers

opportunities and powers.

The SNP talks down Scotland,

and specifically Aberdeenshire,

the city that has managed to recover

from the oil downturn.

Why cannot it recognise

that the new powers and EU

withdrawal offers opportunities

to Scotland, specifically

to Aberdeenshire?

I am disappointed that the SNP

is here in Westminster adopting this

sort of pantomime approach

to the very important issue

of powers rather than engaging

in a constructive way.

Fortunately, it appears

that the Scottish government

are adopting a more responsible

approach, which is why

there are substantial discussions

between the UK and Scottish

Governments.

May I draw my right

honourable friend s attention

to the new inquiry on devolution

and Brexit launched

by the Select Committee

on Public Administration

and Constitutional Affairs?

As well as promoting discussion

among the governments

of the United Kingdom,

we want to promote discussion among

the parliamentarians in the four

parliaments of the United Kingdom

in order to resolve these

very difficult issues.

I very much welcome the contribution

to the debate of my honourable

friend s Committee.

Of course, it is very

important that there

is engagement across Parliaments,

and I will be appearing before both

the Culture, Tourism, Europe

and External Relations Committee

and the Finance and Constitution

Committee of the Scottish Parliament

in the next couple of weeks.

My right honourable friend will be

with the UK is worth four times

as much as its trade with the EU.

Does he find it confusing,

as my constituents and I do,

that the SNP is quite happy for us

to stay in one single market,

but advocate Scotland leaving

the greatest single market right

here on its doorstep...

The United Kingdom?

My honourable friend

makes a good point.

It is important that some

of the powers and responsibilities

that come back from Brussels

are subject to UK-wide frameworks

so that we can continue to benefit

from our internal market

in the United Kingdom.

Leaving the EU will inherently make

the Scottish Parliament more

powerful as we take back

control from Brussels.

Does my right honourable friend

agree that the SNP Government s

confused EU policy would simply see

the new powers gained handed

straight back to Brussels?

It is very important

that the 500,000 yes

supporters who voted to leave

the European Union are absolutely

clear that the SNP's position

is to take Scotland right back

into the EU.

We all know that the Tories

have a dubious record on devolution.

After all, they opposed the creation

of the Scottish Parliament

in the first place.

In stark contrast, the Labour party

laid the foundations

for the Scottish Parliament

and will always act

in its best interests.

The Secretary of State says

that the Scottish Parliament

will get new powers eventually.

Well, new powers require additional

resources to deliver,

so will he tell us how much more

money the Scottish Parliament will

obtain to fund these new powers?

Will he also guarantee,

unequivocally, that Brexit will not

result in the Scottish Parliament's

budget being cut?

That was the shadow Scotland

minister.

I take issue with the honourable

gentleman s analysis of devolution.

I have been in this Parliament

to see through both the Scotland Act

2012 and the Scotland Act 2016,

which have seen a significant

transfer of powers to

the Scottish Parliament.

I am determined that Brexit will see

a further transfer of powers

and responsibilities to the Scottish

Parliament.

Of course, it will need to be

done in an orderly way,

which will be the purpose of clause

11 of the European Union

Bill.

We will work closely

with the Scottish government

and Scottish Parliament to ensure

that that transfer

of powers is orderly.

We need to speed up a little bit.

A very pithy question, I am sure,

from Mr Stephen Kerr.

Does the Secretary of State agree

that Scotland s two Governments...

The UK Government and

the Scottish government...

should work together in co-operation

to get the best Brexit deal

for the people of Scotland?

Yes.

Splendid.

The London School of Economics has

said that a hard Tory Brexit

will cost Scotland £30 billion,

the Fraser of Allander Institute has

said that 80,000 jobs could go

and a former Department for Exiting

the European Union official has said

that Scotland will be

get the hardest impact.

The Secretary of State said

at the Select Committee

on Scottish Affairs yesterday that

economic impact assessments

are available for Scotland.

Will he release them to the Scottish

people so that they can examine them

and know the full scale of this

disastrous Tory Brexit?

It would not be Scotland

questions if we did not hear

from the doom-monger-in-chief.

Let me be quite clear,

as I was in my appearance

before his Committee.

Both Governments have carried

out important analysis,

which they will share and discuss,

but this government...

as Parliament has approved...

will not be publishing anything that

would be detrimental

to our negotiating position.

In evidence to the Scottish Affairs

Committee yesterday,

the Secretary of State suggested

that a common framework should not

be imposed on the devolved

Administrations by the UK Government

but should instead be the output

of a collaborative process.

Will he confirm that that is indeed

the Government s position?

I very much welcome my honourable

friend s important question,

which gets to the heart

of the issue...

in marked contrast to the pantomime

stuff we had earlier.

I can absolutely confirm that.

A UK framework does not mean the UK

imposes a framework,

it means agreement is reached

between the UK Government

and the constituent parts

of the United Kingdom.

Four times the Secretary of State

has been asked to name a single

power that will be devolved

to the Scottish Parliament, and four

times he has declined to answer.

I see little point in

asking him a fifth time,

but let me ask him this.

When will the government publish

a schedule setting out

which powers will be devolved

to the Scottish Parliament

and which will not?

Order.

The honourable member for Aberavon

really should not walk

across the line of sight.

Sorry, Mr Speaker.

I am grateful for the apology.

It was unfair to the honourable

member for Edinburgh East.

If the honourable gentleman had not

prefaced his question

with those initial remarks,

he would have asked

a sensible question.

I have set out that there

is a dialogue ongoing

with the Scottish government

in relation to the 111 powers.

I set that out in much more

detail at the Committee

for which he was present yesterday,

so I will not repeat what I said,

but I am hopeful that,

in early course, we will be able

to publish exactly

that sort of list.

The right honourable gentleman s

refusal to name a single power,

or even to set a timetable

for saying when he will do so,

can lead us to only one conclusion.

That there are forces

in his government that do not

want to see any powers

devolved at all.

How does that sit with his

Department s responsibility to

protect the devolution settlement?

I have rarely heard such

complete and utter nonsense.

I will be judged by the Scotland

Office s record on devolution,

and that means implementing

the Calman commission in full,

implementing the Scotland Act 2016

in full and taking forward

the return of powers from Brussels,

with a presumption of devolution.

We will deliver, and the people

of Scotland will see that we have.

I have regular discussions

with Cabinet colleagues and Scottish

government Ministers on a wide range

of issues, including fiscal policy

across the UK, fisheries,

and the oil and gas industry.

My right honourable friend will know

as well as I do the importance

of the oil and gas industry

in north-east Scotland.

Considering the recent decision

by the First Minister

in Scotland to abolish

the Energy Jobs Taskforce,

will my right honourable friend

confirm that the UK Government

remain fully committed

to our North Sea industries

and will work with colleagues

from the Department for Business,

Energy and Industrial Strategy

to ensure the brightest future

for the oil and gas industries

in the north-east of Scotland?

I absolutely agree

with my honourable friend,

and I share his disappointment.

Through challenging times,

the broad shoulders of the UK

Government have supported the oil

and gas industry to

the tune of £2.3 billion.

We have invested in surveying

the sea bed, established

a new independent regulator

and invested in developing

world-leading infrastructure,

research and technology

through the Aberdeen city deal.

These are very important matters

affecting the people of Scotland,

and I think we ought to respect them

by having some attention

to our proceedings.

I welcome the announcement last

month of the Scottish

Business Taskforce.

Would my right honourable friend

like to expand on what its role

will be with the oil,

gas and sub-sea industries,

which are predominately based

around my constituency?

I recognise that my honourable

friend, although a new Member,

has become a champion of the oil,

gas and sub-sea industries.

I can confirm today that

the Scottish Business Taskforce,

which was announced last month,

will meet for the first

time on Friday.

The taskforce will provide

expert advice and guidance

on how best to support our

most important sectors...

not least oil, gas and sub-sea...

and strengthen Scotland's economy.

I will be announcing

its membership later today.

It is difficult to see how we can

support the oil and gas industry

in Scotland when the Secretary

of State refuses to release

the assessment of the impact

of Brexit on the Scottish economy.

Will he tell the House

whether the Secretary of State

for Brexit was correct today

at the Exiting the European Union

Committee that that

assessment has been shared

with the Scottish government?

When will it be shared

with the Scottish people?

I am surprised that the honourable

gentleman does not follow

the Scottish Affairs Committee s

deliberations, he used to be a very

prominent member of it.

I made it very clear

yesterday that there

was a sharing of analysis,

as is appropriate between

Governments, but we will not be

publishing anything that will be

detrimental to our negotiations,

and that is what the people

of Scotland would want.

Given that, as we have heard,

information has been shared

with the Scottish government,

would it not be appropriate to make

it public and perhaps to impress

on the Scottish government

that they should also do that?

The people of Scotland should see

what the impact of Brexit

is going to be in order to make

a proper assessment of it.

We are regularly called on to

respect the Scottish government.

I respect the Scottish government

and this government respect

the Scottish government...

That is why we are working

with them on Brexit.

But it would not be in the interests

of Scotland or the United Kingdom

to publish any information that

would be detrimental

to our negotiating position.

I have regular discussions

with Cabinet colleagues and Scottish

government Ministers on a wide range

of issues, including fiscal

policy across the UK.

Will the Secretary of State

have a word with his very good

friend the Chancellor

of the Exchequer about VAT

in Scotland to try to help clear up

the mess created by the Scottish

government when they centralised

police and fire services

in Scotland, making them

liable for VAT?

I am sure that my right honourable

friend the Chancellor will have

heard the honourable gentleman s

contribution.

This is a question about growth

deals in Dumfries and Galloway.

Only last week I hosted a meeting

with local MPs to review progress.

I am pleased to report

that we are driving forward

the innovative, cross-border

borderlands deal and hope to agree

a deal next year that will see

investment to transform the local

economies within

the borderlands area.

I want to hear the question

and I want the people of Dumfries

and Galloway to have the chance

of hearing it.

Hear, hear to that.

Will my right honourable friend

commit to ensuring that local

communities have the opportunity

to feed their thoughts

into what the final

deal will look like?

I am sure that the people

of Dumfries and Galloway will be

absolutely delighted to hear

what my honourable friend says.

I was very pleased to receive

a submission from all five local

authorities involved

in the borderlands growth deal.

I hope that we can now move forward

with local communities being able

to include their ideas

and contributions in this process.

I think the honourable gentleman s

constituency is quite nearby.

There is a risk that the Secretary

of State is prioritising

the borderland deal over

the Ayrshire growth deal.

In a simple written question,

I asked how many meetings he has had

on the borderland initiative,

with who, and on what dates.

His answer was that he has

had numerous meetings.

Will he answer the question

directly, or otherwise

I will report him to

the Procedure Committee again?

I am afraid that the honourable

gentleman displays an unpleasant SNP

trait of seeking to create

division within Scotland.

I want to see all areas of Scotland

benefit from growth.

At least the people of Ayrshire know

that in their new Member,

my honourable friend the Member

for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock

they have a real

champion of Ayrshire.

A question about the joint

ministerial committee in the Brexit

negotiations.

We held a very constructive meeting

on 16 October and I hope to convene

another meeting shortly.

It was agreed at the last JMCEU that

common frameworks would be

needed in certain areas.

What update can the Secretary

of State give the House on talks

with Scottish government Ministers

on the establishment of common

frameworks for progressing,

and is he able to identify areas

where the need for common

frameworks is anticipated?

I gave very extensive

evidence on this matter

to the Scottish Affairs Committee

yesterday, and the honourable

gentleman will be able

to access the transcript.

When the time comes for decisions

to be taken about the fate

of the 111 devolved powers coming

back from Brussels,

will the Secretary of State give

an assurance that those decisions

will be taken by consensus

at the JMC rather than unilaterally

by the UK Government?

If the honourable gentleman had

listened to my answer

to the question asked

by my honourable friend the Member

for East Renfrewshire, he would know

that the position is that

although there is a UK framework,

the framework is agreed

between the constituent parts

of the United Kingdom.

Families are benefiting from real,

positive employment outcomes

as people move into work faster

and progress in work.

Of course, and rightly,

extra support is there

for those who need it.

A question about the roll-out of

Universal Credit.

Almost 2,000 Universal Credit

claimants in my constituency,

along with thousands more

across Scotland, are stuck in limbo

after seeing the vote in this place

to pause the roll-out but no action

from the government.

What is the Secretary

of State doing to reassure

and represent those people?

We will continue with the roll-out

in a very careful and staged way.

It is happening over nine years,

and we continue in very active

dialogue with Members

across the House and

people outside it.

We must hear the voice of Torbay.

What progress he has made

on the transfer of welfare powers

to the Scottish Parliament under

the Scotland Act 2016?

We have made significant

progress on the Scotland Act

2016 welfare powers.

All DWP sections of the Act

have been commenced,

and we are working with the Scottish

government to support them in taking

on these responsibilities,

to ensure that the transition

is safe and secure.

I am surprised to hear that only

a small portion of the powers that

have been devolved to the Scottish

government are being used,

given the complaints that we hear

from some Members in this House.

Does my honourable friend agree

that this is yet another example

of the Scottish National Party

griping rather than governing?

I agree with my honourable

friend, and I am sure

that the people of Scotland agree

that it is of concern that we have

no clear plan from the Scottish

government for how they will use

many of the powers.

This government are

focused on delivering

for the people of Scotland.

It is time for the SNP to stop

ducking its responsibilities

and use its considerable powers

to do so as well.

I am afraid that is all we have time

for at the moment. Normally at this

point I ask you to get your diaries

out and I give you the date for the

next Scottish questions but the

Parliamentary authorities haven't

finalised their timetable yet so we

don't know exactly when that will be

but we think it will be early in

December. But, for now, from all of

us here at Westminster, goodbye!