26/06/2013 Scottish Questions

June's Scottish Questions. A mixed bag this month with questions on

employment, the independence referendum and the common Common

Agricultural Policy. Proceedings began with a specific questions

about the blacklisting of employees in Scotland.

THE SPEAKER: Order. Order. Questions to the Secretary of State for

Scotland. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Question one.

Mr Speaker, I regularly meet with Scottish Government Ministers to

discuss a wide range of issues. I commend the work of the Scottish

Affairs Committee. The Committee's final report will be given careful

consideration by the Government. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the

Minister for his response. Perhaps the most ridiculous case of

blacklisting that I'm aware of. One of my constituents lost the sight in

his eyes serving his country. He found himself on the blacklist. What

was his crime? He wrote to a newspaper condemning a decision to

buy a portrait of Nelson Mandela. What can the Government do to wipe

out this practice of blacklisting? What I am able to undertake is when

the Scottish Affairs Committee report is published I will undertake

to discuss the recommendations in that report with appropriate

Scottish Government Ministers. someone who has been blacklisted

three times in the past, I can tell him that it is an obnoxious way to

go about business. Will he make sure legislation is in place so many

others are not facing such a practice in future? Thank you. The

Government takes this matter very seriously. There is already

legislation in place in the Employment Relations Act 1999. We

await the Scottish Affairs Committee report to see whether they propose

any further measures. This practice has been going on for decades. The

law is not working. Has the Minister looked at the legislation to see

whether further action is required to make sure we bring an end to this

practice? We have looked at the regulations which were obviously

brought forward by the previous Government. We do very much respect

the work of the Scottish Affairs Committee and if it identifies that

the current legislation isn't working, we will look at that.

Question two. This is a question about what is being done to keep the

UK and Scotland together. To allow voters to make an informed choice.

We are publishing papers on all the key issues throughout this year and

next. Does the Secretary of State agree the programme already

highlights clear benefits from Scotland being part of the UK and

the UK having Scotland within it? certainly agree with my honourable

friend on that. It demonstrates Scotland enjoys the best of both

worlds, a strong Scottish Parliament and a strong voice here at

Westminster. An economy able to benefit from the support of the

whole UK, our place in the world is all the stronger as a result of

being part of the United Kingdom. Yesterday, the Chamber of commerce

highlighted information gaps. What will the Government do to make sure

that all voters in Scotland have the facts, not assertions that we get

from the SNP and the Scottish Government? I commend the Scottish

Chamber of Commerce for the work they are doing along with other

others. -- along with others. Both with our devolution paper, with the

currency paper and also the financial services paper, we are

showing that we are setting out the arguments and the analysis so

Scotland makes an informed choice. May I commend my right honourable

friend for the positive case he's making, but since he's been joined

on the Treasury bench by his right honourable friend the Secretary of

State for Defence, will he ensure that all Government departments,

including the Ministry of Defence, take every opportunity to examine

critically the defence proposals of the Scottish National Party and

Government which were yet again this week subject to great criticism from

an independent report? My right honourable and learned friend makes

an important point. I can assure my my right honourable friend is

engaged in this debate. Central to this debate will be the SNP's

attempt to have it both ways by signing up to NATO but not being

willing to accept the obligations and rules that go with it, which

include a nuclear umbrella. emerged at the weekend that those

insiders at the "no" campaign against Scottish independence called

the campaign Project Fear. This is a campaign based on scaremongering and

negativity. Is the Secretary of State embarrassed? Well, I do think

that anybody on the proUK side of the campaign can show what

negativity and scaremongering is all about. I think the honourable

gentleman should be a little careful about casting aspersions and

concentrate on getting on with the proper arguments that Thank you, Mr

Speaker. Could my right honourable friend comment on the possible

independent Scotland would have an army and would that independent

Scotland be able to employ the same number of Scottish soldiers that the

British Army employs at the moment? Bob Stewart is a Conservative MP.

makes a very important point. Again, this week, the Scotland Institute's

report has asked real serious questions of the SNP and the "yes"

campaign which they cannot answer. This is a question about housing

ownership. The Government is providing wide-ranging support to

help people buy their homes. That support includes UK-wide help to buy

mortgage guarantee scheme and opens in January 2014. The Treasury have

worked with the Bank of England to implement the Funding for Lending

Scheme. Next year, homebuyers in Scotland will have the opportunity

to access the Scottish Government's shared equity scheme, the Scottish

Government mortgage guarantee scheme and the UK Government scheme. What

it is doing is leading to confusion now amongst people that what is the

best way to access these schemes? Why doesn't the Government take more

action to ensure there is a close relationship between what the

Scottish Government is doing here to make sure that the benefits of these

schemes go not to second homebuyer homebuyers, but actually to people

who need them on modest incomes? honourable gentleman will be pleased

to know we are working close closely with the Scottish Government in

relation to their equity scheme which is the equivalent, not the

same, as the equity loan scheme available in England. The home buy,

the home to buy mortgage guarantee scheme will be available in

Scotland. We are working with the Scottish Government to ensure there

is a communications plan so potential homebuyers fully

understand how all the schemes work. As my honourable friend has pointed

out, the limit is �600,000. This is hardly designed for those on low and

modest incomes. Would the money not be better spent in providing social

housing which is badly needed across Scotland? Mr Speaker, I would have

thought the honourable lady would have welcomed the fact there has

been a 10% increase in loans to first-time buyers in Scotland in the

first quarter of 2012. The limit of the scheme reflects house prices

across the United Kingdom and I believe is fair and equitable.

Number four. This is a question about the working of the common ag

kul Common Agricultural Policy. aim to deliver a strong outcome for

farm eR farmers in Scotland. Notwithstanding the proven need for

environmental schemes, does the Secretary of State agree it is very

important to enable farmers to make decisions about their own production

methods so they can improve production and provide more

sustainable food for this country's future? I agree with my honourable

friend. I spoke to the Secretary of State for environment, Food and

Rural Affairs, after he had his all night ne go Asians in --

negotiations in Luxembourg. He wants a scheme that is regionalised for

Scotland. We have an arrangement which will be fair to farmers,

consumers and to taxpayers. While the Minister will be aware that the

most important issue for my constituents is the future of the

shipyards threatened by separation, nevertheless they are also concerned

about the way in which the Common Agricultural Policy provides public

money to landlords who have surplus acres while the Government finds

tenants who are deemed to have surplus bedrooms. Is this fair?

will pay tribute to the chairman of the Select Committee who has

returned to robust good health and welcome that fact. I agree about the

importance of the shipyards in this debate on independence. On

agriculture, he is a long time campaigner on the reform of the CAP.

I hope what he will see delivered is one that is fair to his constituents

and to farmers. Regionalisation is just as important to delivering the

CAP as it is to delivering the CFP. Is my right honourable friend aware

of the cross-border impact on those constituencies close to Scotland,

what the effect might be on the way that the reforms are implemented in

Scotland? I obviously defer to the honourable lady and her expertise in

this area. I'm very well aware of the issues that she raises. What the

Secretary of State has been negotiating in Luxembourg is an

arrangement which regionalises for the whole of the UK and makes it

fair to farmers around the UK and allows us to design the CAP fit for

local circumstances. Mr Speaker, I am disappointed the UK Government is

set to negotiate a CAP deal which will leave Scottish with the low

lowest rural budget. Does the Secretary of State accept that being

tied to the UK will cost Scottish farming �300 million a year for the

next seven years? I'm disappointed by the tone from the honourable

lady. I hope she might just have studied the tweets from the Scottish

agriculture minister. We have done it as a member of the UK at the top

table with the clout to deliver a regionalised CAP. It is for Richard

Lockhead to get on designing a policy that suits Scotland's needs.

If agreement is reached this week on the common agriculture policy that

works to the benefit of farmers across Scotland, is this not more

evidence that Scotland speaks with a louder voice in EU negotiations as

part of the United Kingdom? I'm in complete agreement with the

honourable gentleman. The moral of these negotiations reinforces his

point, the fact that the Scottish Farming Minister has been involved

in discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, food and

Rural Affairs all the way through this process. Number five, Mr

Speaker. This is a question about employment in Scotland. The most

recent Labour statistics show that from February to April 2013,

employment in Scotland has increased by 47,000, while unemployment has

dropped by 6,000 and jobseeker's allowance claimants have reduced by

900. The Government will continue to take the necessary steps to build a

stronger economy in a fairer society. Mr Speaker, unemployment in

Scotland has fallen for seven months in a row. Does he agree that this

could be put at risk should Scotland vote to become independent?

believe that Scotland as part of the United Kingdom has the most

appropriate opportunities, as the great strength of that economy, not

just for businesses there, but for consumers. They get greater choice

and greater security as part of the United Kingdom and when times get

tough, as we saw with the banking crisis, the UK is there to help out.

That is a good deal and we should stick with it. Like my honourable

friend from Glasgow South West, the main employer in my constituency are

the shipyards. 2,000 people are employed. What will happen to these

2,000 people if independence is voted for next year? Well, once

again, the honourable gentleman makes a very important point. It is

a question that is directed to the SNP routinely and for which they

have no answer. The arrangement we have with the shipyards, with the

construction, is very good for Scotland and we should continue to

be part of the UK. Can the Secretary of State confirm that many of the

jobs in the offshore oil and gas industry, where we must not forget

what a dangerous environment it is to operate in, especially as we mark

the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster. Will he study the

outcome of the conference held last week to see if we can make the

industry as safe as possible? honourable friend is right to draw

the House's attention to the tragic events of 25 years ago. The loss of

167 lives is something that the communities, the families are still

dealing with 25 years later. We all remember that tragedy and remain

committed to ensuring that we have the highest possible standards of

health and safety in the North Sea and, as a Government, we remain

committed to working with the sector to ensure that is the case. Of

course, we will study the recommendations from the conference

to which he referred. THE SPEAKER: There has been - I know

members will want to be quiet for Margaret Curran. Thank you very

much. For those who are in employment, can the Secretary of

State for Scotland tell the House have average wages gone up or down

since in last election? I would have hoped the honourable lady would have

welcomed the fact that more people are in employment as a result of the

measures we are taking, that we have created 150,000 private sector jobs

in Scotland. Of course, there are still challenges facing the economy,

but she will remember the legacy that she left us. She can see for

herself the crisis in the eurozone. We remain committed to taking the

steps that will get us on the road to recovery. Once again, the

Secretary of State doesn't let the facts get in the way of the same old

answer. Average wages in Scotland have gone down by �1,100 since he

took office. That is the equivalent of 14 tanks of petrol, 15 weekly

shops or over nine months of gas and electricity bills. The Secretary of

State has said in the past the horrible truth is everyone is going

to have to make a contribution. Is this what he had in mind? Well, the

honourable lady, despite the changes from the Shadow Chancellor, doesn't

seem to have caught up with the new script, the recognition that the

Labour Party left the decks burning when it went out of office three

years ago. She is not going to be credible until she faces up to that.

What I have said is these are tough times, they continue to be

challenging, but what we are doing by raising the tax threshold so that

224,000 Scots are out of tax altogether, two million Scots are

enjoying a �600 per year reduction in their income tax bill. That is

very important. We continue to work for fairness and for a successful

economy. Number six.This is a question about housing payments.

right honourable friend, the Secretary of State and I, met with

the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The Minister will know

that some 80% of affected households in Scotland contain a disabled

adult, yet they only get 6.5% of the total budget. Instead of

concentrating on his pathetic scaremongering Project Fear, will he

concentrate on the real fears of real Scots under his Tory-led

Government? Mr Speaker, what I'm concentrating on is the real

concerns of local authorities in Scotland. That is why the Secretary

of State and I have met with every single local authority in Scotland

to discuss the specific issues that they - and the concerns they have -

and we will meet at the end of July to discuss the outcome of those

discussions. Number seven. This is a question about the general state of

the economy in Scotland. Against a tough economic backdrop, we are

taking the measures necessary to create a rebalanced economy with

sustainable public finances. Scottish economy needs people in

work. Last year, the Government supported the closure of the Remploy

factory. Since then, nearly a year later, very few of those disabled

workers have found a full-time job. How does that help the economy?

recognise the issue that the honourable gentleman raises on

behalf of his constituents. I will be very happy to meet with him to

discuss this issue further. What we want to do is help those with

disabilities to get into the workplace.

THE SPEAKER: There's far too much noise in the Chamber! The House must

and will hear. Super-fast broadband is so important

for the economy of rural areas, the Government's target is 90% coverage

by 2015. In the ghlands, the target is only 75% in each local authority

area by December 2016. Will my honourable friend meet me to discuss

how we can get this target up to something comparable with the rest

of the country? Can I say my honourable friend is right to

champion this cause. It is very important. Indeed, we need

super-fast broadband in the Highlands. Thank you. As part of the

Project Fear abbing ticks, there has been a ridiculous level of --

tactics, there has been a ridiculous amount... Will the Secretary of

State apologise for the scaremongering tactic tactics that

he is a part of? The honourable gentleman needs to relax a bit and

address this sensibly. What he surely recognises is that that

record investment comes from the back of a United Kingdom economic

framework that is supportive to businesses wherever they locate in

the United Kingdom and where businesses can get access to the

whole of the United Kingdom economy without any false barriers created

by him and his friends. Mr Speaker, the failing of policies are not

delivering the gross we require in the UK. Will he take the opportunity

to welcome the help and support he is getting as part of the Project

Fear campaign, by those who agree with the Conservative spending cuts

that have been announced and agree with the bedroom tax? Another neat

diversion. He can't avoid the central fact - he and his colleagues

have no answers on the central question of Scotland's economy. How

the banks and other also be regulated, how trade will work

across the United Kingdom, on every single important question there are

no answers from the SNP. They will not be listened to until those

answers come. Later today, the House will debate the High Speed Two

preparation bill. Does my right honourable friend agree that this

project will lead to Scotland's economic growth? This is absolutely

key to the whole of the UK's economy. I look forward to the

benefits being enjoyed by all parts of Britain, north and south.

Speaker, this Government has delivered one-fifth of the promised

growth since 2010. Is the Minister also aware that the working age

employment rate in Scotland has fallen by 2% from five years ago,

leaving a jobs gap for Scotland of more than 71,000? Doesn't that make

the case for a jobs guarantee now to get Scotland's young and long-term

jobless people back into work, generate more tax revenues and help

cut the deficit which... Let me put this to him. Yet again, there's

denial from him and his colleagues about the good progress we have been

make making on unemployment. I hope he would recognise that. It is

essential we take the measures to support individuals into work, which

we are doing with the Work Programme, which we are doing with

the Youth Contract. He can shake his head. He needs to get with the

reality. Does my right honourable friend agree that connectivity

through regional air hubs to international hubs are vital to the

performance of the Scottish economy? In that regard, can I ask what the

Government is able to do to assist in maintaining those links,

particularly at Inverness and to the Highlands? My honourable friend is a

real champion of those vital air links to the north and the far north

which he represents. I know he has been making strong representations.

I will be happy to meet with him further. The OBR states real wages

in Scotland will be lower in 2015 than when Labour left office. Why

isn't the Secretary of State standing up for hard-working Scots

protecting tax credits, but instead giving a tax break to millionaires?

There we go again. The honourable lady chooses to ignore the absolute

crisis that the Labour Party left for the incoming Government three

years ago. She forgets the measures we have taken to take low-paid Scots

out of tax altogether. She forgets all those things. Without the firm

measures we have taken, we would not be moving from rescue to recovery as

we are. That is all we have got time for at the moment and because of the

parliamentary calendar, that is the last Scottish Questions before the