Scotland’s Fiscal Framework

Debate between Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve and Lord Dunlop

Wednesday 24th February 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Dunlop]

The review will look at how the funding arrangement is operating against the Smith agreement. I remind the House, because this is often forgotten, that the Smith agreement says that it should,

“aim to bring about a durable but responsive democratic constitutional settlement, which maintains Scotland’s place in the UK and enhances mutual cooperation and partnership working”,

and should,

“not cause detriment to the UK as a whole nor to any of its constituent parts”.

That is something that the review in five years’ time is going to have to take into account.

[Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve (CB)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve (CB)]

My Lords, is the implication of this agreement that the Barnett formula is, as it were, the acquis communautaire which provides the baseline against which fairness is judged?

[Lord Dunlop]

During this transitional period, the protection that is put in place ensures that what was the case with regard to the numbers in the comprehensive spending review will be delivered over this period.