Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Scotland Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Angus Brendan MacNeil Excerpts
Wednesday 13th September 2023

(1 year, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

I agree with my hon. Friend, and I could not have put it better myself.

Angus Brendan MacNeil Portrait Angus Brendan MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Ind)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

Is the truth of the Union not that while we see independent Norway and independent Ireland in budget surplus—independent Ireland with a surplus this year of €10 billion, rising to €23 billion in the next three years—the Scottish Government cannot build small hospitals on small Scottish islands? Is the answer not for Scotland to remove the Westminster handcuffs and to get the independence and budget surpluses of Norway and Ireland, so that we can move forward and move away from the Brexit of the Tories and the Labour party?

Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

They always say independence will sort the problems. Scotland is not building hospitals on the islands because the Scottish Government are squandering the most generous settlement they have had since devolution began.