Oral Answers to Questions

Anne McLaughlin Excerpts

Wednesday 16th November 2022 Commons Chamber

[Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran) (SNP)]

1. What assessment his Department has made of the impact of the reduction in the Scottish block grant on devolved finances.

[Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow North East) (SNP)]

3. What assessment his Department has made of the impact of the reduction in the Scottish block grant on devolved finances.

[Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)]

8. What assessment his Department has made of the impact of the reduction in the Scottish block grant on devolved finances.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jack]

This Secretary of State is standing up for Scotland. The £41 billion settlement over three years was a record figure; it is the highest figure since devolution began and the first grant was agreed in 1999. I am standing up for Scotland, but I recognise that the Scottish Government have tough choices to make. Inflation is affecting the whole world and they will have to make responsible choices. I do not believe that it is responsible for them to cut their public services by £1.25 billion.

[Anne McLaughlin]

Independent research shows that the Scottish block grant will be cut by £5 billion in real terms over the next two years. What if the Scottish Government have £5 billion less to spend and our councils have less to spend, despite cost and demand going up? Let us consider Glasgow City Council. The city treasurer, Councillor Ricky Bell, said today:

“The consequences of what looks likely to be passed on to Scotland’s public services will be catastrophic and communities, already reeling from 12 years of Tory austerity, are being pushed to the brink of destruction.”

What can he do, other than support independence, to stop those communities being destroyed?

[Mr Jack]

Supporting independence will certainly not help the finances of Scotland; many independent economists have made that observation. As I said, it is absolutely a choice that the Scottish Government have to make about how they spend their budget. If they need to do so, they have tax-raising and borrowing powers. That is a decision for them, but equally, they have to choose what their priorities are. I would say that keeping £20 million in the budget for an independence referendum that no one wants is not responsible.