Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Deidre Brock and David Gauke

Wednesday 23rd March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

The answer is no. An agreement has been reached. We are pleased that we have that agreement, and now it is for the Scottish Government to be held accountable by the Scottish people.

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

8. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect on Scotland of measures announced in the Budget.

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke)]

The Chancellor has delivered a budget that delivers for Scotland. This will be the last Budget where a UK Chancellor sets out income tax rates and thresholds for Scottish earners. The changes to the income tax personal allowance will benefit 2.6 million taxpayers in Scotland. The Budget delivers on our plans to build a stronger Scottish economy as part of the UK and put the next generation first.

[Deidre Brock]

I congratulate the Minister on finding the Chancellor to have those discussions—earlier this week, we thought he had gone walkabout! The Budget had £1 billion-worth of cuts to the Scottish budget and £650 million-worth of cuts to the English NHS. Given the volte-face on social security cuts, does he think he could persuade the Chancellor to reverse Scotland’s cuts and put in a good word for the English NHS as well?

[Mr Gauke]

Let me remind the House that there were three asks from the SNP: a freeze in whisky fuel duty, a freeze in fuel duty, and help for the oil and gas industry. That is exactly what the Chancellor delivered.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Deidre Brock and David Gauke

Wednesday 4th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

8. What steps he is taking to ensure that the new devolution arrangement which would result from the provisions of the Scotland Bill is financially neutral.

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke)]

The UK Government are delivering the cross-party Smith agreement in full, giving the Scottish Government substantial new powers over tax and spending. The Smith agreement stated that the devolution of powers

“should be accompanied by an updated fiscal framework”.

The UK and Scottish Governments are discussing that.

[Deidre Brock]

Let me offer the Secretary of State a sixth opportunity to disassociate himself from the subsidy claims that have been made by his own party in the Chamber. Will he do so now? Does he agree that the Treasury’s statements of funding policy over the devolution years have been a creaking and unstable mess, creating unnecessary friction, and will he recommit himself to a more open and transparent process—as he refused to do previously—for the calculation of the block grant to underpin the new fiscal framework?

[Mr Gauke]

There is a process, and it involves UK Treasury Ministers in negotiations with the Scottish Government. We are continuing to work on that process, and we will update the House when there is further news.