Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kevin Brennan and David Mundell

Wednesday 10th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

6. What assessment he has made of the potential effect of full fiscal autonomy for Scotland on the level of tax receipts in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (David Mundell)]

In March, Her Majesty’s Treasury published an analysis that estimated that funding available to Scotland under full fiscal autonomy would be £7.7 billion lower in 2015-16 compared with the current arrangements. The assessment made by the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that deficit reaching £9.7 billion in 2019-20.

[Kevin Brennan]

The Secretary of State and his Tory friends have an ideological fixation with austerity, but is he surprised that the nationalist ideology of a self-identifying left-wing party such as the Scottish National party leads it to advocate full fiscal autonomy, which would lead not just to austerity but to “austerity-max”?

[David Mundell]

I agree with part of the hon. Gentleman’s analysis, but he will be aware that it is now not clear what the SNP is asking for. I welcome the fact that it will be able to table amendments in relation to full fiscal autonomy during the Committee stage of the Scotland Bill. My suspicion, however, is that it is asking for something it does not really want, and that it will complain when it does not get it.