Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Mann Excerpts

Wednesday 4th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

I note that the hon. Gentleman has raised the issue of English votes for English laws, and that he gets very worked up about it. Let me remind him and the House that, just a year ago, he said that English votes for English laws was

“an issue that the Scottish people could not care less about”.

That does not seem to be his approach any more.

[John Mann (Bassetlaw) (Lab)]

7. What assessment he has made of the level of anti-Semitism in Scotland.

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

Recorded incidents of anti-Semitism in Scotland are thankfully low, but I am not complacent. I echo the Prime Minister’s view that tackling anti-Semitism goes right to the heart of what we stand for as a country. Whatever our politics and whatever our faith, we must seek to defeat it.

[John Mann]

Last week, 15 Scottish MPs attended a briefing by the all-party parliamentary group against anti-Semitism. Given the good will that clearly exists, will the Secretary of State talk to the Scottish Government about how the system of state-funded security in Jewish schools in England could be emulated in Glasgow?

[David Mundell]

I certainly will, and I am very happy to do so. I should also say to the hon. Gentleman that, despite the many robust exchanges that we have in the Chamber, all MPs from Scotland are united in the view that we cannot tolerate anti-Semitism.