First elected: 6th May 2010
Left House: 30th March 2015 (Defeated)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Margaret Curran, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Margaret Curran has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Margaret Curran has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Margaret Curran has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Margaret Curran has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced back in April that the department would pay all of its employees the Living Wage from 1 April 2014. Legal advice was sought during consideration and implementation of this policy. At the time no implications in respect of the EU public procurement regime were identified.
Payment of the Living Wage may fall foul of European Community law, in particular the Posted Workers Directive (PWD). This point rests on whether payment of the Living Wage is mandated, in which case there is a risk of being in breach of the PWD, or achieved through voluntary agreement. Since from a contractual perspective the changes needed mutual consent, there was no option for DECC other than to negotiate with suppliers to gain their agreement. We are satisfied therefore that this policy is compliant with EC law.
We have received no representations from the Scottish Government regarding the living wage.
We have received no representations from the Scottish Government regarding the national minimum wage.
The most reliable estimates come from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. These are set out below for Scotland. However, there are limitations to the survey. In particular, there is limited scope to use the data to identify where the National Minimum Wage apprentice rate would apply, rather than the equivalent age rate, prior to 2013-14. The apprentice minimum wage rate is lower than for the equivalent minimum age rates for workers. Not taking into account when the apprentice rate would apply will therefore tend to over-estimate the level of non-compliance. An estimate for 2013-14 is also provided below taking into account where the lower apprentice rate would apply.
Year | Estimates of NMW non-compliance in Scotland | ||
Not taking into account when the apprentice rate would apply | Taking into account when the apprentice rate would apply | ||
2010-11 | 19,000 | - | |
2011-12 | 20,000 | - | |
2012-13 | 20,000 | - | |
2013-14 | 16,000 | 11,000 | |
Source: ASHE datasets for 2010-14 | |||
NMW rates are caclulated by taking age into account, data on apprentices is only available for 2013-14 | |||
The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. Individuals should contact the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HMRC investigates every complaint made.
Using 2013-14 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data, an estimated 85,000 people earn the National Minimum Wage in Scotland.
The most reliable estimate comes from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. However, there are limitations to the survey. In particular, there is limited scope to use the data to identify where the apprentice rate would apply, rather than the equivalent age rate.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in New York and San Francisco have worked closely with the First Minister's team in planning arrangements for his visit.
The Consul-General in New York hosted a lunch at his residence on 7 April 2014 in association with Scottish Development International (SDI) and Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) for the First Minister and 17 Scottish companies in the accompanying trade mission, to which key business figures in the US were invited.
On 8 April 2014 SDI and mission delegates attended a UKTI briefing discussion on marketing in the US. Mission companies will have access to meeting rooms for one-to-one meetings throughout the week, as well as UKTI staff who will be available to discuss business opportunities in the US market. UKTI staff are also supporting a number of events during the week, including the US office launch on 5 April 2014, of Scottish based Smarter Grid Solutions and other events where mission delegates will be present.
For the visit of the Scottish Government's External Affairs and International Development Minister, Huzma Yousaf, UKTI contributed to the guest list for Mr Yousaf's Scotland Week reception in San Francisco. UKTI also contributed to energy sector invitees for the World Trade Centre-Northern California breakfast event for the Minister, as requested by the World Trade Centre.
Under plans agreed prior to the 2010 General Election, 70 Whitehall is undergoing modernisation works. As a result, there are no current plans for the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office to vacate Dover House.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
There are 94 Jobcentres in Scotland. A full list of these Jobcentres is provided at Annex 1.
We do not keep a record of when each office opened, so I am unable to supply you with this information.
There are no official statistics kept which would provide you with the number of people who have used each office in each year since 2010. Many people, some of whom are already employed, use the jobpoints or Intranet Access Devices in our Jobcentres but may not make a claim to benefit or register unemployed. It would therefore be impossible to provide you with the total number of people using the Jobcentres.
Annex 1
List of Jobcentres in Scotland
East & South East Scotland
Alloa JC |
Bathgate JC |
Broxburn JC |
Cowdenbeath JC |
Cupar JC |
Dalkeith JC |
Dunfermline JC |
EdinburghCity |
Eyemouth JC |
Falkirk JC |
Galashiels JC |
Glenrothes JC |
Grangemouth JC |
Hawick JC |
High Riggs JC |
Kirkcaldy JC |
Leith JC |
Leven JC |
Livingston JC |
Musselburgh JC |
Penicuik JC |
St. Andrews |
Stirling JC |
Westerhailes JC |
Glasgow, Lanarkshire & East Dunbartonshire
Airdrie JC |
Anniesland JC |
Bellshill JC |
Bridgeton JC |
Cambuslang JC |
Castlemilk JC |
Cumbernauld JC |
Drumchapel JC |
East Kilbride JC |
Easterhouse JC |
Govan JC |
Hamilton JC |
Kirkintilloch JC |
Lanark JC |
Langside JC |
Laurieston JC |
Maryhill JC |
Motherwell JC |
Newlands JC |
Parkhead JC |
Partick JC |
Rutherglen JC |
Shettleston JC |
Springburn JC |
North of Scotland District
Aberdeen JC |
Arbroath JC |
Banff JC |
Blairgowrie JC |
Buckie JC |
Dingwall JC |
Dundee City JC |
Elgin JC |
Forfar JC |
Forres JC |
Fort William JC |
Fraserburgh JC |
Invergordon JC |
Inverness JC |
Kirkwall JC |
Lerwick JC |
Montrose JC |
Perth JC |
Peterhead JC |
Portree JC |
Stornoway JC |
Wick JC |
West of Scotland District
Alexandria JC |
Annan JC |
Ayr JC |
Barrhead JC |
Campbeltown JC |
Clydebank JC |
Cumnock JC |
Dumbarton JC |
Dumfries JC |
Dunoon JC |
Girvan JC |
Greenock JC |
Helensburgh JC |
Irvine JC |
Johnstone JC |
Kilbirnie JC |
Kilmarnock JC |
Oban JC |
Paisley JC |
Port Glasgow JC |
Renfrew JC |
Rothesay JC |
Saltcoats JC |
Stranraer JC |
|
Since 1 December 2014, Ebola testing facilities are being provided through NHS Lothian by the Scottish National Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Test Service, based at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Prior to December, all samples were sent to the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory testing facility at Porton Down in Wiltshire.
There are no written protocols on joint working between the National Health Service in Scotland and England which focus specifically on Ebola. NHS England works very closely with colleagues in Scotland and other Devolved Administrations to ensure effective joint working to respond to a wide variety of issues, including Ebola.
NHS England works to the Service Specification for High Level Isolation Units, covering the two high secure units in England located at the Royal Free Hospital in London and the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with both units serving the whole United Kingdom. This specification has been attached.
The Department and the Health and Safety Executive published the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens’ Guidance on “Management of Hazard Group 4 viral haemorrhagic fevers and similar human infectious diseases of high consequence” in November 2014. A copy has been attached.
I refer to my previous answers (213577, 214210) on this matter. The UK’s global diplomatic network - employing over 14,000 people in 267 Embassies, High Commissions, Consulates and other offices in 154 countries and 12 Overseas Territories around the world – works to achieve the international policy objectives that benefit the whole of the UK, including promoting Scottish companies and products, its culture, and Scotland as a destination for investment, tourism and study. However, the information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
I refer to my previous answers (213577, 214210) on this matter. The UK’s global diplomatic network - employing over 14,000 people in 267 Embassies, High Commissions, Consulates and other offices in 154 countries and 12 Overseas Territories around the world – works to achieve the international policy objectives that benefit the whole of the UK, including promoting Scottish companies and products, its culture, and Scotland as a destination for investment, tourism and study. However, the information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Details of these visits are the responsibility of the Scottish Government. However, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office holds the information attached.
The British Embassy in Washington, and the New York Consulate, have provided support for the visit this week of the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, to the US. The Consul General in New York hosted a lunch at his residence on 7 April, in association with Scottish Development International (SDI), for the First Minister and 17 Scottish companies from the First Minister's accompanying trade mission, to which key business figures were invited. The British Embassy in Washington worked with the New York Consulate to organise port courtesies for the First Minister, upon arrival in New York ,to allow the Scottish Affairs Office (based in the British Embassy Washington) to greet the First Minister at the airport and expedite customs and immigration procedures.
Treasury ministers discuss a wide range of issues with their ministerial counterparts, including in the Scottish Government. In line with the practice followed by previous administrations, details of such discussions are not routinely disclosed.
Any taxpayer data held by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is subjected to strict safeguards.
HMRC take their duty of confidentiality very seriously and cannot disclose any information acquired or held unless specifically provided for by law. All HMRC information is subject to stringent data security controls and unlawful disclosure of taxpayer information is potentially a criminal offence.
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published forecasts for oil and gas revenues in the December 2014 Economic and Financial Outlook. The report shows that these tax receipts are expected to be £15.8bn over the forecast period. The March 2015 forecast will incorporate the impact of recent changes in the oil price.
The global fall in oil prices should provide a boost to the economy and support UK and global growth. Falling oil prices contributed to annual CPI inflation of 1.0 per cent in November, the lowest level of inflation in 12 years, and reductions in petrol and diesel prices, which are now at their lowest levels since September 2010. On 5th January 2015, diesel was down 18.28p/l on its July 2014 peak, at 117.93p/l, and petrol down 20.05p/l at 111.06p/l.
The Government has agreed a block grant adjustment mechanism through the operation of the Barnett formula with the Scottish Government in relation to the Scottish rate of income tax.
During two or three transitional years, the deduction will reflect the tax generated by a Scottish rate of 10p. Following this transitional period, the first year deduction will again reflect the tax generated by a Scottish rate of 10p, and then in subsequent years this deduction will be indexed against growth in the UK non-savings non-dividend income tax base.
The Scottish Government’s overall funding will therefore be partly determined by the relative growth in the Scottish and UK non-savings non-dividend income tax base.
The advisory groups set up by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to examine issues from the introduction of the Scottish rate of income tax have completed their work. The Government’s proposals for the detailed consequential changes needed to implement the Scottish Rate of Income Tax were set out in the Technical Note published by HMRC in May 2012. In December 2013 HMRC announced arrangements to ensure that from 2016 Scottish taxpayers will receive the appropriate tax relief on their pension contributions to relief at source schemes.
The Scottish Government has not made any requests to create new devolved taxes under this power.
I refer the hon member to the answer that I gave her on 13 June 2013 (OR,WA, COL: 390W).
The last Finance Quadrilateral was held on 18 November 2013.
No formal minutes of the meeting were taken, but Ministers present discussed the general economic outlook for the UK and for each of the devolved administrations, as well as looking forward to the forthcoming Autumn Statement. Agreement was reached at the meeting regarding the framework under which the devolved administrations could carry forward Financial Transactions capital into future years.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Finance Ministers from the devolved administrations aim to meet regularly in Quadrilateral format, complimenting bi-lateral meetings and conversations throughout the year. It is anticipated the next Quadrilateral will take place over the coming months. No date or agenda has yet been set.
The last Finance Quadrilateral was held on 18 November 2013.
No formal minutes of the meeting were taken, but Ministers present discussed the general economic outlook for the UK and for each of the devolved administrations, as well as looking forward to the forthcoming Autumn Statement. Agreement was reached at the meeting regarding the framework under which the devolved administrations could carry forward Financial Transactions capital into future years.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Finance Ministers from the devolved administrations aim to meet regularly in Quadrilateral format, complimenting bi-lateral meetings and conversations throughout the year. It is anticipated the next Quadrilateral will take place over the coming months. No date or agenda has yet been set.
The annual costs of providing UK border control services are as follow:
Paris Gare Du Nord station - £4.6 million
Bruxelles Midi station - £3.3 million
Calais port - £21.8 million
Eurotunnel terminus (Coquelles) – £21.2 million
The above resource costs are based on the last financial year's data(2013/14)
and are taken from the Home office accounting system Adelphi. These have not
yet been audited. Publication of the annual set of accounts will not present
these costs in this level of detail.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 June 2013 (Official Report, column 1279W).
The Government is committed to working across the employment law (including the employment dispute resolution) system to help to make it easier for companies to hire and manage staff, while protecting workers' rights. This encourages employers to create new jobs, supporting enterprise and growth.
Workload before the employment tribunals is affected by several factors, including underlying economic performance trends, the impacts of reforms of employment legislation and tribunals process, and the number of collective disputes (for example involving insolvencies, and equal pay complaints) that lead to large-scale multiple claims.
The number of claims accepted by employment tribunals and processed by HMCTS in each calendar year, since 2010, is set out in the table below.
Employment tribunal claims accepted in Scotland for Calendar years 2010 to 2013, inclusive
Calendar Year | No. Claims Accepted |
2010 | 18,795 |
2011 | 16,670 |
2012 | 12,533 |
2013 | 7,506 |
Source: ET Database
Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income series. These estimates are available as three-year averages to 2012/13, and show that in 2010/11-2012/13 the number and percentage of children in relative and absolute low income was 0.2 million (17%) and 0.2 million (18%) respectively.
The Scottish Government is consulting until the end of February on whether HMRC should be allowed access to NHS Scotland data (name, date of birth, postcode and gender data) to support the identification of Scottish taxpayers, who will pay tax at the Scottish rate of income tax from April 2016. Discussions have taken place between the two administrations and there will be further discussions after the conclusion of the consultation.
While sustained lower oil prices are challenging for companies active in the North Sea, it is important to recognise that the industry is cyclical. The majority of operators and investors make their assessments on long term outlooks taking into account potential fluctuations in prices.
The UK Government is committed to supporting this vital industry that creates jobs and generates investment. This support includes the full implementation of the Wood Review recommendations and the package of fiscal changes and initiatives announced by the Treasury in early December designed to ease the tax burden on the industry.
The members of the HMRC's Scotland Act Implementation Programme Board are:
Sarah Walker (HMRC, Senior Business Sponsor)
Geoff Yapp (HMRC, Senior Business Sponsor Stamp Duty Land Tax)
Angela Walker (HMRC, Senior Business Sponsor Scottish Rate of Income Tax)
David Swift (HMRC, Deputy Director - Strategic Finance Budget Controller)
Sean Neill (Scottish Government)
HMT, (Fiscal Devolution)
Scotland Office, (Economic Adviser)
HMRC, (Internal Audit)
HMRC, (Programme Manager)
HMRC, (Landfill Tax Policy)
HMRC, (Chief Digital Information Office).
Freedom of Information principles have been applied and names of staff below SCS grade are not released.
The Scotland Office does not employ staff; all staff that join, do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other government bodies, principally the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice. Both of these bodies and other employers of Scotland Office staff hold information relating to pay and the diversity of staff. Additionally, information on the gender breakdown of staff by grade is published in the Office’s annual report. The annual report for 2013-14 is available in the House of Commons Library.
The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join the Office do so on an assignment, secondment or loan agreement from other Government bodies. All staff on such arrangements are paid more than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
The Scotland Office has one contract which provides security for the office in Edinburgh. The Scotland Office does not set the wages paid by the contractors to its workers; however, the wage paid by the contractor is above the national minimum wage. Otherwise, the Office uses framework contracts for building services held by the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government.
I have regular meetings with cabinet colleagues, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, where a wide range of topics are discussed.
Additionally, my officials are very actively engaged in a wide ranging work programme concerning the implementation of the Scottish rate of income tax. This includes working closely with UK Government and Scottish Government officials to support the timely introduction of all fiscal powers of the Scotland Act 2012.
I have received no representations from the Scottish Government regarding the Living Wage.
Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative low income are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. This information is captured using the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and has been reported since 1998/99. These estimates are available for each financial year up to 2012/13, the latest period for which estimates are available.
Average figures for three survey years have been combined for region and individual countries; this is because single year estimates are not considered to be sufficiently reliable for geographies at a lower level than the UK. The estimates for Scotland can be found below:
Estimated number (millions) and proportion of children in relative low income by country and region (Before Housing Costs)
| Number (and percentage) of children in relative low income |
2007/08 – 2009/10 | 0.2 million (20%) |
2008/09 – 2010/11 | 0.2 million (19%) |
2009/10 – 2011/12 | 0.2 million (17%) |
2010/11 – 2012/13 | 0.2 million (17%) |
(Source: HBAI 2012/13
Implementation of the Scottish rate of income tax is being led by an HMRC project with oversight provided by a programme board with representatives from HMRC, HM Treasury, the Scotland Office and Scottish Government. The project is progressing a range of issues associated with defining the detail of the implementation and operation of the Scottish rate and the project is on track to make the necessary changes in readiness for April 2016.
HMRC will have prime responsibility for informing tax payers about these changes and will work with the Scottish Government to ensure that individuals and business have access to the information they will need.