Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how adjustments to the Scottish block grant will be calculated following implementation of the Scottish rate of income tax.
Answered by Danny Alexander
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.
Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2014 to Question 213288, what the name and job title is of each member of the programme board.
Answered by Alistair Carmichael - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)
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.
Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2014 to Question 214210, what the cost to his Department was of providing support to the Scottish Minister for Environment and Climate Change on his visit to Chile in October 2014.
Answered by David Lidington
The Scottish Minister for Environment and Climate Change visited Chile in October 2014. Foreign and Commonwealth Office assistance for this visit largely consisted of support from the British Embassy in Santiago provided from within existing resources. Specific additional costs amounted to £398 for transport.Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department made of the implications for his decision to pay subcontracted staff in his Department the living wage of the EU public procurement regime as set out in Directive 2004/18/EC and 2004/17/EC.
Answered by Amber Rudd
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.
Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received from the Scottish Government on the living wage; and if he will place in the Library any correspondence on this issue between his Department and the Scottish Government.
Answered by Jo Swinson
We have received no representations from the Scottish Government regarding the living wage.
Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2014 to Question 214210, what the cost to his Department was of providing support to the Scottish Minister for External Affairs and International Development on his visits to (a) Geneva in November 2014, (b) Brussels in July 2014, (c) Brussels in June 2014, (d) Vancouver and San Francisco in April 2014, (e) Vienna in February 2014, (f) UAE and Qatar in November 2013, (g) Pakistan in October 2013, (h) India, Delhi and Mumbai in October 2013, (i) Geneva in September 2013, (j) Latvia in July 2013, (k) China and Hong Kong in June 2013 and (l) Hanover in May 2013.
Answered by David Lidington
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.
Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2014 to Question 214210, what the cost to his Department was of providing support to the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs on his visits to (a) Dublin in October 2014, (b) Brussels in October 2014, (c) Italy in October 2014, (d) Ireland in May 2014, (e) Poland in May 2014, (f) Paris in April 2014, (g) Helsinki in March 2013, (h) Paris in December 2013, (i) Denmark and Sweden in December 2014, (j) Brussels in November 2013, (k) Rome in October 2013, (l) Philadelphia in July 2013, (m) Venice in May 2013, (n) Dublin in May 2013 and (o) Berlin in April 2013.
Answered by David Lidington
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.
Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the relative pay of men and women among staff of his Department.
Answered by Alistair Carmichael - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)
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.
Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many 18 to 24 year olds in Scotland had been unemployed for 12 months or more in each year since 2007.
Answered by Alistair Carmichael - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)
Latest official statistic shows that the number of young people (18-24 year olds) claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) has fallen dramatically from its peak as a result of the recession. The overall number of 18 to 24 year old JSA claimants fell by 21,000 between 2011 and 2014 or more than 52%. Those aged 18 to 24 year olds claiming JSA for more than 12 months fell by 4,500 to 2,700 or over 60%. Further details are available in the following table.
| Claimant count - age and duration | ||||||||||
ONS Crown Copyright Reserved [from Labour Market figures] | ||||||||||
| Date | Aged 18-24 | Aged 18-24, claiming for over 12 months |
| ||||||
| October 2007 | 19,400 | 400 |
| ||||||
| October 2008 | 24,500 | 300 |
| ||||||
| October 2009 | 37,300 | 800 |
| ||||||
| October 2010 | 36,100 | 1,700 |
| ||||||
| October 2011 | 40,200 | 2,800 |
| ||||||
| October 2012 | 36,900 | 7,200 |
| ||||||
| October 2013 | 28,200 | 5,500 |
| ||||||
| October 2014 | 19,200 | 2,700 |
| ||||||
|
|
| ||||||||
| Peak to Oct 2014 - level | -21,000 | -4,500 |
| ||||||
| Peak to Oct 2014 - percentage | -52.2 | -62.5 |
| ||||||
Claimants of Universal Credit are not yet included in the Claimant Count. An article provides further information: http://bit.ly/1p9mkq7 (pdf). | ||||||||||
Asked by: Margaret Curran (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether (a) all staff in his Department's offices in London and Edinburgh and (b) contractors who provide services in his Departments properties are paid the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Alistair Carmichael - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)
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.