Oral Answers to Questions

Sheila Gilmore Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Carmichael]

The benefits and opportunities that come to generators of renewable energy in Scotland from being part of that single integrated market speak for themselves. The fact that we are being asked to leave that should be of concern to them.

[Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East) (Lab)]

6. What discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on the transition costs of an independent Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alistair Carmichael)]

I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, to ensure that people in Scotland have the full facts about the economic consequences of independence. The Scottish Government have repeatedly refused to publish their own workings. I call on them today to publish the work they have carried out.

[Sheila Gilmore]

I thank the Secretary of State for that reply. The Scottish Government’s own Finance Secretary calculated, in an internal memo, that the cost of setting up a new tax authority alone would be some £650 million. Is it not right that the Scottish Government should give that and other, similar information they have to the Scottish people before asking them to vote for a pig in a poke?

[Mr Carmichael]

It is worth reflecting that that figure is in the public domain only because the document was leaked. The truth of the matter is that, whenever there is any difficult news to be had, the Scottish Government will go to any lengths to suppress it, because, frankly, they are prepared to tell us anything that they think will make us more likely to vote for independence.