Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of measures in the Summer Budget 2015 on the economy in Scotland.

This Budget is for the whole of the UK. It rewards work, backs aspiration and ensures fairness for taxpayers across the UK. We are moving towards a lower tax, higher wage, and lower welfare economy. And within the welfare system, we continue to protect the most vulnerable.

And the Budget announces that the Government will introduce a new National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and above. From April 2016, the new National Living Wage will be set at £7.20 – a rise of 70p relative to the current National Minimum Wage rate, and 50p above the National Minimum Wage increase coming into effect in October 2015.

We will back Scottish business by setting out a plan to make the UK economy more productive. Where levers remain at the UK level – including in the corporation tax system – we will do all we can to support growth and competitiveness.