Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his contribution in the House on 8 June 2015, Official Report, column 926, what comparative assessment he has made of the scope of powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament, if the Scotland Bill is passed, and comparable European and North American legislatures.
The Scottish Parliament will be one of the most powerful devolved legislatures in the world once the Scotland Bill is enacted. Compared to the average position of sub-central governments within the OECD, the Scottish Parliament will be among the most powerful in terms of tax and spending powers just behind Canadian provinces and Swiss cantons, and ahead of devolved legislatures in Australian states and German Länder.