Wednesday Volume 494 17 June 2009 No. 93 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 17 June 2009 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2009 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; Tel: 0044 (0) 208876344; e-mail: [email protected] 285 17 JUNE 2009 286 John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) House of Commons (LD): The Secretary of State mentioned that he has had meetings with people in the renewable energy sector. What conversations has he had with his colleague, the Wednesday 17 June 2009 Chancellor of the Exchequer, on securing some of the £400 million that has been announced for that sector? The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Has the Secretary of State given particular thought to how the money might be used for marine renewable energy in the Pentland firth? PRAYERS Mr. Murphy: The hon. Gentleman has raised that important issue with me in the past, and I look forward [MR.SPEAKER in the Chair] to visiting his constituency in the parliamentary recess to discuss the points that he raises about the Pentland firth. I have spoken to the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the issues. The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to Oral Answers to Questions know that about a third of the £750 million strategic investment fund established by the Government is to be earmarked for low-carbon investment. We now have to see what opportunities for the type of marine technology SCOTLAND that he mentions are provided by that fund, the additional sources of Government support and the private sector. There is an enormous opportunity for a green industrial The Secretary of State was asked— revolution in Scotland and beyond. Mr. Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab): Thank Automotive Industry you very much, Mr. Speaker, for all your kindness during the years in which you have been in the Chair. 1. Jim Sheridan (Paisley and Renfrewshire, North) I may have to declare an interest, as I have a car that (Lab): What recent discussions he has had with is more than 10 years old, and the Donohoe household representatives of the car manufacturing and trading is looking for a new one. May I ask my right hon. sectors in Scotland on Government support for the Friend the Secretary of State to give me some indication industry. [279144] of the number of applications made under the scrappage scheme? The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Jim Murphy): Mr. Speaker, good morning, and thank you for all the Mr. Murphy: There is certainly great evidence to be guidance that you have given me and so many others in had from car dealers across Scotland. When I visited all parts of the House over the years. Arnold Clark in Stirling, along with my right hon. I have met Scottish manufacturers, including Friend the Member for Stirling (Mrs. McGuire), people representatives from the car industry, to discuss the car there were saying how popular the scheme was. The scrappage scheme. I have also met people from Scottish Government are working to provide specific figures companies that work in climate change technologies, shortly, but Douglas Robertson, the chief executive of which are, of course, an enormous growth area in the Scottish Motor Trade Association, has said: Scotland. “The arrival of the government backed scrappage scheme has without doubt affected Scotland’s figures. Traditionally Scotland Jim Sheridan: I share the comments made by the has always had, on average, the oldest cars in the UK so it is to be Secretary of State for Scotland on how welcome you expected that we should show the most benefit from the scheme.” have been, Mr. Speaker, to us on the Labour Benches. That is the intention behind the scheme; it is a kick-start I thank the Secretary of State for his answer. The car for the motor industry, and it is supportive of the scrappage scheme is helping manufacturing and UK environmental industries as well. consumers. However, there remains genuine concern among car retailers, such as John McGuire in my Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield) (Con): The constituency, about the Treasury’s recent decision on Secretary of State will know that manufacturing industry, the vehicle excise duty refund. Will the Secretary of including the car industry, is vital to the recovery of not State make representations to the Treasury to get that only the Scottish but the United Kingdom, economy. Is decision overturned? he confident that the Government are not loading additional burdens on manufacturing and industry, at a time when Mr. Murphy: My hon. Friend has raised that matter competitiveness is very important? Secondly, does he with the Treasury on a number of occasions. The gentleman believe that the banking system, which has benefited whom he mentions, Mr. McGuire at Phoenix Honda, from huge taxpayer largesse, is playing its role in ensuring operates a company in his constituency but is a constituent the success and survival of manufacturing industry? of mine, so he has also come to my surgeries. Mr. McGuire raises important points on behalf of his company and Mr. Murphy: The hon. Gentleman raises a serious many others across Scotland. I know that my hon. point. The car industry is of strategic importance across Friend will continue to raise the matter with the Treasury. the UK. There are about half a million people employed If there is anything that I can do to assist in that, I will in the motor retail sector across the UK, so there is a of course be happy to do it. challenge not just in Scotland, but throughout the 287 Oral Answers17 JUNE 2009 Oral Answers 288 United Kingdom. We always have to bear in mind the about what happens in respect of the British National balance of regulation and bureaucracy in the private party. Of course we all know that its members are sector, as well as in the public sector, and the need to do racists and anti-Semites, but their vote in Scotland has so is particularly acute at a time of economic difficulty. gone from near zero a decade ago to 27,000 at the Along with the rest of the Government, we are seized of European elections. The proportion of the BNP vote in the need to ensure that, where possible, regulation has Scotland was higher than the ethnic minority proportion as light a touch as possible on the motor industry and of the population in Scotland as shown in the most others, particularly at this difficult time. recent census. Despite the complacency that sometimes creeps into Scottish politics, I believe that the BNP is Mr. Ben Wallace (Lancaster and Wyre) (Con): Contrary also a Scottish problem. to the Government’s spin on the car scrappage scheme, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has Dr. Gavin Strang (Edinburgh, East) (Lab): Is it not said that new car registrations in May fell at an annual clear that public investment is vital to the Scottish rate of 25 per cent.—almost no change from the previous economy, especially at a time of recession? Is not one of month. This month Ministers had to concede that four the strengths of the Calman commission report the fact months after Lord Mandelson launched his £2.3 billion that its recommendations will give the Scottish Government automotive assistance programme not a single penny of the day greater scope and flexibility over public from the scheme has been received by struggling firms. spending? On a day when it is revealed that the number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance in Scotland has doubled Mr. Murphy: The Calman commission report has in one year alone, is it not about time that the Government been welcomed across Scotland, except by a small number matched their words with actions and offered real help on the Opposition Benches. The Calman commission is to hard-working families across the country, rather than about a different type of devolution. It is about making just headlines and spin? decisions that affect the people of Scotland in Scotland, and it delivers a stronger Scotland inside a stronger Mr. Murphy: There we have it: the authentic voice of United Kingdom. It also ensures that there is greater the Scottish Conservative party, via Lancaster. The responsibility in the Scottish Parliament for the decisions hon. Gentleman neither understands nor has any real that it makes on spending. sympathy for the people of Scotland. Of course there are real difficulties in the Scottish and UK economy, Angus Robertson (Moray) (SNP): The Secretary of but he should stop playing politics and remember that State is right to point out that the Calman commission when the Conservatives were in power their message recommended limited additional powers for the Scottish was “Get on your bike and search for work” and that Parliament. The First Minister has offered to test that unemployment was a price worth paying. We will do proposition and independence in a referendum. Does everything we can to help Scotland through the current the Secretary of State not agree that the people should recession. We have looked at the lessons of the recession decide that? of the 1980s, when communities were destroyed and families were scourged by unemployment across the Mr. Murphy: The SNP does not know which way to generations, and we are determined that there will not face on the report.