Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Wednesday Volume 540 22 February 2012 No. 267 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 22 February 2012 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2012 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 853 22 FEBRUARY 2012 854 Michael Moore: The fundamental issue is about House of Commons independence, and that is what we must resolve. We must have a legal, fair and decisive independence Wednesday 22 February 2012 referendum. The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Amber Rudd: Will my right hon. Friend clarify whether he has had conversations about Antarctica and whether it is true that the previous Government simply forgot to PRAYERS deal with Antarctica and the British territory there? What is his position on making sure that we retain [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] control of it? Michael Moore: The hon. Lady highlights an important part of the world in which it is important that the UK Oral Answers to Questions Government have a role to play. May I point out that through the Scotland Bill, which is passing through their lordships House, we are delivering the biggest SCOTLAND transfer of powers to Edinburgh since the Act of Union and tidying up some of the inconsistencies of the devolution The Secretary of State was asked— settlement? Stewart Hosie (Dundee East) (SNP): When the Scottish Independence Referendum Secretary and the Prime Minister met the First Minister, the Prime Minister offered a proposal for enhanced 1. Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan) (Con): What devolution but failed to spell out what that might be. recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of What does the Scottish Secretary envisage that a package Scotland on a referendum on independence for of devolved financial powers might look like? Would it Scotland. [95262] include corporation tax, all of income tax and the 8. Mr Iain McKenzie (Inverclyde) (Lab): What aggregates levy? discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on a referendum on independence for Scotland. [95269] Michael Moore: It is incredible that the SNP wants to ask a question about further devolution when it has not 10. Amber Rudd (Hastings and Rye) (Con): What set out what the fundamentals of independence would recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of be. One would think that after decades of having that as Scotland on a referendum on independence for its main reason for existing, it might have some clear Scotland. [95271] ideas on the issue. The Secretary of State for Scotland (Michael Moore): Stewart Hosie: That was a very instructive answer The First Minister and I met on Monday 13 February because it failed entirely to answer the question. There to discuss a referendum on independence. The Prime was no detail about what the Prime Minister proposes. Minister, the First Minister and I had a further meeting Is that because there is no detail, is it because the on Thursday 16 February, when we discussed the need announcement was made simply to capture one day’s for any referendum to be legal, fair and decisive. It is in news headlines, or is it meant to cover the embarrassment everyone’s interests that both of Scotland’s Governments of this Government, who voted against the devolution work together and I look forward to meeting the First of any further powers in the Commons debates on the Minister again in due course. Scotland Bill last year? Alun Cairns: The Scottish Government are the most Michael Moore: Honestly, the hon. Gentleman has a resolute defenders of the Barnett formula, arguably bit of a cheek talking about a lack of detail when his against the interests of the other nations of the United party cannot spell out what the currency situation would Kingdom. Does the Secretary of State therefore think be in an independent Scotland, what the national debt that if the people of Scotland vote yes in a referendum might look like and how it might deal with pensions on independence, the Barnett formula should apply to and financial regulation. It is absolutely clear that we the nation’s debt? must make the most fundamental decision on Scotland’s Michael Moore: I do not envisage that Scotland will future in a clear-cut and decisive way. The debate about become independent from the United Kingdom. I think devolution will be ongoing and I very much look forward we are stronger together and weaker apart. The hon. to being part of it. Gentleman touches on the fundamental issue of sorting out what the basis of that independence might look like, Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife) (LD): My and the Scottish National party has so far singularly right hon. Friend has spelt out the absence of detail failed to answer questions on that. given by members of the Scottish National party in this House. Has he impressed on the First Minister, in the Mr Iain McKenzie (Inverclyde) (Lab): Will the Secretary opportunities he has had to do so, the First Minister’s of State again confirm his and the Government’s unequivocal obligation to explain to the people of Scotland commitment to a single, non-leading question in the not just the process of independence but the consequences referendum on Scottish separation, and will he further and costs of it and the length of time it would take to commit to a simple yes or no reply? implement? 855 Oral Answers22 FEBRUARY 2012 Oral Answers 856 Michael Moore: My right hon. and learned Friend John Swinney and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of highlights some very important central issues in the State for Work and Pensions will attend, so that we can debate about independence. I believe Scotland is stronger take the agenda forward together. as part of the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom is stronger because Scotland is part of it. On financial Dr Eilidh Whiteford (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): No issues, our place in the world and the strength of our one in the House is complacent about youth unemployment defences, there are huge numbers of unanswered questions and the plight of young people trying to find work in for the SNP that it must now get on and address. very trying economic circumstances. I welcome the joint initiative of the national convention taking place NEETs next month, but may I press the Secretary of State on what outcomes he expects from that convention, and 2. Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab): whether he will welcome the initiatives that the Scottish How many young people aged between 16 and 24 are Government have taken to ensure a place for every not in employment, education or training in Scotland; young person aged 16 to 19 in Scotland in work, training and if he will make a statement. [95263] or education? The Secretary of State for Scotland (Michael Moore): Michael Moore: It is vital that Scotland’s two According to the latest figures published in the annual Governments work together on this terrible problem population survey, the number of 16 to 19-year-olds that existed under the previous Government and continues. estimated to be not in education, employment or training We need to address that using everything we can to help in Scotland in 2010 was 36,000. young people get experience, training or jobs. We will work hard on all those, and if others wish to work with Mr Brown: There is another important element to the us, we will welcome that. question that I asked, which refers to young people up to 24 years old. They are the hardest-hit young people and we do not want to see that generation lost. In rural Margaret Curran (Glasgow East) (Lab): Will the localities such as the right hon. Gentleman’s and mine, Secretary of State tell the House how many young Scots policies to get young people back into work will depend, have lost their jobs since he was appointed to his job in as far as the private sector is concerned, on small and May 2010? medium-sized enterprises. These businesses are suffering severely and the pressure on them is not enabling them Michael Moore: If I may say so, the hon. Lady should to create jobs. Does the Secretary of State understand remember the economic mess that we inherited from the that we need a task-force mentality to deal with young Labour Government, since when we have been fixing people’s unemployment? the deficit and seeking to rebalance the economy and ensure that we have sustainable growth. The youth Michael Moore: My officials are working on the contract, work experience and all the support we are statistics for up to 24 year olds. They are not currently giving are vital to ensuring that we get young people published but I look forward to getting the data for the back into the workplace. hon. Gentleman and other hon. Members. On the fundamentals of the economy, I absolutely Margaret Curran: I notice that the Secretary of State agree that we need small and medium-sized businesses struggled somewhat with that answer. There is one to be given the ability to grow. That is why we are statistic that he should be familiar with. Since his putting pressure on the banks to lend to them and Government scrapped the future jobs fund, 23,000 jobs are ensuring that we support the young people we have been lost in Scotland.