Wednesday Volume 679 9 September 2020 No. 97 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 9 September 2020 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2020 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 599 9 SEPTEMBER 2020 600 Mr Jack: Our armed forces have been instrumental in House of Commons the Government’s response to the pandemic, and I give my deep thanks to them for that work. In Scotland, that Wednesday 9 September 2020 has included military planning personnel for the Scottish Government’s emergency co-ordination centre, Puma The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock helicopters deployed to Kinloss to support the NHS in medical transport and airlift critically ill patients from PRAYERS the Scottish highlands, and the operating of pop-up mobile testing sites across Scotland. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Strengthening the Union Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Order, 4 June). Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con): What steps his Department is taking to strengthen the Union. [905550] [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] Alexander Stafford (Rother Valley) (Con): What steps his Department is taking to strengthen the Union. Oral Answers to Questions [905553] The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alister Jack): SCOTLAND The Government and this Prime Minister are passionate about the Union, and the strength of the Union has never been more important or more evident. The UK The Secretary of State was asked— has the economic strength to support jobs and businesses Armed Forces Personnel with generous financial packages, and it is the strength of the Union that will enable us to rebuild our economy Joy Morrissey (Beaconsfield) (Con): What steps his and swiftly respond to any emerging threats to our Department is taking to support British armed forces prosperity. personnel based in Scotland. [905549] Bob Blackman [V]: I thank my right hon. Friend for Mark Jenkinson (Workington) (Con): What steps his his answer. Figures released by the Scottish Government Department is taking to support British armed forces demonstrate that the cost to Scotland of leaving the personnel based in Scotland. [905561] United Kingdom and becoming independent would be £15.1 billion a year. We know that those figures must be The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alister Jack): true, because they were released by the SNP Government. British armed forces personnel in Scotland play a crucial Does he agree that, far from creating an economic case role in defending the whole UK, and my Department for leaving the United Kingdom, that demonstrates the meets regularly with the Ministry of Defence to help strength of the Union and why Scotland is far better off raise concerns that are specific to Scotland. I feel particularly being in the United Kingdom? indebted to the armed forces in Scotland, who keep us safe at home and abroad and who assisted with such Mr Jack: Yes, absolutely. The Scottish Government’s dedication at the height of this covid pandemic. own figures show clearly how much Scotland benefits from being part of a strong United Kingdom, with the Joy Morrissey: The SNP Government’s decision to pooling and sharing of resources. Year after year, people make Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK has in Scotland benefit from levels of public spending threatened to put the many brave troops based there out substantially above the United Kingdom’s average, and of pocket through no fault of their own. Does my right that Union dividend is worth almost £2,000 per person hon. Friend agree that, because our armed forces serve to everyone in Scotland. the whole UK, it is only right that they are treated equally and fairly wherever they are based? Alexander Stafford: Last month’s figures from the Scottish Government confirmed that our Union is worth Mr Jack: I absolutely agree. Our armed forces perform nearly £2,000 a year for every man, woman and child in a hugely important task in their service of the United Scotland. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we not Kingdom, and it is unacceptable that any member of only benefit from being one Union and one happy them should be subject to discriminatory taxation. That family together, but that the economic benefits for is why the United Kingdom Government took the Scotland from the Union are huge? decision to make an annual payment to protect them from the Scottish Government’sdecision to make Scotland Mr Jack: Yes, my hon. Friend is right. The benefits of the highest taxed part of the United Kingdom. the Union go way beyond public spending. The strength and size of the UK economy creates opportunities for Mark Jenkinson: British armed forces have contributed Scottish businesses, and around 60% of Scotland’s exports enormously to the national response to the covid-19 currently go to the rest of the UK. That is more than outbreak, supporting the distribution of personal protective she trades with the rest of the world. equipment, assisting with testing facilities and transporting patients, for which Cumbria and my constituency of Ian Murray (Edinburgh South) (Lab) [V]: The Secretaries Workington are grateful. Will my right hon. Friend join of State for Northern Ireland and for Health and Social me in thanking the armed forces for all their work Care have confirmed that the Government will break during the pandemic, and can he confirm that every the law by overriding the Northern Ireland protocol. part of our United Kingdom will continue to benefit That would mean reneging on the withdrawal from their hard work? agreement—an agreement that the Prime Minister himself 601 Oral Answers 9 SEPTEMBER 2020 Oral Answers 602 negotiated, brought to this House, voted for, ratified their United Kingdom Internal Market Bill. I want to and campaigned on at the general election. This reckless ask specifically about clause 46, which states that any move reignites the prospect of us crashing out of the UK Minister of the Crown may promote and directly European Union with no deal. The Prime Minister provide economic development, effectively allowing the promised the British people an oven-ready deal. It now UK Government the powers to legislate in the following looks like an oven-ready no-deal. The Secretary of devolved areas: health; education; water; electricity; State himself has said previously that a no-deal outcome courts and pension facilities; housing; and the list goes would “create damaging uncertainty” for the country on. Am I correct in my understanding that when the and that he would never vote for anything that threatened Government says that they are strengthening the Union, or undermined the integrity of our United Kingdom. what they really mean is dismantling devolution? Does he think that reneging on an international treaty, breaking their promise on a deal and putting no-deal Mr Jack: Absolutely not. We are strengthening firmly back on the table strengthens or weakens the devolution. We are bringing a power surge to Scotland— Union? more than 100 new powers. We are not taking a single power away, and I invite the hon. Lady to name one that Mr Jack: First, I congratulate the hon. Gentleman we are. I say that we are the party that backs devolution. and his partner on the birth of their baby daughter, The SNP is the party that wants to destroy devolution Zola, which is why he is currently on paternity leave. by leaving the United Kingdom. I hope that I face even questions such as that from the hon. Gentleman for some time to come, because he is Mhairi Black: Will the Secretary of State tell me, if he honourable, which is a lot more than can be said for is not dismantling devolution, specifically where in the many in his party—the hard left of his party—who have Bill does it say that the UK Government must acquire sought to smear and undermine him in recent days. In the consent of the devolved Administrations? answer to his question, we absolutely do want a deal. We are in serious negotiations again this week because Mr Jack: The UK Government would like to we want to get a deal, and that is our intention, but the get a legislative consent motion from the devolved withdrawal agreement was written on the basis that Administrations, but we are quite clear that we need subsequent agreements could be reached through the to bring forward this UK legislation to protect jobs, to Joint Committee, and that Joint Committee process is protect producers, to protect manufacturers and to ongoing and we are committed to it. None the less, in protect consumers. This is a piece of legislation that, the event that it cannot deal with any adverse implications through mutual recognition and non-discrimination, for the Good Friday agreement, it is important that we strengthens our United Kingdom economy. That is have a position that creates a safety net to uphold our important to Scotland because over £50 billion of trade commitments to the members of Northern Ireland. is done with the rest of the UK—more than Scotland does with the rest of the world. Mr Speaker: We do need to speed up. Douglas Ross (Moray) (Con): Further talk of constitutional wrangling is deeply unhelpful at a time Ian Murray: I am very grateful to the Secretary of when we continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic in State for his kind words about Zola, and if his Government Scotland and across much of the world. Does the could legislate for a minimum of six hours’ sleep for Secretary of State therefore agree that the SNP has got new parents, I certainly would be the first person in the its priorities completely wrong by finding time to bring Aye Lobby to support them.