Wednesday Volume 683 11 November 2020 No. 133 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 11 November 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/. 887 11 NOVEMBER 2020 888 Armistice Day House of Commons Wednesday 11 November 2020 The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock 10.58 am PRAYERS [Prayers were said by the Chaplain of the Speaker (Rev. Tricia Hillas).] [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Order, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in 4 June). trouble. [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] Approaching the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, I invite you to rise and be still to remember those who have died for their country in war. ROYAL ASSENT In doing so we commit ourselves to work in penitence Mr Speaker: I have to notify the House, in accordance and faith for reconciliation between the nations, that all with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that the Queen has people may, together, live in freedom, justice and peace. signified her Royal Assent to the following Acts: We pray for all who in bereavement, disability and Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU pain continue to suffer the consequences of fighting Withdrawal) Act 2020 and terror. Agriculture Act 2020. We remember with thanksgiving and sorrow those whose lives, in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away. Oral Answers to Questions Almighty and eternal God, from whose love we cannot be parted, either by death or life: hear our prayers and thanksgivings for all whom we remember this day; fulfil SCOTLAND in them the purpose of your love; and bring us all, with them, to your eternal joy. Amen. The Secretary of State was asked— Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Mr Speaker: They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Hannah Bardell (Livingston) (SNP): What recent Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the At the going down of the sun and in the morning extension of the coronavirus job retention scheme in Scotland. [908449] We will remember them. The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alister Jack): Hon. Members: We will remember them. Today, on the 11th day of the 11th month, I am sure the whole House will join me in remembering those who 11 am made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. The House observed a two-minute silence. I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on all aspects of how we support the entire country, 11.2 am including Scotland, through the covid crisis.The coronavirus [Chaplain of the Speaker] job retention scheme has always been a UK-wide scheme, and it has now been extended until the end of March Ever-living God, we remember those whom you have 2021, with employees across the UK receiving 80% of gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your their current salary for hours not worked. presence; may that same peace calm our fears, bring justice to all peoples and establish harmony among the Hannah Bardell: May I associate myself and those on nations. Amen. the SNP Benches with the comments of the Secretary God grant to the living grace, to the departed rest, of State? to the Church, the Queen, the Commonwealth and all At the last Scottish questions, my hon. Friend the people, unity, peace and concord, and to us and all Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Patricia Gibson) God’s servants, life everlasting; and the blessing of God raised a very serious concern about levels of poverty almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be when the job retention scheme ended. The Minister at among you and remain with you always. Amen. the Dispatch Box said that November would be the right time to look at a targeted scheme, as if he had some magical powers of poverty prediction. Imagine our surprise, Mr Speaker, when the south of England went into full lockdown and the full force of furlough came back into force. Will the Secretary of State clarify whether the notion of targeted is really targeted at the south of England, with a huge disrespect to Scotland and the rest of the devolved nations? Mr Jack: Absolutely not. The Prime Minister was clear from the get-go, following Cabinet on the Saturday when we discussed the new economic situation in England, 889 11 NOVEMBER 2020 890 that it was a UK-wide scheme. It is 80% for the whole of of State outline the work done between the Scottish the United Kingdom. It is a simple scheme and it is for Government and the UK Government to ensure that our whole country and he has been absolutely clear there is a seamless roll-out of this vaccine that has given about that from the start. us so much hope here in Scotland and across the UK. John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) Mr Jack: We have invested more than £230 million in (Con): The UK Treasury has provided an up-front manufacturing any successful vaccine. The vaccines have guarantee of £8.2 billion to the Scottish Government to been procured and paid for by the UK Government on help protect jobs and to help the Scottish Government behalf of everyone in the United Kingdom. Doses will tackle coronavirus, yet we are still to hear from the be distributed fairly and across all parts of the United Scottish Government about where more than £2 billion Kingdom according to population share. of that funding is to be spent. Does the Secretary of State agree that the Scottish Government need to provide Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central) (SNP): A business details urgently about how they will use that funding to operator in my constituency contacted me four days support Scots? before furlough was supposed to end. He operates two bars in my constituency. As a responsible employer, he Mr Jack: I agree with my hon. Friend. There has had kept on his 44 staff and taken on the debt from been substantial extra funding, guaranteed funding, to bounce back loans, but he was absolutely at the end of the Scottish Government—£8.2 billion, as he correctly his tether with this Government and their last-minute identified. That is money received through the Barnett decisions. Will the Secretary of State apologise to that formula. The Scottish Government must not shirk their business operator in my constituency for the severe responsibility to be open and transparent about how stress that the Government’s dithering has caused him that money is being spent. We need accountability so and for the distress that it has caused his employees, as that the people of Scotland can judge whether it is well as to the many people who could not keep on their being spent wisely. staff or who lost their jobs due to this Government’s incompetence? Mhairi Black (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) (SNP) [V]: The Minister has recently said that the job retention Mr Jack: The hon. Lady will recognise that this is a scheme will last into next year, but he has also said that dynamic and unprecedented situation, and we have to take there will be no referendums on Scotland’s future for a decisions as we see what is in front of us. The employers generation. The Edinburgh agreement, signed by a Tory of those who lost their jobs after 23 September, but were Prime Minister, provided the legal framework for the in employment and furlough up until 23 September, are 2014 referendum, so can the Minister quote me where it allowed to bring those employees back and put them on says in that agreement that there cannot be another furlough. referendum? Co-ordinated Response to Covid-19: Mr Jack: I commend the hon. Lady for trying to get a Devolved Administrations referendum into questions about the job retention scheme. While we are all fighting this pandemic and trying to secure and support people’s jobs, it beggars belief that Allan Dorans (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (SNP): the SNP carries on talking about independence referendums What recent steps he has taken to ensure effective and about separation. I find it really quite disappointing. co-operation between the Government and the devolved The answer to her question is that it was mentioned Administrations. [908450] many times in the White Paper that the SNP Government produced in advance of that referendum. The words “once Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab): What in a generation” were mentioned on a number of pages. recent steps his Department has taken to help ensure co-ordination between Scotland and the other nations Mhairi Black: I thank the Minister for confirming of the UK in response to the covid-19 outbreak. that there is no legal basis for his assertion on the timing [908452] of a future referendum. Given that it was also agreed cross-party that nothing in the Smith commission prevents Alex Davies-Jones (Pontypridd) (Lab): What recent Scotland from becoming an independent country in the steps his Department has taken to help ensure co-ordination future, can he tell us whose decision is it whether Scotland between Scotland and the other nations of the UK in has another referendum? response to the covid-19 outbreak. [908458] Mr Speaker: Order. The question must have some The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland relevance.