Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cost of Living: Scotland

Tuesday 14 November 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Michael Shanks asked the Minister about discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland regarding the cost of living impact on Scotland.
  • The Minister responded with details of UK-wide support measures worth 94 billion, including cost of living payments and the energy price guarantee.
  • Michael Shanks mentioned the Institute for Fiscal Studies report showing lower wage growth in Scotland compared to England.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Michael Shanks Lab Rutherglen
Economy Scotland
Context

Discusses the impact of rising costs on households and businesses in Scotland, referencing UK-wide support measures.

Question

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland on the impact of increases in the cost of living on the Scottish economy. I am concerned about the impact of these rises on households and businesses across Scotland. The government has announced various packages to mitigate these impacts, such as cost of living payments and the energy price guarantee.

Answer from Laura Trott

We have announced UK-wide support for households, including cost of living payments, the energy price guarantee and the energy bills support scheme. Taken together, support for households is worth £94 billion and is among the largest packages in Europe.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland was not addressed.

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Q2 Michael Shanks Lab Rutherglen
Economy
Context

Reports that Scottish wages have risen by only 1.5% since 2015, significantly lower than the 5% increase in England, highlighting the struggle for workers during a cost of living crisis.

Question

The Institute for Fiscal Studies recently reported that wages in Scotland have risen by 1.5% since 2015, compared with 5% in England. In the face of a cost of living crisis brought about by the Conservative party's disastrous mini-Budget, wages simply are not keeping up with the cost of living. What can the Minister commit the Government to doing next to help make work pay? Will she, for example, support Labour's new deal for working people?

Answer from Laura Trott

I was pleased to see this morning's figures, which show that wages are going ahead of inflation. This is very good news and I hope it spreads to Scotland.

Not addressed: The specific ask about addressing wage stagnation and considering Labour's proposals was not addressed.

How: Changing Subject To Positive Wage Figures

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