Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Relationship between UK and Scottish Governments

Wednesday 4 September 2024 · 5 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister had numerous discussions with the Scottish Government to reset the relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments.
  • Response acknowledged the Scottish Fiscal Commission's statement regarding the Scottish Government's responsibility for budget pressures.
  • Labour's plans to end the winter fuel payment were criticized for impacting elderly people on low incomes and in fuel poverty.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Grady Lab Glasgow East
Scotland
Context

No specific event prompted the question, but it addresses ongoing issues in intergovernmental cooperation.

Question

What discussions has he had with the Scottish Government on the effectiveness of the relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments?

Answer from Ian Murray

I congratulate my hon. Friend on winning Glasgow East. The people of Scotland want their two Governments to spend more time fighting for them than fighting each other, which is why resetting the relationship has been a priority for this Government and, indeed, the Prime Minister. I have had numerous productive meetings with Scottish Government Ministers, including the Deputy First Minister. We have had 17 days of visits across Scotland, and seven members of the Cabinet have already visited. There have been dozens of calls between Secretaries of State and Cabinet Secretaries.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific commitments or action plans beyond mentioning meetings and visits

How: We Are Committed To Resetting The Relationship

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Q2 John Grady Lab Glasgow East
Economy Scotland
Context

The Scottish Fiscal Commission has noted that much of the pressure on Scotland's public finances is due to the Government's own decisions.

Question

Scotland's official economic forecaster, the Scottish Fiscal Commission, has said of the Scottish Budget that 'much of the pressure comes from the Scottish Government's own decisions.' Does the Secretary of State agree that the Scottish Government must accept responsibility for the catastrophic state of Scotland's public finances?

Answer from Ian Murray

My hon. Friend is right; the Scottish Fiscal Commission did say that. While this new Government are cleaning up the mess of the previous Conservative Government, the SNP seems to be cleaning up its own mess. In 2023, Audit Scotland said: 'The Scottish Government's projections suggest that it cannot afford to pay for public services in their current form.' As we have heard, the IFS said this morning that SNP decisions have reduced the tax take rather than increase it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not explicitly agree or disagree with Scottish Government responsibility

How: This Is About Treating Taxpayers' Money With Respect

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Q3 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Age Scotland has warned about the impact of Labour's decision to end the winter fuel payment.

Question

Labour plans to end the winter fuel payment, taking money away from elderly people who have worked all their days. Age Scotland has said: 'At minimum, a quarter of a million pensioners in Scotland on the lowest incomes or living in fuel poverty will no longer receive this vital financial support over the winter months, while hundreds of thousands more on modest incomes are going to struggle.' Labour has cut the winter fuel payment across the UK, and the SNP is doing Labour's dirty work in Scotland. What does the Minister have to say to the 250,000 elderly Scots who are in poverty and struggling with the decisions of Labour and the SNP?

Answer from Ian Murray

I welcome the shadow Secretary of State to his new post. During the inheritance statement a few weeks ago, the Chancellor set out how the current Government are fixing the foundations and trying to clear up the dreadful legacy left by the Government of which the hon. Gentleman was a member.

Not addressed: Did not address the impact on pensioners

How: This Is About Treating Taxpayers' Money With Respect

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Q4 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Age Scotland has warned about the impact of Labour's decision to end the winter fuel payment.

Question

Labour is taking a leaf from the SNP playbook by refusing to take responsibility for its own actions. This is happening because of choices made by this Labour Government that have been passed on by the SNP in Edinburgh. Labour's election slogan was all about change and, under this Labour Government, pensioners do not seem to have any change to spare. A woman called Lesley told Age Scotland that the winter fuel payment 'is literally a life saver for us.' Another person, Brian, told Age Scotland: 'I would freeze without it, or go hungry.' Is this the change that Labour meant—taking money away from struggling pensioners?

Answer from Ian Murray

There seems to be no recognition or apology from the shadow Secretary of State for the legacy his party has left this Government to try to clear up. We knew about the massive overspend in public services by the previous Government, and the audit the Chancellor did in her first weekend in office revealed the £22 billion black hole.

Not addressed: Did not address what was meant by change

How: We Knew About The Massive Overspend

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Q5 Stephen Gethins SNP Arbroath and Broughty Ferry
Scotland
Context

The questioner congratulates the Minister and asks about improving relations.

Question

May I add my congratulations to the Secretary of State? I know it has not always been easy and sometimes it has been a lonely path, so I offer my personal congratulations to him on his appointment and to the hon. Member for Midlothian (Kirsty McNeill) on taking her place. I will take the Secretary of State at face value on improving the relationship between the Scottish and UK Governments, but he will be aware of the devastating consequences of the cuts in the winter fuel payment for pensioners in both our constituencies and across Scotland. In order to work better with the Scottish Government, will he do better than giving them just 90 minutes' notice next time?

Answer from Ian Murray

I welcome the hon. Gentleman back to his place, having won the election for the new constituency of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry. He should look at what the Finance Secretary said in the Scottish Parliament yesterday: she announced half a billion pounds of cuts, including £120 million in health services and £20 million in mental health services, and she has sold the family inheritance by using the ScotWind money to plug the additional funding gaps in the budget.

Not addressed: Did not address giving more notice

How: He Should Look At What The Finance Secretary Said

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