FMQs Review

After what has felt like a number of months of FMQs being almost exclusively focused on the independence debate, opposition members turned their attention to other issues of importance to Scotland.

Johann Lamont tackled the First Minister on the issue of waiting lists, and highlighted the case of one of her constituents who had been left on a trolley at for over 8 hours. The Labour leader has often been at her strongest when presenting individual cases, and using them to reflect wider problems. Most notably over the issue of blankets in hospitals.

The First Minster pivoted to the larger questions of the NHS, arguing that people were more satisfied with the service than ever before, while at the same time funding was at its tightest in a generation. In response Lamont widened out the issue from her constituent, highlighting figures from NHS Glasgow which showed that the number of people waiting in A&E for over four hours had trebled from 10,100 to 31,700.

In a weaker performance than normal, the First Minister concentrated on the record of Labour in Wales, and the lack of commitment from the party in Scotland to secure the health budget and keep hospitals open.

While focused on health, the questioning from Lamont was really about the performance of Nicola Sturgeon in her previous role as Cabinet Secretary for Health, and her anticipated future appointment as leader of the SNP.

Ruth Davidson questioned Salmond on the issue of life sentences following a high profile case this week of a convicted murderer who was released early, and had used European legislation to allow him to apply for parole after 30 years of imprisonment. The First Minister responded that Ministers should not be able to intervene in legal matters such as sentencing, but that he would be open to hearing suggestions from the Conservative leader.

While some barbs were traded between the leaders, this was a FMQs grounded in the day to day issues facing people in Scotland.

By Robert

FMQ’s Review

With the First Minister making his apology over quoting the inaccurate figures last week, it was no surprise that Johann Lamont went on the offensive over this issue in the Chamber. In a back and forth that was neither leaders greatest moment, the accusations flew thick and fast.

For the First Minister, it was a simple mistake, having been handed incorrect data. For Scottish Labour, it was another example of Alex Salmond not taking responsibility for his actions. Lamont wanted to cast the First Minister, and by extension, the Scottish Government, as not having a grip on Scotland’s colleges.  She also raised once again the issue of whether Salmond could be trusted.

The First Minister, for his part, accepted that the mistake had been made, and  then attacked Labour for a range of promises he claimed that they had reneged on, as well as raising the issue of the Iraq War.

Somewhere in there, the issue of college funding was raised, but for the most part neither came out of the debate looking their best. Lamont overplayed her hand, while Salmond allowed himself to become too fixed on the record of Labour.

In an amusing moment, the Presiding Officer once again called Ruth Davidson, “Ruth Lamont” – something which has caused much merriment with the SNP backbenches. 

Davidson also went on the issue of the incorrect figures, but left herself open to attack when she accidentally read out the wrong numbers (although she apologised immediately).  This allowed the First Minister to demonstrate how mistakes can happen, before rounding on her for claims she had made that a range of courses at colleges had been cut, when in fact they were still available.

By Rob

Legislative Programme 2012 – 2013

As the Scottish Government enters into its sixth term, the First Minister has today laid out the legislative priorities for the forthcoming year. The fifteen individual bills which will be passed this year (the SNP majority guarantees this) will inevitably be led by the Referendum Bill. This Bill will include the date of the referendum, the wording of the question and whether the voting age will be extended. The issue of a second question will also be resolved.

But perhaps an even more controversial issue will be the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill, which saw the biggest ever response to a single Scottish Government consultation -  three times as many responses than to the independence referendum consultation. This is a deeply divisive issue within Scottish communities, and while the Scottish Government will pass the legislation, there is likely to be significant opposition, led by the churches.

Elsewhere, the Government are portraying the programme as one which priorities growth, most notably through the Procurement Reform Bill which will seek to modernise the way that public contracts are used in order to enhance growth. It can be expected that the 2013-2014 Budget will give more detail on this economic vision.

While it would be unfair to portray the Bills contained in the package as lacking ambition, there is a sense that the Government is now in a holding position, and this is reflected in the programme. Make no mistake; independence will continue to be the only game in town for the foreseeable future.

Details of legislation:

Referendum Bill

The Bill will make provision for an independence referendum to be held in autumn 2014 to allow the people of Scotland to vote on the way Scotland is governed. The referendum will allow the people to decide whether Scotland should be an independent country, a choice the people have never been offered before. The Bill will include provisions for the date of the referendum, the franchise and the procedures to be followed. It will provide for oversight arrangements that ensure the referendum is run to the highest international standards. The Electoral Commission and Electoral Management Board will be fully involved in these arrangements.

Budget Bill

The annual Budget Bill provides Parliamentary approval for the Scottish Government’s spending plans, allowing the allocation of resources to the Government’s strategic objectives and supporting progress towards its Purpose of creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.

Procurement Reform Bill

The Bill will establish a national legislative framework for sustainable public procurement that supports Scotland’s economic growth by delivering community benefits, supporting innovation, considering environmental requirements and promoting public procurement processes and systems which are transparent, streamlined, standardised, proportionate, fair and business-friendly.

Bankruptcy Bill

The Bill will modernise bankruptcy law for the 21st century. It will ensure access to fair and just processes of debt relief and debt management for the people of Scotland, which takes account of the rights and interests of those involved. It will ensure Scottish debt solutions are fair to both the indebted individual and creditor, returning as much as possible to creditors.

Better Regulation Bill

Businesses benefit from regulation which is transparent, consistent, accountable, proportionate, and targeted only at cases where action is needed. The Bill will therefore take steps to improve the way regulations are applied in practice across Scotland, providing for example national regulation systems and standards. The Bill will also include specific measures to further reform planning and deliver a simpler and more effective legislative framework for environmental regulation and enforcement. 

Land and Buildings Transaction Tax Bill

The Bill will set out how the proposed replacement tax for Stamp Duty Land Tax will operate under a distinctly Scottish based approach and will better embed provision in Scots Law and practices.

Landfill Tax Bill

The Bill will put in place a replacement for Landfill Tax in Scotland, establishing the administration, charges and rules governing a uniquely Scottish Landfill Tax.

Adult Health & Social Care Integration Bill

The Bill will reform planning and provision of adult health and social care services, establishing effective integration between partners in order to deliver improved, nationally agreed outcomes for services. It will establish joint accountability by Health Boards and Councils for delivery of outcomes, integration of budgets, and improved commissioning and planning of services.

Children and Young People Bill

The Bill will improve the outcomes for all children and young people in Scotland, in particular the most vulnerable, by putting in place a coherent statutory framework for planning and delivery of services provided to children and young people. It will also increase transparency, scrutiny and accountability around the public sector’s approach to the practical realisation of children’s rights, and it will make provision to deliver the commitment to a minimum of 600 hours free early learning and childcare provision.

Post-16 Education Reform Bill

The Bill will provide an underpinning legal basis for some aspects of the Scottish Government’s ambitious programme of post-16 learning reform. It will support the development of a system that is better aligned to meet the needs of learners and employers, and therefore help drive jobs and growth. It will address key issues such as college and university structure and provision, college regionalisation and widening access.

Forth Estuary Transport Authority Bill

The Bill will enable the Scottish Government to adopt the most cost-effective and coordinated approach to the management and maintenance of the Forth Road Bridge and the new Forth Crossing.

Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill

The Bill will allow same sex couples to marry, and will also allow civil partnerships to be registered through a religious ceremony. It will ensure that no religious bodies and celebrants have to take part in same-sex ceremonies, unless they wish to do so. Ministers are also deeply committed to freedom of speech and religion, and the concerns of those who do not favour same sex marriage require to be properly addressed. The Scottish Government will consult stakeholders on any provisions that are required, in either statute or guidance, to protect these important principles and address specific concerns that have been expressed.

Victims and Witnesses Bill

The Bill will improve the support available for victims and witnesses, putting victims’ interests at the heart of improvements to the justice system and ensuring that witnesses are able to fulfil their public duty effectively. The Bill will include provision to widen access to special measures (such as the use of CCTV links) to protect vulnerable witnesses and ensure that offenders contribute to the cost of supporting victims.

Tribunals Bill

The Bill will establish a new, simplified statutory framework for tribunals which determine matters falling within devolved competence. It will bring together those existing tribunals which currently operate in a disparate manner and establish a new system for appeals. This will create a more user-focused and coherent tribunal system in Scotland.

Criminal Justice Bill

The Bill will reform and modernise the system for investigation and prosecution of crime in Scotland. It follows from the thorough, expert reviews of Lord Carloway in relation to criminal procedure generally, and Sheriff Principal Bowen in relation to sheriff and jury procedure. It will ensure Scotland is at the forefront of human rights practice in relation to suspects and accused persons, while at the same time promoting the rights of victims by removing outdated rules on sufficiency of evidence.

By Rob

FMQs Review

Johann Lamont led with the on-going crisis surrounding the Eurozone and its impact on Scotland. Her line of attack was aimed at drawing parallels between the Eurozone and any potential independent Scotland. More specifically, under current SNP proposals an independent Scotland would aim to retain the Bank of England as the lender of last resort.  Lamont pointed out that part of the problem facing the Eurozone is that when a participant’s economy struggles it has limited manoeuvrability in which it can seek to become competitive again due to the monetary union.

This is all relevant to Scotland as under the SNPs independence proposals, if Scotland became independent, its monetary policy would potentially be controlled by the Bank of England, and thus Scotland could face a similar situation in the future.  Additionally, the SNP remains pro-Euro so a referendum on the subject would be expected at some point in an independent Scotland. This line of question feeds into the rhetoric Unionist have been developing that the risks of independence are too high when compared with the safety of remaining within the UK.

Salmond’s response to these questions was to remind everyone of who, in his opinion, was to blame for steering the UK economy into the mess in the first place – Labour. By doing so he once again planted the seed in Scots minds of the economic possibilities independence represents.

Ruth Davidson challenged the First Minister to confirm when the new sick children’s hospital in Edinburgh will open. The project has suffered from a number of delays, which according to Davidson is partly the responsibility of the Scottish Government. Salmond retorted that it was the UK Government’s fault for cutting Scotland’s capital budget.

The Scotland Bill

With the pre-budget leaks dominating the airways ahead of George Osborne’s fourth Budget, it is worth noting that the Scottish Government has agreed to support the Scotland Bill on its return to Holyrood.

The Bill was introduced by the UK Government in 2010, as a result of the recommendations laid out by Calman Commission. It has since been subject to scrutiny by Committees at Westminster and Holyrood.

The agreed proposals will see the Scottish Government given increased financial responsibilities, particularly tax powers relating to land transactions, landfill, income tax and borrowing powers for capital expenditure. Holyrood will be given a role in the appointments in broadcasting, the Crown Estate, and a new procedure for Scottish criminal cases that go to the UK Supreme Court will be convened. Additional powers include powers over the regulation of firearms; drink driving, and speed limits.

While the Scottish Government has secured amendments relating to borrowing powers, the block grant, and the Supreme Court, the headline demands made by the SNP convened Scottish Parliament’s Scotland Bill Committee and the SNP leadership have largely been omitted. Corporation Tax, Alcohol Excise Duty and Air Passenger Duty remain reserved. There is also no movement on a guaranteed seat at the table on EU negotiations, while only slight concessions regarding the Crown Estate and broadcasting have been achieved.

It is therefore unsurprising that on announcing the agreement, the Scottish Government, claimed the Scotland Bill was a “missed opportunity” and falls short in terms of delivering the economic levers to really stimulate the Scottish economy and create jobs. On the other side of the coin, the main Opposition Parties have been quick to hail this transfer of power as devolution in action at a time when polling consistently indicates that the majority of Scots want further devolution. The UK Government in particular, will use this as an example of their on-going commitment to devolution, given the wider independence debate and David Cameron’s interjection earlier this year.

However, as many of these measures will take years to introduce, much of the bill could become irrelevant if Scotland votes to go it alone in 2014. Indeed the SNP have already said that the bill could well be out of date before it even reaches the statue books and the debate on the potential for further devolution of powers has only just begun.

The Price of Politics

The Scottish Government’s Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) Bill passed the Stage One vote in the Chamber. Whilst it was always going to pass, the Bill received the support of both the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Conservatives who had, in the last parliamentary session, voted against the Bill.

Labour, which has led opposition to minimum pricing, abstained from the vote, while at the same time introducing its own alcohol bill to the Parliament.

Minimum pricing has been a contentious issue since the SNP came to power in 2007. While acknowledging that minimum pricing wouldn’t be the only measure needed to tackle the deep rooted issues at the heart of Scotland’s relationship with alcohol, the SNP believe that it will have an effect, in conjunction with other measures.

Labour on the other hand, see minimum pricing as giving supermarkets a windfall as prices for the cheapest alcohol increase. They also see minimum pricing as being inherently unfair, as it targets people on lower incomes, while alcohol addiction transcends the social ladder.

The Bill was defeated in the previous Scottish Parliament, due to the SNP being a minority government. Now of course, with a clear majority in the Chamber, they can pass whatever legislation they wish.

In the UK Parliament the Coalition has indicated that it is considering minimum pricing as well thus both the Scottish Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have come round to supporting the Bill, albeit with conditions. These are a sunset clause should the measures be shown not to be effective, and clarification as to whether minimum pricing is legal within EU legislation. 

Labour continues to oppose minimum pricing, and have brought forward its own proposals which include introducing a legal limit of 150 mg per litre of caffeine of pre-mixed alcoholic drinks and rolling out “bottle tagging” to identify which shops have sold alcohol to underage customers.

This Bill is separate to the one which was supported by the Parliament yesterday, but it begs the question as to why Labour is engaged in this strategy. These measures could be introduced into the Government’s bill before it arrives at Stage 3, and coupled with the sunset clause inbuilt with regard to minimum pricing. It is becoming increasingly difficult to see why Scottish Labour would wish to oppose the Government Bill.

By Rob

This Week in Scotland

Independence continues to dominate the political agenda this week. Rupert Murdoch interjected himself into the debate through a series of comments made on Twitter, showing personal support for independence. The Sun had backed the SNP at the last election, and Murdoch has previously commented on his admiration for the political skills of Alex Salmond. It will be interesting to see how his newspaper titles will now respond to the debate over the next two years.

That is of course, if the referendum is to be held in 2014. Scottish Secretary of State Michael Moore this week suggested that it would be possible to hold the independence vote in September 2013. Under his timetable, the Bill would be introduced by autumn this year followed by Royal Assent in March next year. The campaign would then begin in June until September. The UK Government argues that this fits in with the commitment by the SNP to hold the referendum in the second half of its Parliamentary term.

This proposal follows the well-received comments by David Cameron last week, and continues to show the UK Government taking a more pro-active approach to the subject. However this week the Scottish Government re-affirmed its own proposed timetable with further detail about the comprehensive White Paper on Independence it intends to publish in November 2013. Issues will include the currency, border control, welfare, and the armed forces, among others. Clearly this matter will continue to roll along, with both governments’ engaged in trying to wrestle the agenda from the other. 

By Rob

Scottish Budget 2012-2013

As predicted in last week’s blog, this year’s Scottish Budget passed its final stage with few revisions being made. However, Finance Secretary, John Swinney, did have new spending announcements, such as additional capital spending of £382m, for 2012 to 2015, including £19.5m for student support; £45m for housing; £72m to roads projects and £94m to local government.

The aim of Swinney was to appear to be willing to listen to the other parties, even if the Government  no longer had to compel at least one of them to support the Budget to get it passed. The SNP are now in a curious situation; with an overall majority, they are able to pass all their legislation, but in doing so, they will not want to be seen as riding roughshod over opponents, and allow accusations of arrogance to develop.

That being said, Scottish Labour, and the Scottish Conservatives still opposed the budget, citing reasons ranging from the continuing level of cuts to colleges, to not doing enough to tackle unemployment.

While Ken Macintosh, Labour’s Finance Spokesperson, did well, his speech could have been written at the Budget debate last year with continuing accusations that the Scottish Government weren’t going far enough, to protect jobs and increase productivity. It is unlikely that this argument will receive any more traction among the public than it did last year.

Gavin Brown, the Conservative Shadow Spokesperson, argued that the Scottish Government had received more funding for the year ahead, than they had for 2011-2012. John Swinney responded that even with additional funds, the depth of the cuts as a result in a reduction of the block grant by the UK Government required tough decisions to be made.

It was interesting to note that Willie Rennie’s speech was more positive than the other two parties, and indeed, the Liberal Democrats supported the bill, primarily as a result of further money being allocated to colleges.

John Swinney can now demonstrate that his consensual approach to the Budget does have results, and this perhaps further isolates Labour and the Conservatives in the Chamber. The Scottish Government will be pleased with an extra tactical victory for a Budget that would have passed regardless of the support of any of the other parties.

By Robert

Scottish Budget Outlined

It was a somewhat muted Stage One debate on the Scottish Government’s Budget for the coming year. This was both as a result of the preceding statement from the First Minister, laying out the programme of consultation on the independence referendum, and a budget which has so far had very few surprises.

The headline policies include;

• More than £750m transferred from resource expenditure into the capital investment programme
• £500 million allocated to preventative spending, through three “change funds”.
• Delivery of 25,000 modern apprenticeships and fund the ‘Opportunities for All’ programme to guarantee training or learning opportunity for every 16-19 year-old.
• Workers whose pay is controlled by the Scottish Government receive the Scottish Living Wage of £7.20 per hour.
• Maintain police and teacher numbers.

The Council Tax freeze will also continue for another year. While being promoted in the Chamber by John Swinney as a budget for growth, it is by and large a case of business as usual. This point was accentuated by Ken Mcintosh who faced his first major policy speech under his new brief as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance. In a considered speech, he expressed support for moving to preventative spending, the increased apprenticeships on offer, early intervention programmes and spending on the health service.

However, along with the other opposition parties, he rounded on the Scottish Government for cuts to housing and colleges budgets of 40% and 20% respectively. Last week’s unemployment figures were also used to argue that Ministers were not doing enough to create growth and jobs.

The Scottish Government of course countered these points, and argued that their hands continued to be tied by the UK Government and the on-going spending restrictions.

Budgets in previous years have had an element of surprise due to the SNP needing to negotiate with the other parties in order to get the Bill through Parliament. This is now no longer the case, and while John Swinney stated that it was his intention to create a Budget that could be supported by as many of the opposition parties as possible, it is unlikely that any changes made in the next month will be more than tinkering around the edges.

By Robert

FMQs Review

 

The latest unemployment figures for Scotland were published this week, showing that the jobless total had risen by 19,000 to 231,000 between September and November 2011. The Scottish unemployment rate is now 8.6%, higher than the UK average of 8.4%.

It is therefore no surprise that Johann Lamont pursued the First Minister on the subject. The argument between them boiled down to the Scottish Government wanting to increase demand in the economy, but being constrained by Westminster, and continuing accusations that Salmond is unwilling to take responsibility for the rising unemployment figures. However, the change in economic policy announced by Ed Miliband this week to support the UK Government’s pay freeze for public sector workers provided the First Minister with an opportunity to attack Labour, and demonstrated the challenge that the party North of the border has in setting out a distinctly Scottish message on the subject.

Ruth Davidson went on the theme of an independent Scotland’s membership of the EU. Expert opinion was batted back and forth across the Chamber, over whether Scotland would need to reapply for membership, and join the Euro.  The continuing lack of clarity in this area showed once again that Europe could be a potential weakness for the SNP going into the referendum.

Willie Rennie was critical of the savings that the Scottish Government claimed would be gained from the amalgamation of police services, as well as highlighting the officers being taken off frontline duties to work on the reorganisation. The Scottish Liberal Democrats remain the only opposition party wholly opposed to the Scottish Government’s plans, published on Monday to merge Scotland’s 8 police and fire services into 1 in an attempt to remove duplication and increase efficiency. However, the First Minister swept aside Rennie’s criticism and instead rounded on him for the comments of Lord Wallace earlier in week that the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to hold a referendum on independence.

While each of the Opposition Leaders brought detailed questions to the Chamber, none of them appeared to faze the First Minister to any great extent.

By Rob