Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2020 to Question 84291, whether it is still his Department's plan for the final sign off of the Ayrshire Growth Deal to be by the end of October 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I am delighted to confirm that we intend to sign the Ayrshire Growth Deal in November.
All partners have worked tirelessly to get to this point and I look forward to continued collaborative efforts with local partners, the private sector, and the Scottish Government to develop this ambitious £251.5 million programme for transformative and inclusive economic growth across the region, which will include £103 million from the UK Government.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when the final agreement for the Ayrshire Growth Deal will be signed between the UK Government, the Scottish Government and the three Ayrshire council authorities; and if will he make a statement.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
We are making good progress with the Ayrshire Growth Deal and I hope to be able to sign the final agreement before the end of October. We are currently working with all the signatories to try to identify a suitable date.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on ensuring that new hydrogen fuel cell electric buses are built in (a) Scotland and (b) other parts of the UK.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on a number of different policy issues. The Department for Transport (DfT) is committed to decarbonising the transport network, considering the role that all technologies can play.
As was highlighted in the Prime Minister’s speech to Parliament on 11 February 2020 announcing the record-breaking investment of £5 billion new investment in buses and bicycles: “There will be more than 4,000 brand-new buses on the roads - zero carbon British built buses - on the roads of places Ashfield, Barnstaple, Southampton, Manchester and many more towns and cities besides”. DfT are currently considering the UK Government’s approach to delivering this.
The UK Government have acted early to support a number of world-leading hydrogen demonstration projects, and are continuing to explore and consider the potential role of hydrogen in the UK. I understand the Scottish Government are also considering this as part of their Scottish Energy Strategy.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Department for Work and Pensions on the effect of section 75 of the Pensions Act 1995 on (a) plumbing pensions and (b) multi-employer pension schemes; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
My Department works closely with the Department for Work and Pensions on a range of issues that are relevant to Scotland.
The Government believes that the existing arrangements provide sufficient flexibility for employers to manage their section 75 debts and that maintaining the current calculation method is the most viable way of ensuring that members receive their pension benefits over the longer term.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on VAT refunds for Police Scotland and Fire Scotland.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer on important Scottish economic and fiscal matters.
At Budget 2017, we enabled Scottish Police and Fire services to claim VAT refunds of £40m per year going forward.
The Scottish Government was aware of the VAT consequences of its restructuring in 2012, but decided to proceed because the estimated financial savings outweighed the costs.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on HELMS Green Deal mis-selling; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I am aware that there are a large number of appeal cases, currently with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, regarding the activities of HELMS under the Green Deal. Under the Green Deal Framework Regulations, the Secretary of State for BEIS has the power to reduce or cancel loans where there has been a breach of the relevant rules, and she is satisfied that the consumer has suffered, or is likely to suffer, a substantive loss. I have been assured that BEIS is working to reach conclusions on these cases as soon as possible.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations he has received from businesses in Scotland on the financial effect of contingency plans made by those businesses in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by David Mundell
Delivering the deal is the Government’s top priority, and we do not want or expect a no-deal scenario. However, as we have said, a responsible government should prepare for every eventuality, including the possibility of no-deal. As part of these preparations I have held several cross sector round tables to hear representations from businesses in Scotland. These roundtables have included Food and Drink, Agriculture, Financial Sector and Fishing.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make an assessment of the financial effect on Scottish businesses of those businesses' contingency plans in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Mundell
The Government has delivered on its commitment to provide appropriate analysis to Parliament with a robust, objective assessment of how exiting the EU may affect the economy of the UK, sectors, nations and regions in the long run.
The analysis considers four analytical scenarios: the UK position set out in the July 2018 White Paper, a hypothetical FTA, an EEA-type relationship and a no-deal scenario.
The analysis showed that the deal that has been agreed is the best deal on offer, when it comes to protecting jobs and our economy while also respecting the result of the referendum and realising the opportunities of Brexit.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has plans to hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on businesses in Scotland deploying no-deal contingency plans for after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by David Mundell
We have always been clear that our aim is to have a deal in place so we can leave the EU on 29 March 2019. I regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss preparations for the UK as we exit the EU. We will continue to provide comprehensive information to businesses to help them prepare for EU Exit, as we continue to push for a deal but make sensible preparations for no-deal.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2018 to Question 169528, on Devolution: Northern Ireland and Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on (a) the benefits of the devolution of responsibility for time (for example timescales, time zones and the subject-matter of the Summer Time Act 1972) to the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) the potential benefits to Scotland of similar such devolved powers.
Answered by David Mundell
The devolution settlements for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are each unique and areas that are devolved in one part of the UK may not be devolved in another. This reflects the history and development of the different devolution settlements across the UK. The Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland and Wales and I work closely together to ensure that these settlements work for the people of the various parts of the UK.
In 2014, the Smith Commission considered in great depth what new powers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and the report was agreed by all five of Scotland’s main political parties. The Scotland Act 2016 delivers on the Smith Commission Agreement in full, and we are committed to implementing the Act. The Scottish devolution settlement strikes the right balance for Scotland and now is not the time to reopen this issue.