Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alister Jack and James Davies

Wednesday 18th May 2022 Commons Chamber

[Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con)]

1. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on regional inequality in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alister Jack)]

Rangers, that great British football club, are in Seville tonight for the Europa league final. I hope that the whole House, including the hon. Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray), who is an avid Hearts fan, and the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian Blackford), who is an avid Hibs fan, will join me in wishing them a famous victory.

All areas in Scotland will receive an allocation of UKSPF via a needs-based funding formula. Local leaders are empowered to design their own interventions in line with the levelling up missions. We are determined to boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards.

[Dr Davies]

Will my right hon. Friend kindly explain how the allocation of SPF funding in Scotland and across the rest of the UK will help level up those communities more effectively than the previous structural funding?

[Mr Jack]

The UK shared prosperity fund is a central pillar of our ambitious levelling-up agenda for places across Scotland and provides £212 million of new funding for local investment. Local partners have far greater flexibility than before. They can invest in priority areas and target funds where they are needed. Allocations are being made on a needs-based assessment, including a specifically tailored proportion for rural areas in Scotland.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alister Jack and James Davies

Wednesday 15th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jack]

You are right, Mr Speaker. I would say again to the hon. Lady, if we are talking about majorities, that the First Minister failed to get a majority in May. Let us be clear that less than a third of Scots voted for her in May. Our focus, and the Prime Minister’s focus, is on fighting this pandemic and then recovery from this pandemic, and on bringing forward great things for Scotland, such as the Union connectivity review, freeports and investing directly with local authorities structural funds.

[Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con)]

4. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving transport connections between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alister Jack and James Davies

Wednesday 27th January 2021 Commons Chamber

[Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con)]

What assessment his Department has made of progress on the roll-out of the covid-19 vaccine in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alister Jack)]

The Government are procuring vaccines on behalf of all parts of the United Kingdom and supplying them to the devolved Administrations. It is for the Scottish Government to manage the roll-out of the vaccines in Scotland. However, our British armed forces are supporting the NHS in Scotland in this vital task.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jack]

I am absolutely delighted to echo my hon. Friend’s comments. Our British armed forces have played a number of essential roles in Scotland during the pandemic. They have airlifted patients to mainland hospitals from islands. They have delivered personal protective equipment. They have run mobile testing centres in rural areas and, at present, as he alluded to, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are setting up 80 vaccination centres across Scotland.

[Dr James Davies [V]]

The most recent statistics for the number of covid-19 vaccination doses administered per 100 people stand at 11.4 for England, 9.8 for Northern Ireland, 9.2 for Wales and 8.1 for Scotland. Does my right hon. Friend agree that directly comparable statistics across the UK can be incredibly helpful to drive up performance in the NHS, and will he outline the plans that he has to pursue this agenda further?

[Mr Jack]

Government Ministers in both the UK and the devolved Administrations are committed to transparency around the numbers of people who have been vaccinated. There are also a number of mechanisms for sharing best practice between Ministers and officials of all Administrations. The faster we can vaccinate, the more lives we can protect and the quicker we can return to normal.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alister Jack and James Davies

Wednesday 20th May 2020 Commons Chamber

[Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con)]

What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on co-ordinating a UK-wide response to the covid-19 outbreak.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alister Jack)]

I have regular discussions with all my Cabinet colleagues on the covid-19 outbreak, including on the co-ordination of a UK-wide response. The Government are absolutely committed to a UK-wide approach and we will continue to work together with the devolved Administrations to ensure a co-ordinated approach across the UK, while respecting the devolution settlements.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jack]

I can confirm to my hon. Friend that we are absolutely committed to working constructively with the Scottish Government on all fronts.

[Dr James Davies [V]]

Does the Secretary of State agree with Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, has said:

“We need to see the whole of the UK moving together—the alternative for business is additional confusion and cost. Avoiding divergence for the sake of politics is important.”

Does the Secretary of State agree?

[Mr Speaker]

I do not know if the Secretary of State could hear that—if not, we will move on.