Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 26th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

I very much welcome the borderlands initiative, which is an excellent example of cross-border working. Councils are working together across the Scottish and English borders to maximise economic and cultural opportunities.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

I understand that the Smith commission has written to a number of companies asking for their views on the question of what should be devolved. Companies in my constituency are telling me that if Scotland were to be given some of the powers that are being considered, they would leave Scotland. Is that good or bad?

[David Mundell]

The Smith commission has engaged in a widespread consultation with all aspects of Scottish society. I understand that there were some 14,000 submissions, and the commission will obviously look closely at all of them.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 15th October 2014 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

It is evident that there was some appalling behaviour during the referendum, not least towards people such as J.K. Rowling, when they expressed their views. However, I think we must regard the referendum overall as a triumph of the democratic process. After all, 85% of the Scottish population voted, and voted decisively to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

It is clear that there was intimidation during the referendum, but a more important question for the Minister is: when does he see the possibility of another referendum? The last thing we need to get in the way of politicians’ day business is another referendum in a generation.

[David Mundell]

I absolutely agree. It is disappointing that in the days before the referendum the First Minister of Scotland was able to say that he did not foresee another referendum in his lifetime; then he said a generation; and now he is saying a few months. That is totally unacceptable. The sovereign will of the Scottish people is that Scotland should remain part of the United Kingdom. We should all come together to forge the new devolution settlement.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 26th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

When the Scottish Affairs Committee report is published, I will undertake to discuss its recommendations with the appropriate Scottish Government Ministers.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

As someone who has been blacklisted three times in the past, I can tell the Minister that it is an obnoxious way of going about business. Will he ensure that legislation is put in place to ensure that people like me and many others in Scotland do not have to face such a practice in future?

[David Mundell]

The Government take this matter very seriously. As the hon. Gentleman will know, legislation is already in place in the form of the Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010. We await the Scottish Affairs Committee report to see whether it proposes any further measures.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 24th April 2013 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

Indeed, that is a poignant memorial to Dr Livingstone. It was particularly memorable to see members of his family laying a wreath on the gravestone, along with President Banda, at the commemorative service.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

I presume that Dr Livingstone was a great educationalist, who believed in education. What has the Minister’s right hon. Friend the Secretary of State done to set up the school-industry liaison committees that he promised me some months ago?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 13th February 2013 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

The hon. Gentleman and his colleagues fail ever to mention the discretionary housing payments fund, which will support people in difficult situations. He and his colleagues should be urging councils in Scotland to make use of that money. Scotland will get a very good share of the £155 million being provided.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

Does the Minister not recognise the fact that there are people crying as a result of being given notices right now that tell them that they will have to get out of their house, or lose housing benefit as a result, come 1 April? That is the reality of the situation. Can the Minister not waken up to that fact?

[David Mundell]

I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman and others are not working with their local councils and housing associations to draw attention to the availability of the discretionary payments funds and the fact that there will be an opportunity to support the most vulnerable.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 9th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

What the people of Scotland know is that it is the same old Labour: there is no apology for the mess that it left the economy in and its only proposal is more spending, more borrowing and more debt.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

Question 5, Mr Speaker.

--- Later in debate ---

[David Mundell]

Nothing that SNP Members say or do surprises me. The SNP’s position is totally hypocritical. The Scottish Government are asking nurses and NHS workers to take a 1% pay rise, yet they want benefits to rise by more than that.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

5. How many people in Scotland have used food banks in the last 12 months.

[Lindsay Roy (Glenrothes) (Lab)]

12. How many people in Scotland have used food banks in the last six months.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (David Mundell)]

Jobcentre Plus operates a food bank referral service. However, the Government do not hold information on the number of people seeking assistance from food banks.

[Mr Donohoe]

We are in 2013 and not 1813, are we not? The need for food banks this year in Scotland is an abominable reflection on society. There is even a food bank in Prestwick, which is one of the most salubrious parts of my constituency. According to the Trussell Trust, 15% of the people who use that food bank are in employment. What an indictment that is of the Government.

Referendum (Scotland)

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Monday 15th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

I thank my hon. Friend for that robust contribution. He is right. The people of Scotland will see through the lack of detailed policy from the Scottish National party on what an independent Scotland would be like. As I have said in response to other questions, they will also see through any trickery or chicanery attempted in the setting of the question, the franchise or the spending limits.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

On the question of 16 and 17-year-olds, if—as is possible—not every single person of that age gets the opportunity to vote, there could be a legal challenge against that decision. What would happen to the referendum in those circumstances?

[David Mundell]

I am sure that the Scottish Government will want to ensure that whatever proposals they make to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the referendum are legally watertight.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 18th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

I believe that we need to move on from the discussion of issues of process relating to the referendum, and engage in a substantive debate on the issues that would affect Scotland if it became independent. Having, it would appear, campaigned relentlessly for independence, the SNP now seems to want to delay the question and the issues for as long as possible.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

Does the Minister agree that the high price of fuel is creating major problems in Scotland, and that, at a stroke, cutting VAT, which is perhaps the unfairest tax in the country, would help Scottish families, who are suffering greatly as a result of the Budget.

[David Mundell]

rose—

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 11th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

Uncertainty over Scotland’s position in the EU, and uncertainty over which currency Scotland would use if it were ever to become independent, would certainly hinder inward investment into Scotland.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

4. How many young people are not in employment, training or education in Scotland.

Public Sector Pensions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Thursday 8th December 2011 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

As the hon. Lady knows, the Treasury underwrites the scheme. The Treasury requires to be paid out whatever is required to be paid out in relation to the scheme. The scheme does not operate on a basis of contributions and pay-outs, because the Treasury is underwriting the scheme so that everybody is paid in full as is their entitlement.

[Mr Donohoe]

rose—

[Hywel Williams]

rose—

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 9th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

Absolutely not. At this time, when the United Kingdom faces its greatest ever danger from separatists, the Scotland Office is a bulwark against independence.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

Is that what is called cutting the Department to the bone? Will the Minister name all the staff of his Department? I remember telling a previous Secretary of State that it must be the only empire in the whole of Westminster where the Secretary of State is able to name all his staff: can he?

[David Mundell]

I pay tribute to the staff of the Scotland Office. With a small number of staff, we have pursued the Scotland Bill, a very significant measure, through this House and into the other place. The Scotland Office has a key role to play as we move forward in preserving Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom.

Scotland Bill

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Tuesday 15th March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Donohoe]

If the hon. Gentleman intervenes again to give me some understanding of that point, I might be able to accede to it.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (David Mundell)]

rose—

[Mr Donohoe]

Oh, there we are. The Minister is now popping up.

[David Mundell]

Perhaps I might help the hon. Gentleman. My calculation is that there would be 101 Members. After the passage of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, there will be 52 constituencies in Scotland. If each had two Members, there would be 104. However, there are three constituencies that he feels should have only one Member, although my reading of new clause 1 is that people would still have two votes. There would therefore be 101 Members in the new Scottish Parliament. Does he think that that would be sufficient to conduct the Parliament’s business?

[Mr Donohoe]

The Minister has made my point very well in relation to making savings, which is the next point that I want to make progress on, if I may.

--- Later in debate ---

[David Mundell]

Well, I find it—

[Mr Donohoe]

May I make it perfectly clear that I am opposed to the position referred to by the hon. Member for Dundee East (Stewart Hosie), as is my constituency party and as are many other constituency parties across Scotland?

[David Mundell]

I fully take on board what the hon. Gentleman says, and I praise his consistency on this issue, but others who have been critical of the regional list system now want to use it to save their political careers, and I regard that as hypocrisy.

--- Later in debate ---

[David Mundell]

Thank you, Ms Primarolo. I will take on board what you say and, as ever, I note the hon. Gentleman’s comments. Some of what he said in his contribution was helpful, in that there is an acceptance, following the Arbuthnott commission’s report, that some form of review of electoral systems in Scotland is required. The Arbuthnott commission suggested that that should take place post-2011, and the Government share that view.

[Mr Donohoe]

I am sure that the Minister will concede that nothing I am proposing today would come into effect until after this year’s elections.

[David Mundell]

The hon. Gentleman has proposed a very specific change to the electoral system for the Scottish Parliament. It would mean that two Members would be elected from each constituency other than the three constituencies that have been identified. Although it seems to suggest that everyone would have two votes in those three constituencies, the new clause does not appear to show what would happen to the second of their votes. He has set out his intentions in this debate, but the provisions are technically defective. However, I advise him, and the Opposition Members who have expressed clear views about how they would change the electoral system for the Scottish Parliament, to take part in any review that is forthcoming on the nature of that electoral system. That is one basis on which the Government reject the new clauses.

--- Later in debate ---

[David Mundell]

I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s analysis, but I do not think it stands up to legal scrutiny in that regard.

[Mr Donohoe]

Can the Minister just tell me why? I have read that provision at some length and I am clearly of the opinion that it covers the points that he says it does not.

[David Mundell]

The interpretation of that provision is that people in the Western Isles, Orkney or Shetland could still have two votes.

[Mr Donohoe]

No.

[David Mundell]

That is a clear possible interpretation of that provision. The hon. Gentleman is better advised making his case not on the technicalities of the wording, but on his strong beliefs about this issue.

On new clause 2, I have made clear the Government’s view that it is a matter for the Scottish Parliament to regulate the conduct of its Members and the relationships between list and constituency Members. On that basis, we cannot accept the new clause.

Scotland Bill

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Monday 14th March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Donohoe]

I am sure the hon. Gentleman knows that there are varying views on the subject, as there are on many subjects. As far as my constituents are concerned, however, there is no doubt: to a person, they support the argument that I am making tonight that there should be a fundamental change to how we elect our MSPs. There was immense resistance to the fact that the person who came fourth under first past the post was eventually elected to the Scottish Parliament. That seems to me to be wrong.

[David Mundell]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

[Mr Donohoe]

Oh, go on then.

[David Mundell]

The hon. Gentleman has been very consistent on this issue, and I respect his views even though I do not necessarily agree with him. However, I am confused about the Labour party position. For many years, those of us who were list MSPs heard the arguments that he is making about how the list was an assisted places scheme for people who failed to be directly elected under first past the post. Now I find that Labour party first-past-the-post candidates are on the list, and some of them are even topping lists when there is a fear that they will lose in the first-past-the-post constituency. How does he feel about that?

[Mr Donohoe]

I had the greatest respect for Phil Gallie, the former MP for Ayr, who was also a list MSP. He hated every minute of his time in the Scottish Parliament, because he knew that as a list Member, he had absolutely no powers. I will develop that argument later in my speech, but even Tory MSPs were opposed to the concept of the list system.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mundell and Brian H. Donohoe

Wednesday 27th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

I do agree with my hon. Friend. Our programme is designed to support those who are in the most need but also to ensure that work always pays.

[Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) (Lab)]

On the question of work, or the lack of it, the Minister will have doubtless seen the national publicity around Irvine, because of the demise of the development corporation, created by a previous Conservative Administration. Does he believe that it is now time to bring back the Irvine development corporation?

[David Mundell]

The hon. Gentleman is always a strong advocate for interests in his constituency, but he will know that responsibility for that particular one rests with the Scottish Government.