Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Scotland Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Douglas Ross Excerpts
Wednesday 6th March 2024

(1 month, 3 weeks ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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It is nice to see that the hon. Lady and her colleagues have turned up for work today, even if that is in defiance of the deputy Leader of the SNP, who thought they should not bother coming. Let me be clear on resource spending and the capital budget: the Scottish Government are able to divert their resource spending for capital infrastructure investments; and they can also borrow to enhance capital investments if they so choose.

Douglas Ross Portrait Douglas Ross (Moray) (Con)
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The Secretary of State is correct that the block grant from the UK Conservative Government to Scotland is the highest it has ever been. Despite that, just last week the SNP/Green Government pushed through their “tax and axe” budget in Scotland. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the nationalists have got the wrong priorities for Scotland by cutting services while increasing income tax rates for anyone earning more than £28,867?

Alister Jack Portrait Mr Jack
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I agree with my hon. Friend, and I add further that the Scottish Government’s six tax bands, as opposed to the UK Government’s three tax bands, are really holding Scotland back.