Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Henry Smith Excerpts
Wednesday 12th October 2016

(7 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Mundell Portrait David Mundell
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The hon. Gentleman will know that the Government are committed to the industry, and a £2.3 billion investment and associated tax changes were exactly the support that it asked for. We have also established, along with the Scottish Government, the £250 million Aberdeen city deal, which will have at its heart a new technology centre to ensure that skills and jobs remain in the north-east.

Henry Smith Portrait Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)
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5. What steps the Government are taking to transfer welfare powers to the Scottish Government.

David Mundell Portrait The Secretary of State for Scotland (David Mundell)
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A significant number of new welfare powers came into force this September, and give the Scottish Parliament new choices over welfare in Scotland. The joint ministerial working group on welfare, which includes Scottish Ministers, met yesterday to continue its important and constructive work overseeing the transfer of remaining powers.

Henry Smith Portrait Henry Smith
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With that significant transfer of powers from the UK Government to Edinburgh, does my right hon. Friend agree that the Scottish Government should get on with exercising those powers for the sake of the welfare of the people of Scotland, rather than wasting time on expensive and unnecessary talk of a second independence referendum?

David Mundell Portrait David Mundell
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I absolutely agree. These are significant powers, which the Scottish Government and the Scottish National party in this House asked for. People around Scotland will want to see how they are being deployed and what process is being used. The message from the people of Scotland generally to the Scottish Government is “Get on with the day job.”