Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Scottish Government on tax rates in Scotland and other parts of the UK.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Growth Plan takes steps to deliver a pro-growth tax system that provides the conditions needed for businesses and people to succeed.
Our plans to cut income and property tax south of the border will generate additional funding for the Scottish Government over this spending period – adding to its already record annual block grant of £41 billion.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that organisations in Scotland are able to participate in its programmes to expand tree planting.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
Forestry is a devolved area of responsibility. However, the UK Government continually engages with the Scottish Government to realise our high ambitions for increasing planting across the UK. We are confident that we are on track to meet the UK-wide target of planting 30,000ha per year by the end of this Parliament.
All of the administrations play a part in delivering the programme and to share best practice and work together on cross-border projects. In fact, Scottish Forestry is leading the review of the UK Forestry Standard, which sets out the UK’s approach to sustainable forest management, and the report is due for publication in late 2022.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Scotland Office:
What steps he is taking to promote the advantages of Scotland remaining part of the UK.
Answered by David Duguid
Scotland benefits greatly from being part of a strong United Kingdom, as does the UK as a whole.
The most obvious recent examples of our strength as a union are the unprecedented economic support offered to people and businesses in Scotland throughout the current pandemic and the rapid supply of vaccinations to all parts of the UK currently taking place.
Neither of these would have been possible if Scotland was not part of the UK.