Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2018 to Question 169528, on Devolution: Northern Ireland and Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on (a) the benefits of the devolution of all child support to the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) the potential benefits to Scotland of similar such devolved powers.

The devolution settlements for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are each unique and areas that are devolved in one part of the UK may not be devolved in another. This reflects the history and development of the different devolution settlements across the UK. The Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland and Wales and I work closely together to ensure that these settlements work for the people of the various parts of the UK.

In 2014, the Smith Commission considered in great depth what new powers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and the report was agreed by all five of Scotland’s main political parties. The Scotland Act 2016 delivers on the Smith Commission Agreement in full, and we are committed to implementing the Act. The Scottish devolution settlement strikes the right balance for Scotland and now is not the time to reopen this issue.