Meeting of the Parliament 08 October 2014
I am afraid not—I do not have much time.
One hundred thousand disabled Scots will lose an average of £1,000 as a result of the switch from disability living allowance to the personal independence payment. If we are to meet the challenge of making Scotland a fairer place, we need to consider how the Parliament can be equipped with the tools to do that. The process of consideration of further devolution gives us the opportunity to do so.
During the referendum process, it was clear that there is huge appetite for the Parliament to become more empowered to make decisions for Scotland. There is overwhelming support for significant new powers for the Scottish Parliament. In the referendum, 1.6 million people—45 per cent of those who voted—voted for independence, so they were clearly voting for such change. The Ashcroft poll to which the cabinet secretary referred showed that 25 per cent of those who voted no did so on the basis that they believed that it would mean extra powers for the Scottish Parliament. It remains to be seen how far that will be the case and whether the demands will be satisfied, but we know that those people, too, were voting for change.
If we are serious about the people of Scotland being sovereign—I have heard the leader of the Labour Party refer to that previously—their voices must be heard in the debate. A recent Panelbase poll shows that 66 per cent of people believe in devo max and that there is substantial support for the devolution of a range of specific policy areas that are currently reserved and that could make a difference to our ability to improve lives in Scotland. For me, the Smith commission represents an opportunity to meet the aspirations of the Scottish people for enhanced powers in the Scottish Parliament. I hope that the Parliament will unite behind that and that the Smith commission can deliver.
16:52