Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 03 February 2016
03 Feb 2016 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill: Stage 1
I want to say to teachers and public service workers the length and breadth of the country, who have had to endure pay constraints because of the austerity programme of the UK Government, that I value the sacrifices that they have made, and that the last thing that I am going to do is put up their taxes.
Jackie Baillie just raised the proposed rebate to mitigate the effects of the tax rise. The immediate conclusion to draw from that announcement of a proposed rebate is that there is recognition that the tax rise is damaging to the incomes of low-paid workers. There are also the legislative and practical issues that would need to be overcome—and quickly—to make that concept a reality from April this year. [Interruption.]
Let us go through the detail. Labour will need to demonstrate clearly the legal basis under which it believes that such a payment can be made. If it is—[Interruption.]
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-15522, in the name of John Swinney, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill. 14:40
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy (John Swinney)
SNP
Last week, I introduced the Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill for 2016-17, which will implement the draft budget that I set out in December. I welcome the report...
Willie Rennie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD)
LD
How does that comment match the comment that John Swinney made to the Finance Committee last month? He said: “I view the Scottish rate of income tax as a pr...
John Swinney
SNP
If Mr Rennie had been listening, he would know that what I said was that the proposal to increase income tax by 1p next year would hit the taxpayers who are ...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
Would the cabinet secretary reflect on the fact that teachers are doing their own photocopying and buying jotters for the classroom because there are no reso...
John Swinney
SNP
I want to say to teachers and public service workers the length and breadth of the country, who have had to endure pay constraints because of the austerity p...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Order. Let us hear the Deputy First Minister.
John Swinney
SNP
I am only helpfully going to dismantle Labour’s proposals, so they should be quiet and listen. If the rebate is a tax relief, it is outside the powers of th...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Mr Swinney’s speech is very reminiscent of what we heard from his back benchers yesterday, which was all about detail—fine aspects of detail. Interruption.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Order. Let us hear Ms Baillie.
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Let me say to John Swinney that it is, to be frank, an excuse for not addressing the question of principle. I want to know what he thinks about the principle...
John Swinney
SNP
That was a very revealing intervention, because the detail matters. On 1 April, a citizen of this country who was going to have their tax raised by Labour—bu...
Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am sorry that Mr Swinney was, I understand, too busy to come out of the Parliament today to talk to the local government workers who were lobbying outside ...
John Swinney
SNP
I say to those individuals that the Scottish National Party is determined to protect their incomes, not punish them with a tax rise that the Labour Party has...
John Swinney
SNP
No afternoon would be complete without Mr Findlay.
Neil Findlay
Lab
It is fairly simple. How can the Government protect people’s income if they do not have a job? Interruption.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Let us hear the Deputy First Minister. Interruption. Enough, Mr Findlay!
John Swinney
SNP
The Government has given public sector workers the guarantee of no compulsory redundancies. That is what we have delivered for the people of this country. T...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Order.
John Swinney
SNP
What have we had? We have had obfuscation from the Labour Party and complaints about the SNP Government doing the right thing to protect people on low income...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Will the Deputy First Minister take an intervention?
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I am sorry, but the Deputy First Minister is winding up.
John Swinney
SNP
The investment that we are making in the Scottish welfare fund is £38 million, and there is £343 million for council tax reduction and £35 million to ensure ...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
Politics is all about choices, and the SNP today has to make its choice. The budget before us is an austerity budget and so far it is clear that John Swinney...
Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member give way?
Jackie Baillie
Lab
In a minute. This is about our future. I am ambitious for Scotland: I want a growing economy, and I want our young people to do better than the generation th...
Mark McDonald
SNP
Will the member give way?
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Jackie Baillie
Lab
I will take an intervention from Mark McDonald.
Mark McDonald
SNP
Jackie Baillie asked what has changed since May. In the Finance Committee’s report on the budget—Interruption.