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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab) Lab Chamber
16 Mar 2011
“Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting the Emissions Reductions Targets 2010-2022—Report on Proposals and Policies”
I have a helpful question for the minister. Last summer, the Scottish Government was helpful enough to provide to the independent budget review a figure of £8 billion for the estimated costs to the public purse of delivery of the RPP by 2020. Given the refinement work that has...
Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab) Lab Chamber
10 Mar 2011
Scotland Bill
I pay tribute to my committee colleagues, who are all highly experienced parliamentarians in their own right, and to the clerks, to the Scottish Parliament information centre and to our advisers. Ours was the first-ever committee dedicated to considering a bill. According to t...
Ms Alexander Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
Visually—exactly.
Ms Alexander Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
I do not think we need to go into that level of detail at this stage, but it would be helpful to have a sense—even just visually—of what we have been discussing regarding the scale of the investment that is likely to be required, with some idea of the time horizons over which ...
Ms Alexander Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
A brief note to lay out that landscape would be helpful. Returning to my original point, the question is whether significant net investment for transmission requirements is likely to arise from project transmit. Do you expect the project to require significant net investment i...
Ms Alexander Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
That is very helpful. How do you get from the £15 billion that is required for the offshore regime and the £5-plus billion for the onshore regime to the £30 billion figure, which you have indicated is likely to rise? What is the other significant element of that?
Ms Alexander Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
I invite you to say a word about the scale of the grid investment that is involved. Lewis Macdonald mentioned the two bootstraps. I have in my head a figure of around £4.8 billion that has been committed, £2.7 billion of which is coming to Scotland. Can you give us some sense ...
Ms Alexander Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
And the remaining £170 billion is related to generation?
Ms Alexander Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
I was going to come to that as my next question about the scale of grid investment required. I am sorry to interrupt.
Ms Alexander Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
I suppose I am asking whether the endgame on transmission charges is likely to be a big net consumer of investment. We will talk later about the other demands that are being made. Are the costs associated with changing transmission charging likely to exceed the general rise in...
Ms Alexander Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
Can you say a general word about that at a high level?
Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab) Lab Committee
09 Feb 2011
Project Transmit
I shall raise two issues. One is specific to the transmission charging regime and the other is more general, but they both relate to the scale of investment that will be required.I will start with the three elements of transmission charging. If there is a desire to change the ...
Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab) Lab Chamber
09 Feb 2011
Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill: Stage 3
I welcome a number of the individual measures that have been announced today, but the way in which our final budget has emerged—following deals in what in the old days would have been smoke-filled but which these day are smokeless rooms—means that it is easy to lose sight of t...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
In that vein, the committee has said that, although we think that the situation is slightly unfortunate, we understand the reasons why the matter emerged at so late a stage in the process. We should simply allow further evidence to come forward toward the end of the month. At ...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
So there is, in that sense, an issue of principle as well as the emphasis of—
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
But on convention rights—
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Obviously, a lot of detailed discussion will go on between the Advocate General and yourself. What will interest the committee with regard to where we ultimately alight on the issue of what can or cannot be said in the initial LCM that will come before the Parliament is the qu...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
That does seem to speak to the desirability of our making some progress, albeit at this 11th hour of trying to reach agreement. I simply say to the Lord Advocate that for those of us who are non-experts—of which I freely admit I am one—there seemed to be a considerable degree ...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
The significant issue is section 57(2) of the Scotland Act 1998. When we had the Minister for Culture and External Affairs before us earlier, she expressed understandable anxiety that proposed clauses on the issue are not in the public domain and she spoke about the need for o...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I ask the Lord Advocate to make any opening remarks, after which we will move to what I hope will be rather brief questions.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Our final witness today is the Rt Hon Elish Angiolini QC, the Lord Advocate. I am delighted that she has joined us and I apologise for the lateness. We sometimes have long meetings on the committee. I understand that this may be the Lord Advocate’s last appearance at a parliam...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I am acutely aware of the passage of time, so we will end this part of the meeting. I thank the panel members for their attendance. We will suspend to allow the Lord Advocate to take her place.17:23 Meeting suspended. 17:27 On resuming—
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I note in passing that no amendments on this financial side have been lodged so far. What you have said has been very helpful.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
What will be the character of that line of sight? Every tax director whom we have met has spoken about the desirability of having a single collection agency.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I urge you to expand on that a little. Compared with the status quo, there will be the mechanism through the UK tax committee, and there is the involvement of the Office for Budget Responsibility and the National Audit Office. Where should we take that range of intergovernment...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Take us to a 2:2 and then a 2:1. We are all ears. The Lord Advocate can wait.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I am grateful. That was very helpful in getting on the record the various issues. As there are no further questions on the Crown Estate, we move to Alan Trench. Alan, thank you for your helpful evidence to the committee. It dwells in its totality on some of the wider instituti...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
You have created an interesting area of debate for the committee. Is there any other legal authority that you would encourage the committee to look at in order to reflect on the issues that we have discussed in the past few moments?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Can you make a distinction between the sea bed and the responsibility between 12 and 200 miles? Does that apply to all of the Crown Estate’s functions and roles?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
That is the most interesting evidence of the day.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Notwithstanding the significant policy and governance issues that have been played out through the committee, one of the challenges for us is to establish not the desirability of governance or policy changes, but what is appropriate in the context of the Scotland Bill.Although...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I thank Martin Sime and Dave Moxham for their evidence. They can stay with us if they wish to; if they cannot do so, we will understand.We move on to the Crown Estate Commissioners. I invite Lucy Parsons and Andy Wightman to make opening remarks.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I want to return to the point that Robert Brown raised about where we draw the line. We have received interesting evidence that, as we have control of council tax, we should perhaps have control of council tax benefit and that, as we have housing policy, we should have housing...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Thank you. I think that my voice is going to fail me.As the STUC knows, the bill is attempting to put a process in place. Although there is already a process of sorts for the transfer of powers, there is not really a process for financial aspects, and whether it be the acquisi...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Martin, please stay with us, as we might well raise other issues of interest.I invite Dave Moxham, deputy general secretary of the STUC, to make some opening observations on the bill.16:30
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Sure.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
We are very pressed for time.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
We are joined by a large and distinguished panel. Martin Sime is the chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations; Dave Moxham is the deputy general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress; Lucy Parsons is the project manager for marine renewable...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I understand. Thank you for that clarification. I suspend the meeting for a minute or two to allow the new panel to join us.16:09 Meeting suspended. 16:12 On resuming—
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Last week we indicated that we would take further evidence on section 57(2) from relevant interested stakeholders. It would be helpful to have submissions on any other issues relating to legal provisions relatively early, but we are happy to take late submissions on section 57...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
You are talking about section 57(2).
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I understand that. For clarity, will you confirm that your concerns relate to section 57(2) of the 1998 act, which is not inconsequential, and that you have no concerns beyond that?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I thank the minister for her evidence. There are one or two areas that we have not had the chance to cover. I am sure that we will cover them in correspondence. Is there anything else that you would like to put on the record?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
We come to the other really substantive issue, which is the Crown Estate.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
It would be very helpful to have an amendment on the RSLs, because there is widespread acceptance that the issue needs to be looked at. A submission on that in due course would be great. We understand the policy position and have some sympathy with it.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
With that intriguing answer, I bring this part of the session to an end. I thank the cabinet secretary, whom we have kept from Cabinet discussions on the budget, and now turn to the Minister for Culture and External Affairs with questions on non-financial matters. Trish Marwic...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Does the chief economic adviser have any comment to make on that relationship? Might a 1 percentage point increase in fiscal devolution be expected to raise GDP by 1.3 per cent after five years above what would otherwise have been the case?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Is it the Scottish Government’s view that a 1 percentage point increase in fiscal devolution might be expected to raise GDP by 1.3 per cent after five years, above what might otherwise be the case?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
The bill amends in law the structure of the income tax power. That is one area. I will give you another example. Which additional tax would you like the committee to include in its report?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
You have written to us with a vast array of amendments on the non-financial powers. On the final evidence day, why do we have no amendments at all from the Scottish Government on the financial powers?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
You are being asked what the Scottish Government believes is the optimal approach to grant reduction. What is your view?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I absolutely accept that the Scottish Government does not think that the bill is perfect. On our final evidence day, I am asking how you would like the grant reduction mechanism to be improved. The entire resources of the Scottish Government are available to you. What improvem...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I accept that.
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Let me ask four precise questions. First, how would you like the income tax structure that is proposed in the bill to be amended?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
The detail is there; we have established the depth of the alternative. I am asking you about improvements to the bill. Are there any amendments that you want the committee to make to the structure of the income tax power that is proposed in the bill? This is our final evidence...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
What assertion is misplaced?
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
Cabinet secretary—
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I will ask a convener’s question before we return to Peter Peacock’s questions.The Government began by asking this committee to give full scrutiny to alternatives. We have established that there is one bit of paper that constitutes the Scottish Government alternative. That is ...
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
The issue is what improvements the Scottish Government seeks to make to the bill. We must move on; there is a lot of ground still to cover. Long questions equal long answers, as it happens.15:15
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Feb 2011
Scotland Bill
I am aware that Fiona Hyslop wants to come in. We will move on to non-financial matters and return to that issue later.
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Committee

Scotland Bill Committee 08 February 2011

08 Feb 2011 · S3 · Scotland Bill Committee
Item of business
Scotland Bill
Alexander, Ms Wendy Lab Paisley North Watch on SPTV
I will ask a convener’s question before we return to Peter Peacock’s questions.The Government began by asking this committee to give full scrutiny to alternatives. We have established that there is one bit of paper that constitutes the Scottish Government alternative. That is all that has gone to the UK Government in the 20 months since Calman published—there has been no modelling at all. You then said to the committee, “Please improve the bill.” To my knowledge, the Scottish Government has suggested no amendment of any kind to the structure of the income tax power, for example. We have had a lot of criticism, but do you have any amendment to that power?

In the same item of business

The Convener Lab
The next item is further consideration of the Scotland Bill and relevant legislative consent memoranda. I am delighted to welcome to the committee the Cabine...
Stephen Imrie (Clerk)
I apologise if members have not had the opportunity to look through the material that has just been provided to them. I received it at about 20 past 1 today....
The Convener Lab
It may be helpful for the minister or the cabinet secretary to comment on the issue. Given that the committee met for a pre-meeting at a quarter to 2, it was...
The Minister for Culture and External Affairs (Fiona Hyslop) SNP
I am more than happy to comment. When we appeared before the committee in December, I indicated that we had had extensive discussion and dialogue with the Un...
The Convener Lab
We will try to give the material due scrutiny later.I move to the substance of today’s meeting. There are both financial and non-financial matters to cover. ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney) SNP
I put on record that I will need to be at this afternoon’s meeting of the Cabinet, as it comes at a rather critical point in Parliament’s decision-making pro...
The Convener Lab
That is understood.
John Swinney SNP
Thank you, convener—that is appreciated.I will reiterate two questions that the Government believes are crucial to consideration of the bill. First, do the p...
Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP) SNP
The committee has heard that Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development figures show that growth in public spending has been higher than growth i...
John Swinney SNP
Essentially, my point—and this is the point that we make in the analysis with which we have provided the committee—is that, over the period that the Governme...
Brian Adam SNP
How long will the period that we are about to enter last? When will we return to the previous position of spending outstripping tax receipts?
John Swinney SNP
I expect that we will be back into that period before the Scotland Bill is implemented. It is not for me to tell the committee when the bill will be implemen...
Brian Adam SNP
You are suggesting that income tax will rise more slowly than all taxes in general. What evidence do you have that income tax will rise more slowly in the lo...
John Swinney SNP
The historical patterns tell us what we need to know in this respect. It is pretty clear that that is the pattern that it would be realistic to expect in the...
Brian Adam SNP
Can you point us to detailed evidence on that, either now or in writing?
John Swinney SNP
With the greatest respect, Mr Adam, I can point only to the historical trends. I suspect that, if I were able to point to future trends, the Chancellor of th...
Brian Adam SNP
From your engagement with the business community, can you tell us anything about its feelings about the devolution of corporation tax?
John Swinney SNP
To be fair, I think that the business community will have mixed views on the matter. Some members will be very comfortable with and positive about such a mov...
The Convener Lab
In response to Brian Adam, you appeared to indicate that income tax’s share of the tax take was declining. However, figures from the Scottish Parliament info...
John Swinney SNP
I do not think that that was my point. I apologise if I did not make it clear enough but what I said was that public spending was rising at a faster rate tha...
David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con) Con
I want to follow on from Mr Adam’s questions and nail down some of the numbers. I am looking at the income tax proposals additional information summary, with...
John Swinney SNP
So that I can follow carefully what Mr McLetchie is saying, could he just—
David McLetchie Con
I am referring to table 1.
John Swinney SNP
Is this in “Scotland Bill Income Tax Proposals—Additional Information”?
David McLetchie Con
Yes. I think that that is what I said at the start.
John Swinney SNP
Sure.
David McLetchie Con
If we look at table 1 and at the four years of the spending review period from 2011-12 onwards, I think that, in 2011-12, we see a deficiency between the Sco...
John Swinney SNP
This really gets to the nub of the issue. It goes back to what I said in answer to Mr Adam’s point about the historical trends. I said that, to me, the forth...
David McLetchie Con
There is—
John Swinney SNP
Let me complete this. There is of course a choice to be made here. One can opt for the mechanism set out currently in the Scotland Bill, but we should do it ...