Hansard

I welcome the opportunity to take part in this short but important debate on intergovernmental relations and the written agreement between the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government. Although it may seem to be quite a dry debate, I reiterate that the subject matter is important.

If we look at the journey of devolution and this Parliament and how it has matured and how more powers have been transferred from Westminster to Holyrood, we see that we have taken on greater responsibility. At the heart of the transfer of powers—some of the powers are shared or, at least, the interests are shared—is the key importance of relationships between the UK and Scottish Governments and between the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament.

It can be a challenge when the two Governments are different political parties. We could even say that it was a challenge when the Labour Party was in power both at Holyrood and Westminster. It is important that there can be constructive relations. Intergovernmental relations and the agreement are fundamental to achieving that.

As outlined in the agreement, the key principles of constructive relations are transparency and scrutiny. From that point of view, it is important that the meetings that our cabinet secretaries hold with their UK counterparts are fully documented and—the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution has been good at this—that cabinet secretaries are available to come to relevant committees and before Parliament to give updates on on-going issues. That is important because of the importance of some of the issues that are considered between Governments. We need look only at the number of debates on Brexit in the chamber since the June vote. There is a lot of contention on the topic, but there is also a lot of interest in this Parliament and the UK Parliament.

The Finance and Constitution Committee has in recent weeks had no shortage of analysts before it to give us their take on the potential implications of Brexit. It is clear—whatever a person’s view on Brexit—that there are serious implications for Scotland and the UK. Given that, the discussions that take place are important.

Next week will see publication of the draft budget, which will cover more financial powers than have ever been devolved before. As part of the work on the budget, we will get to view the block grant adjustment—when it is eventually published—which is crucial. There are forecasting elements to that, so there has been prior negotiation between the UK and Scottish Governments. It will be one of the true first tests of the intergovernmental relations and the written agreement.

The agreement is important for Parliament and for parliamentarians because, ultimately, the decisions that are taken on transfer of powers are not just about the laws that Parliament can pass or the money that Parliament has, but are about the impact that they will have on the people in the constituencies and regions that we represent. It is important that there is proper accountability for discussions and agreements that impact on people, so I welcome the agreement that has been put in place by the Finance and Constitution Committee.