The 2015 Parliament will see the continuing development of the relationship between Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. The Scotland Bill currently going through the House of Commons will devolve to the Scottish Parliament substantial powers over taxation and welfare, increasing both its powers and its responsibilities. Underpinning this transfer of responsibilities will be a revised fiscal and funding framework for Scotland-a crucial part of the devolution process that will give the Scottish Government and Parliament greater financial autonomy and substantially increase their accountability to the people of Scotland. Like other departmental select committees, the Scottish Affairs Commitee is charged with scrutinising the performance of a government department, in its case, the Scotland Office, the "guardian of the devolution settlement" and its relations with the Scottish Parliament. Through this inquiry the Scottish Affair Committee wishes to find out directly from people and organisations in Scotland what key issues we should be looking at in the first part of this Parliament.
This report examines the recommendations of the Commission on Scottish Devolution ('the Calman Commission'), specifically the parts which relate to relations between the two parliaments. The Scottish Affairs Committee concludes that closer cooperation between the UK and Scottish parliaments and governments is only possible if backed up by political will. Removing procedural barriers is only one part of improving communication and cooperation; structural changes alone will not make the difference. The Committee's key findings are: the Government should make time for a regular 'State of Scotland' debate, to include devolved matters; The UK and Scottish governments have given a positive response to the idea of appearing before committees of either Parliament; the idea of a 'Scottish Super Grand Committee' composed of Scottish MPs, MSPs and Scottish MEPs should be revisited; changes should be made to allow UK and Scottish parliamentary committees to work together; positive consideration should be given to whether Scottish ministers can give evidence to UK Parliament committees examining Scotland Act Orders; arrangements should be made to remove any unnecessary barriers to access for MSPs visiting Westminster; a programme of exchanges and secondments with the Scottish Parliament should be funded and encouraged by the House.
On 18 September 2014, Scotland held a referendum on the question "Should Scotland be an independent country?". 55.3% of voters cast their ballot in favour of remaining part of the United Kingdom. In the lead up to the referendum the three largest UK political parties pledged to devolve further powers to the Scottish Parliament in the event of separation being rejected. The day after the referendum the Prime Minister invited Lord Smith of Kelvin to set up a commission to take forward that commitment. This report focuses on the recommendations of the Smith Commission, particularly those on taxation and welfare, and the work of the UK Government in transposing those recommendations into draft legislation. The Committee believes the Smith Agreement represents the best of both worlds for Scotland giving much greater fiscal autonomy and accountability, but maintaining a good degree of protection within the wider UK economy from fiscal risks and shocks. The Committee is surprised, however, that the Scottish Government did not raise its concerns when it was initially consulted over the draft text of the clauses but instead waited until after publication to air them. The idea that the draft clauses contain "twelve vetoes" is a ludicrous one and it is disappointing that the UK Government failed adequately to rebut such claims. It is hoped that a good working relationship between the two Governments will mean that consultation will be routine, agreement a formality, and that dispute will not arise.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.