Roger Mullin: I had not intended to participate in this debate, but just want to acknowledge the co-operative way in which the Minister has responded.
Roger Mullin: It is a pleasure to make my final speech in the Commons before the general election. The electors of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath will determine whether I return to make any speeches here in future. I was intrigued by and enjoyed the opening remarks of the hon. Member for Bootle (Peter Dowd), who pointed out that it is rather strange to be debating this subject: we are facing being dragged out...
Roger Mullin: It is perfectly reasonable for the EU to make such a statement and to seek to have some control over debt. It is interesting to note that the Scottish Government can at least say today, all these years after the Scottish Parliament was created, that they have absolutely no debt. That is certainly something that this Government cannot claim. Regardless of whether we were going to be in or out...
Roger Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the level of exports from Scottish businesses of the UK leaving the EU.
Roger Mullin: This revelation is shocking, but it is not in the least bit surprising. For over a year, I have been campaigning in this House on associated areas. After the story was released yesterday evening, I undertook research that indicates that at the heart of the issue is the banks’ use of limited partnerships—not only Scottish limited partnerships, but many other forms—that allow the...
Roger Mullin: On International Happiness Day, we can see some people who are pretty happy, but it strikes me that we have heard it all when we get a Minister standing up to give a response to a perfectly reasonable, sensible question and making a joke about it, and when the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne) thinks that this is merely a matter of amusement. Well, they cannot get away with treating...
Roger Mullin: This is another right boorach. The last Chancellor who had to make a U-turn lasted only a few weeks thereafter, so before this Chancellor leaves office, will he confirm that, since he said that this decision was only made at 8 o’clock in the morning, that means it has not been taken to the full Cabinet?
Roger Mullin: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
Roger Mullin: I can tell the hon. Gentleman that the outcomes of Scottish education, in terms of the number of people entering work and higher education, are significantly higher than they are in this part of the United Kingdom.
Roger Mullin: During the heated interchanges that took place a short time ago, I was wondering whether this was merely a private fight or if anybody could join in—I will take this opportunity to join in. Let me declare first of all that my approach to understanding economics is different from that of the Front-Bench spokesmen, so if the House will forgive me, I will take a couple of minutes to set out...
Roger Mullin: I entirely agree with the right hon. Gentleman. Indeed, that is a great worry to me, as it is to him and to many others. It is about not only the system’s efficiency, but its effectiveness and ability to make the right kinds of decisions in complex individual cases. I have constituents who have been here for many years but are finding it difficult to get various applications through.
Roger Mullin: That is precisely my point. What was seen as a political decision to exit the EU immediately has consequences for individuals whom we value in our communities. That has implications for the labour market, and the disruption of the labour market has economic consequences. We cannot get away from the fact that an array of influences are coming to bear due to Brexit, but the Chancellor thought...
Roger Mullin: Whether the Government plan to refer to the recommendations of “Scotland’s Place in Europe”, published by the Scottish Government on 20 December 2016, in their notification to the European Council of the invocation of article 50.
Roger Mullin: Who knows what the Scottish people will think of such an imprecise answer to a specific question? Let me try something else that may help the Secretary of State. How many trade negotiators have been recruited to deal with matters such as the very specific and unique needs of some sectors of the Scottish economy?
Roger Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish limited partnerships are qualifying partnerships under the terms of The Companies and Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) Regulations 2013.
Roger Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Northern Irish limited partnerships are qualifying partnerships under the terms of The Companies and Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) Regulations 2013.
Roger Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many English limited partnerships are qualifying partnerships under the terms of The Companies and Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) Regulations 2013.
Roger Mullin: SNP Members welcome the appointment of Sir David, and we certainly wish him well in his future role as chair of the UK Statistics Authority. However, we have some concerns about the UK Statistics Authority’s rather narrow approach to the way in which it reviews and undertakes a critique of the statistics used by the Government and others. Tomorrow, we will be faced with the Budget. I...
Roger Mullin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Scottish Limited Partnerships registered in the 2012-13 financial year did not file a tax return in 2014-15.
