Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 25 September 2024.
Jackie Dunbar
Scottish National Party
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent United Kingdom Government announcements ahead of its budget statement, whether it will provide an update on its latest engagement with the UK Government regarding the potential devolution of further financial powers to Scotland. (S6O-03759)
Shona Robison
Scottish National Party
I have been clear in my initial engagement with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury that Scotland requires further fiscal flexibilities in order to provide greater funding certainty and stability for our public services, and I know that my counterparts in the other devolved Administrations also want to explore that issue with the Treasury.
I have recently written to the Chancellor of the exchequer to set out the Scottish Government’s priorities ahead of the UK budget, and I intend to raise the issue of further fiscal flexibilities when I meet the Chief Secretary to the Treasury next month, along with the Welsh and Northern Irish finance ministers.
Jackie Dunbar
Scottish National Party
Under current constitutional arrangements, Westminster austerity continues to harm Scottish folk, as Labour’s recent cuts to the winter fuel payment demonstrated. Does the Cabinet secretary agree that the case could not be stronger for full financial powers to lie with this Parliament so that we can deliver the fairer investment that our public services and folk across Scotland deserve?
Shona Robison
Scottish National Party
Jackie Dunbar is right that it could not be clearer that Scotland would be best served by the full range of fiscal powers and choices that independence would bring.
Meanwhile, I will work to try to persuade the UK Government to deliver improvements to the current fiscal devolution settlement next week. As I said, I will meet the Chief Secretary of the Treasury and the devolved finance ministers and set out the need for further fiscal flexibilities to enhance Scotland’s financial management powers. We want to pursue further devolution of tax powers, and I do not believe that we are alone in that among the devolved nations.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
