Tuesday, June 21, 2011

MPs set to approve Scotland Bill

21 June 2011 Last updated at 08:22 GMT Scottish Parliament building The Scotland Bill will devolve a series of financial and other powers to Holyrood Legislation to boost the powers of the Scottish Parliament is expected to be passed by MPs later.

The UK government said the Scotland Bill would give Holyrood ministers ?12bn of financial powers.

If backed in the Commons at its third reading, the legislation will be sent to the House of Lords.

It has been described as the largest single transfer of fiscal power from Westminster in the history of the United Kingdom.

But the Scottish government said the bill did not go far enough and it called for further responsibility to be devolved.

Under the legislation, Holyrood will get more powers, including the ability to set rates of income tax, and control over drink-drive, speeding and airgun legislation.

Since the SNP's election victory in May, which gave them an overall majority, UK ministers have brought forward amendments to the bill to accelerate new borrowing powers to the Scottish Parliament.

But the Scottish government said greater tax and borrowing powers must be devolved, to give Scotland the economic levers it needs to boost recovery and growth.

Bill 'consensus'

First Minister Alex Salmond told BBC Radio's Today programme: "My dream, my ambition would be that MPs would be debating a bill to acknowledge independence for Scotland after a positive vote by the Scottish people in that direction.

"What they're debating today is a devolution bill that's an extension of powers over some areas, but not, crucially, enough discretion and economic powers which would enable us to get something done about the sluggish economic recovery that Scotland, and indeed the rest of the United Kingdom, are undergoing at the present moment."

Scottish Secretary Michael Moore said: "We have announced new financial powers that will be provided to Holyrood and we will continue to wait for further detailed submissions from the Scottish government.

"Consensus has been the hallmark of the Scotland Bill - if we maintain the support of the House of Commons for the bill today, then we will be a big step closer to improving devolution and making it more accountable."

Some Tory MPs will also use the Commons debate on the Scotland Bill to raise constitutional issues - one has tabled an amendment calling for a referendum on independence to be held within four months.


View the original article here

No comments:

Post a Comment