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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 23 July 2025
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Displaying 2256 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee (Virtual)

Subsidy Control Bill

Meeting date: 12 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

How have we ended up in the position in which the bill will go through its second reading later this month—next week, I think—yet we still do not have the necessary level of definition? It is possible that the bill could go all the way through and, under what is proposed at the moment, it will be left to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to make the decisions. I do not want to put words in your mouth, but the bill seems to have the potential for bypassing ministers in the UK Government, never mind the Scottish Parliament, altogether. How on earth have we ended up in this position?

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 12 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

To ask the Scottish Government in what ways the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 could impact on its ability to meet its net zero targets. (S6O-00601)

Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 12 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

At today’s Economy and Fair Work Committee, it became clear that the 2020 act acts as an enabler for a raft of other legislation—for example, the UK Parliament Subsidy Control Bill is one area of concern. Professor David Bell of the University of Stirling noted in his submission to the committee that

“It is also not clear how the Bill might interact with policies that are intended to move the economy towards net zero. For example, if the Scottish government proposed to subsidise industrial plants to reduces their carbon footprints, would it be forced by the Secretary of State (BEIS) to request a CMA assessment of this action.”

To what extent does the cabinet secretary share the concerns of Professor David Bell?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Fiscal Framework (Independent Report)

Meeting date: 11 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

I can see that David Phillips wants to come in. He has put an R in the chat box.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Fiscal Framework (Independent Report)

Meeting date: 11 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

I have a question for all three of the Davids, but perhaps Professor David Bell could start. We have focused on Scotland and Wales, but I am interested in what helpful precedents operate elsewhere in the world, particularly those that deal with issues around fiscal transfers and divergence over time. I feel as though we are dancing on the head of a pin, particularly in relation to indexation methods, and some of those problems are not unique. I would appreciate some thoughts from Professor Bell on that in relation to the review.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Fiscal Framework (Independent Report)

Meeting date: 11 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

[Inaudible.]—and everybody for the barking that came out of nowhere.

Thank you for that, Ed. Do you have anything to add, Guto? That is my only question.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Fiscal Framework (Independent Report)

Meeting date: 11 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

Thank you for that—although my question was actually about what the limitations of the current arrangements are, rather than the benefits. Perhaps you would like to fill in on that. What are the limitations of the fiscal levers that the Scottish Government has in influencing the tax base? That was my question.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Fiscal Framework (Independent Report)

Meeting date: 11 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

Thank you for mentioning those fundamentals.

I will let you move on now, convener.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Fiscal Framework (Independent Report)

Meeting date: 11 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

Earlier, we talked about how one could grow the tax base—in other words, the working-age population—in Scotland. Daniel Johnson mentioned that, the committee has talked about it a great deal, and I would like to understand the issue a bit more.

Professor Bell, in your view, what are the limitations on the fiscal levers that the Scottish Government currently has to influence and grow the tax base, regardless of the indexation method? Of course, we are really looking at the working-age population. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on the current limitations in the area that we are discussing.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Fiscal Framework (Independent Report)

Meeting date: 11 January 2022

Michelle Thomson

To what extent does the Barnett formula embed structural imbalances in the UK? You mentioned financial services, which is an industry that I was involved in for many years. Over the course of my career, head office functions moved to London, bar a few noteworthy examples such as Standard Life, although things have changed for it as well.