Question
It is estimated that decisions by the Scottish Government cost my city of Glasgow some £347 million last year. Does the Secretary of State agree that devolution should not just stop at Holyrood but should be pushed down to local government, cities and towns across Scotland, that it should be accompanied by money from the record settlement given by this Government to the Scottish Government, and that until that happens devolution in Scotland will not be complete?
Answer
I know how closely my hon. Friend worked with the late great Donald Dewar, Scotland’s first First Minister. He always anticipated that power would not stop at Holyrood’s door but would be pushed out to communities, yet we have ended up with the quite bizarre situation where Scotland is the most devolved nation in the United Kingdom, but still one of the most centralised nations in Europe. We believe that should change.33% vibes
Verdict: RED (20/100)
The reply says power should be pushed out to communities and that Scotland is highly centralised, which gives a general, if vague, answer on the principle. It names no mechanism or timetable, and it does not address whether further devolution should come with funding, so that part of the question goes unanswered. It also touches only loosely on whether devolution is incomplete until power reaches local government. The person who asked would likely need to ask again for specifics on both mechanism and funding.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Secretary of State agrees that devolution in Scotland should be pushed down from the Scottish Parliament to local government, cities and towns across Scotland. | Addressed | Hedged | The reply states that power should be pushed out to communities (attributed to Dewar), that Scotland is still highly centralised, and that 'we believe that should change', which is a broadly affirmative answer on the principle. It names no mechanism or timetable, so the answer is thin, though the direction is committed. |
| Whether the Secretary of State agrees that any such further devolution should be accompanied by funding from the record settlement given by the UK Government to the Scottish Government. | Not Addressed | Generic | Nothing in the reply mentions funding, the Scottish Government's settlement, or whether any further devolution should come with money. |
| Whether the Secretary of State agrees that devolution in Scotland will not be complete until devolution is pushed down to local government, cities and towns with accompanying funding. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply gestures at the idea that Scotland is centralised and that this should change, which bears on whether devolution is complete. It never addresses the claim that devolution is incomplete until power reaches local government, nor the accompanying funding element. |