UK Parliament / Open data

Scotland Bill

Proceeding contribution from Lord Bruce of Bennachie (Liberal Democrat) in the House of Commons on Thursday, 27 January 2011. It occurred during Debate on bills on Scotland Bill.
On the models that I have seen, the reverse is the case, particularly at a time of public spending constraint. The point is that it will depend on changes over time—some years it will be up and some years it will be down. However, the proposals provide the potential for successful economic management to provide genuine benefit. I would give more credibility to the SNP claims that the measures are inadequate to grow the Scottish economy if its record in government showed that it was using the powers it currently has in ways that will grow the Scottish economy, but it has not done that. We have seen a succession of populist consumer gimmicks; almost a complete collapse in public investment; and the slow strangulation of local autonomy. Local councils have less and less control and more and more centralised management through the freezing of council tax. There is effectively less flexibility across Scotland to gear responses to meet local needs.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
522 c499-500 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Legislation
Scotland Bill 2010-12
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