My Lords, this amendment, if adopted, would enable the Secretary of State to prepare a report within a year of enacting the Bill. The subject would cover four aspects: the level of co-operation between Scottish and United Kingdom institutions; transparency and information sharing between them; the sharing of examples of best practice between them; and, as supported by their joint endeavours, an assessment of how successful and appropriate the journey of devolution itself may have become.
Such a report by the Secretary of State could well begin with this fourth aspect. For, to be effective at all, the journey of devolution must go beyond the administrative centre in Edinburgh. Otherwise, Scotland’s different regions and localities would not sufficiently benefit. Equally important, therefore, are the resolve and actions of the Scottish and United Kingdom Governments together to ensure that they do.
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Towards this end, both Governments have already started to pave the way. The Scottish Government has done so by facilitating the seven Scottish Cities Alliance as an independent affiliation; yet one which, through collective focus and effort, can help each city member the better to serve its citizens and communities. The United Kingdom Government have done so by delivering what is called the city deal and thus, through disbursement and loan, invest directly into the economies and infrastructures of a number of Scottish cities and regions. Glasgow was funded in this way last year. The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s recent statement confirms that Aberdeen and Inverness are planned to come next.
We therefore begin with heartening evidence that the Scottish and United Kingdom Governments together have started out in the right way. For, as indicated, their combined actions to assist Scottish cities and regions already correspond to the reference of this amendment: co-operation, transparency and building up good practice, not least through devolution extended beyond Scotland’s administrative centre in Edinburgh.
However, within extended devolution some further considerations should also be assessed: how the role of Scottish cities and regions may best evolve nationally
and internationally; how their achievements can usefully set standards for adoption elsewhere; and how their improved quality of life can do the same.
My noble and learned friend the Minister may concur that, in any case, no conflict of interest is presented by ever-competent and independent regions, since, through good results, they contribute both nationally and internationally. For that reason, the more successful they are, the more successful Scotland and the United Kingdom will have also become.
Where it promotes localism, one great benefit of devolution is more accurate readings of national performance, and hence a far better understanding of how national accomplishment should be defined in the first place. Hitherto for the latter we have tended to use the measures of gross domestic product only. Yet on its own, GDP does not tell the whole story. Now, as a result, we refer not just to GDP but to a combination of it and other indicators, such as those of the satisfaction or well-being of people where they live and their communities. The criteria for those assessments are currently detailed by the OECD and are increasingly addressed in the United Kingdom, as well as by our 47 Council of Europe states and their Strasbourg Parliament, where I have the honour to serve.
Does my noble and learned friend agree that it is exactly within devolution or localism that these improved measures and priorities can be best followed up and encouraged by the Scottish and United Kingdom Governments together; now not least through the well-being What Works Network in Scotland?
Through this amendment there is equally the focus upon the need for co-operation and transparency between Scottish and UK institutions; and upon the context within which the Secretary of State might review the impact of devolving matters from the Westminster administration—yet, in this case, devolution which goes no further than to that in Edinburgh. Bilateral government work will clearly help the implementation of more devolved tax and welfare. Both Parliaments and Governments must receive regular updates on funding plans and fiscal changes—and on all matters at all times we should seek improved transparency and public awareness arising from proper levels of co-operation between the two Parliaments and Governments.
In his very useful report, these procedures are strongly advocated by the noble Lord, Lord Smith, who also stresses the importance of transparency, building good practice and extending devolution to Scotland’s regions and localities. The purpose of the amendment is to link those exhortations to the Bill. I beg to move.