HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Joint action to tackle poverty and improve the Economy announced [December 1999]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 1 December 1999.

Joint action to tackle the problems of poverty and improve the economy were announced by the Chancellor Gordon Brown, Scotland’s First Minister Donald Dewar and Scottish Secretary John Reid.

Three Joint Action Committees (JAC) will be established under the Memorandum of Understanding, which provides for the establishment of a Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) and Sub Committees.

The JMC was set up specifically to consider non-devolved matters which impinge on devolved matters and devolved matters which impinge on non-devolved responsibilities.

The mechanism is being triggered today to set up three JACs which will cover the areas of:

• pensioner poverty;
• child poverty; and
• the Knowledge economy.

The Chancellor said:

“The delivery of devolution has dealt with the democratic deficit. We must now turn to the real economic and social issues where the case for joint action is overwhelming.

“The only way we can tackle the problems of poverty and unemployment successfully is by joint action.”

The Secretary of State for Scotland has responsibility for ensuring effective working relations between the Government and the Scottish Executive and for promoting the devolution settlement.  He said:

“The devolution settlement was not just a Constitutional exercise, but was always intended to make real improvements to people’s lives. We are determined to attack poverty and promote the knowledge economy with every means at our disposal. This can only be achieved by the UK Government and Scottish Executive working in partnership to deliver the policies that will bring real benefits to the people of Scotland.”

The First Minister, Donald Dewar said:

“Only by working through this new constitutional framework can we best deliver for the people of Scotland. The Joint Action Committees will give the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Parliament greater responsibility for the allocation and coordination of resources and the delivery of services that are vital for the future of Scotland.”