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  • Alister Jack – 2024 New Year’s Message

    Alister Jack – 2024 New Year’s Message

    The message issued by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 30 December 2023.

    Scottish Secretary Alister Jack looks back on 2023 and ahead to 2024.

    As another New Year dawns, I’d like to pass on my best wishes for 2024 to my fellow Scots at home and abroad.

    As we get ready to make our resolutions for the year to come, it is also time to take stock of the departing 12 months.

    Looking back, we have worked hard on our mission to level up communities across Scotland.

    Creating equality of opportunity for all – regardless of background – has been our ambition. Our levelling up initiatives are doing this by helping people and their neighbourhoods flourish.

    Listening to local communities – and working closely with the Scottish Government and councils – is bearing fruit on our investments.

    In 2023 we broke through the £2.9 billion barrier when it comes to UK Government levelling-up investment in Scotland.

    Among the highlights of the last 12 months have been the creation of two Freeports with a UK Government investment of £26 million each, one on the Firth of Forth and the other on the Cromarty Firth.

    These were followed by the establishment of two Investment Zones in Glasgow and the North East, both of which are benefitting from up to £160 million each from the UK Treasury.

    Businesses in these areas will get special tax breaks and other support to help them flourish and create jobs.

    Seven Scottish towns are receiving £20 million each as part of our Towns Fund. Levelling Up Partnerships have also been set up which will result in Dundee, the Western Isles, Argyll and Bute and Dumfries and Galloway receiving £20 million each. This funding will help transform these communities, boosting investment and jobs.

    And 2023 saw the announcement of two further rounds of the Levelling Up Fund, which will pay for multi-million-pound community investment right across Scotland.

    Along with my ministerial colleagues in the Scotland Office, Malcolm Offord and John Lamont, it has been great to visit many of these projects and see for ourselves the difference they are making.

    Reflecting on 2023, it would be remiss of me not to mention the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform legislation. The decision to issue a Section 35 Order for the first time in the history of devolution was not one which I took lightly. But when faced with proposals that would have an adverse impact on reserved equalities legislation I felt there was little option other than to act. I strongly believe the comprehensive judgement issued by Lady Haldane in the UK Government’s favour entirely justifies this stance.

    Scotland is famous across the world for our culture and sport. We were delighted to contribute to the arts scene by contributing almost £9 million to the world-famous Edinburgh festivals.

    I was thrilled that Scotland’s men’s team qualified for next year’s European Championships. It was a pleasure to welcome Steve Clarke to Dover House when we hosted a reception marking the 150th anniversary of the Scottish Football Association. Like all Scotland fans I’m tremendously excited by the thought of our team going to Germany in 2024.

    A highlight of 2023 for so many was the Coronation of King Charles III. As Scottish Secretary I was greatly honoured to play a small part in an uplifting and moving ceremony which marked the beginning of a new era in the history of the United Kingdom.

    I know that for many people the last few years have been extremely difficult. We are still feeling the impact of the Covid pandemic and Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine has put pressure on our economy. Under the leadership of Rishi Sunak, the UK Government has made great strides in bringing inflation down. And just as the broad shoulders of the UK Treasury provided unprecedented support during Covid, we have provided unprecedented financial help to tackle the cost of living crisis. Our £105 billion funding package is providing each household with an average of £3,700 in support.

    By working together as one United Kingdom we can withstand the challenges the coming months and years throw at us.

    And, looking ahead to 2024, my resolution is to keep working to bring more prosperity and jobs to Scotland. With that in mind, I’m looking forward to the opening of the Perth Museum, backed by £10 million from the UK Government and which will be a splendid new home for the Stone of Scone.

    We will also see the signing of the full growth deals for Falkirk and Argyll and Bute, partnerships in which we will invest £40 million and £25 million respectively. And yet more money for community projects as we continue our levelling up mission.

    Happy New Year.

    Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland

  • Alister Jack – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    Alister Jack – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    The speech made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, in Manchester on 1 October 2023.

    Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

    I’d like to thank a few people.

    Firstly, obviously, Douglas who gave a very kind introduction, for his support at Westminster and most important of all for his strong leadership of the Scottish Conservatives in Holyrood.

    Secondly, I’d like to thank my Scotland Office Ministers, Malcolm Offord and John Lamont, my ministerial team, they’re sitting here at the front of the auditorium, and they do excellent work for Scotland. I want to thank them for everything they do, thank you gentlemen.

    Conference, I am here with a very clear message today.

    The United Kingdom has never been stronger.

    And that is not by accident.

    Yes, it’s true the Nationalists are doing everything they can to strengthen the Union for us.

    They have shredded whatever credibility they once had.

    But I’m not going to comment on a live police investigation, however, I think we can all agree that the people of Scotland have been shocked by the investigation into the SNP’s finances; The arrests of leading SNP figures. The searches. The blue and white evidence tent in the garden. The campervan.

    So, it is no surprise that people in Scotland have quite rightly become very angry at the abject failure of the Scottish Government to deliver on the things that matter most to them.

    They are sick and tired of record NHS waiting times.

    Of poor standards in our schools.

    And then, of course, there’s the ferries, or lack of them.

    The SNP and their Green coalition masters, are dragging Scotland down more and more every day and people have come to the obvious conclusion: if the Nationalists can’t even organise a Bottle Deposit Return Scheme properly, all their talk of removing Scotland from the United Kingdom is pure fantasy.

    Ladies and gentlemen, the SNP are increasingly looking like a busted flush.

    But that’s not the only reason why the United Kingdom is stronger than ever.

    The Union is stronger than ever thanks to this Government – the most active and effective UK Government in Scotland in the devolution era.

    And I am very proud of that.

    And I’m very proud of that because we have a great story to tell.

    We have delivered record funding for the Scottish Government, so they really have no excuses for their poor performance in areas such as health and education.

    We have supported families across Scotland facing cost of living pressures.

    We have pledged to halve inflation, to get the economy growing – creating better jobs – and to bring down the national debt.

    We are reaching out across the world to maximise the benefits of Brexit, striking trade deals worth billions of pounds to our distillers, our salmon producers, and our defence industry.

    And we’re not just seeing the benefits of Brexit for the UK with trade deals, either.

    The Chancellor has introduced new financial services regulations.

    We’re backing our fishing industry now it is out of the hated Common Fisheries Policy; and we’ve passed legislation allowing farmers to use cutting edge gene editing technology.

    Cutting edge technology that has been pioneered in Scotland, but which is sadly banned in Scotland by the SNP-Green government of Holyrood, despite the wishes of our farmers and the NFU Scotland.

    As Secretary of State, I’ve also been clear that we will use our post-Brexit internal market legislation to protect Scotland’s free flowing trade across the whole of the United Kingdom.

    Because sixty per cent of our trade is with the rest of the UK and I will not allow the Nationalists to create unnecessary obstacles.

    Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to say we are also supporting our globally successful oil and gas industry.

    This government is clear: we should continue to use our own North Sea resources as we move to Net Zero, our own resources as we bring down prices and improve our energy security.

    Both Labour and the SNP are threatening to shut down our oil and gas industry prematurely and I believe that is sheer madness. It cannot be in Scotland or the United Kingdom’s best interests.

    We must support oil and gas industry, just as we support renewables, as we transition to a much better future.

    At a time of war in Europe and wider global uncertainty we’ve also backed our amazing Armed Forces to the hilt – so much of which is based in Scotland.

    So perhaps now is a very good moment to pay tribute to my friend and fellow Scot, Ben Wallace, an outstanding Defence Secretary who has served this Party, this Government, and our country with the greatest distinction.

    Ladies and gentlemen, there is more.

    This Government is going further than any previous Government of the devolution era in delivering for Scotland.

    As Secretary of State for Scotland it has been my privilege and passion to drive forward direct UK Government investment in Scotland.

    It is now worth £2.5 billion, and that is over and above the Scottish Government’s record funding settlement.

    I was absolutely delighted with the announcement today that seven towns in Scotland will receive around £20 million each as part of our Long-Term Plan for Towns.

    It is the latest in a long line of Levelling Up initiatives reaching every corner of the country.

    It is creating jobs, transforming communities, and delivering high profile projects that people really care about.

    We are backing small-scale, grassroots initiatives; high profile arts projects; cutting edge research in our universities; and more.

    We’ve also led the way creating Freeports based around the Firth of Forth and the Cromarty Firth.

    The Prime Minister and I visited the Cromarty Firth when the news was announced and I know that he, as a long-time champion of Freeports, is as excited as I am about the impact this will have on the Highland economy.

    We’re following up that by creating Investment Zones in Aberdeen and Glasgow.

    Ladies and Gentlemen, we recognised some time ago we had to change the damaging old philosophy of ‘devolve and forget’ – leaving too much in the hands of the devolved administration in Holyrood and allowing the role of the UK Government to fade into the background.

    Well, today, I can announce the era of ‘devolve and forget’ is well and truly over.

    It is dead. It is Finished. And I promise you, it is not coming back under my watch.

    On scores of projects, we are now working directly with local councils and other responsible delivery partners, and I call that real devolution.

    No longer can the failing SNP-Green administration hoard decision-making powers and resources in Holyrood, using it for their own political purposes, rather than the priorities of most people in Scotland.

    My view of devolution is straightforward.

    It is about Scotland’s two governments at Westminster and Holyrood respecting each other’s roles and working together where we can.

    We know that is how devolution works best and we know it is what the vast majority of Scots want and what they expect.

    But unfortunately, my view is not shared by the Nationalists.

    Time and time again they have sought to undermine the devolution settlement in order to provoke unnecessary disagreement between the two governments.

    When they took Nicola Sturgeon’s Referendum Bill to the Supreme Court, they wasted taxpayers’ money confirming what everyone already knew:
    the constitution and the Union are matters reserved to Westminster.

    When they tried to introduce a new system of self-ID for trans people – their Gender Recognition Reform Bill – they ignored the harmful impact on safeguards for women and girls in existing reserved legislation.

    And when they tried to bring a Bottle Deposit Return Scheme, they failed to consider the impact of cross-border trade.

    In each case, I felt it was my duty as Secretary of State for Scotland, to step in.

    I will not stand by, and I will not allow Nationalist ministers to undermine, or abuse, the devolution settlement for their own political purposes.

    Not now, not ever.

    Sadly, I am not surprised by the Nationalists’ approach.

    They do not support devolution so why would they respect it?

    But what concerns me are the consequences.

    The waste of time, money and resources that should be focused on people’s real priorities in Scotland.

    Struggling businesses left out of pocket by the collapse of that shambolic Bottle Deposit Return Scheme.

    The anxiety felt by so many women at the potential erosion of safeguards afforded by the Equality Act.

    The Scottish Government need to understand their political game-playing causes real damage and as Douglas Ross said so forcefully earlier this afternoon, they need to drop their narrow obsession with breaking up Britain and do the job they were elected to do.

    They need to respect devolution; they need to take that record budget they receive from the Treasury, and they must use it to deliver public services that Scots can rely on.

    So, ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion:

    We know this Union – this great, enduring partnership between Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – creates opportunity and drives success for us all.

    Quite simply, we achieve more together.

    And that is why I’m so proud to play my part in a UK Government that has done more than any other to strengthen the United Kingdom.

    And we are doing it daily, right across Scotland, investing directly in projects that create jobs and level up communities.

    We are doing it by supporting our key industries, by protecting cross-Border trade and boosting the economy.

    And we are doing it by defending devolution robustly against the Nationalists’ attempts to bend and twist it for their own, narrow political purposes.

    There could not be a clearer contrast between a Nationalist, SNP Scottish Government that is in chaos, that is failing, and that is letting people down by putting their obsession with leaving the UK above everything it does. And this United Kingdom Government, under the outstanding leadership of Rishi Sunak, that is 100 per cent focused on the issues that really matter most to the people in Scotland and across the whole of the United Kingdom.

    More and more, people in Scotland are seeing the benefits of having a United Kingdom that is energetically and visibly on their side because that is what people want.

    It is what’s best for Scotland.

    And it is what we will continue to deliver.

    Thank you very much.

  • Alister Jack – 2023 Statement on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

    Alister Jack – 2023 Statement on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

    The statement made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 16 January 2023.

    I have decided to make an order under section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998, preventing the Scottish Parliament’s Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from proceeding to Royal Assent.

    After thorough and careful consideration of all the relevant advice and the policy implications, I am concerned that this legislation would have an adverse impact on the operation of Great Britain-wide equalities legislation.

    Transgender people who are going through the process to change their legal sex deserve our respect, support and understanding. My decision today is about the legislation’s consequences for the operation of GB-wide equalities protections and other reserved matters.

    I have not taken this decision lightly. The Bill would have a significant impact on, amongst other things, GB-wide equalities matters in Scotland, England and Wales. I have concluded, therefore, that this is the necessary and correct course of action.

    If the Scottish Government chooses to bring an amended Bill back for reconsideration in the Scottish Parliament, I hope we can work together to find a constructive way forward that both respects devolution and the operation of UK Parliament legislation.

    I have written today to the First Minister and the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer informing them of my decision.

  • Alister Jack – 2022 New Year Message

    Alister Jack – 2022 New Year Message

    The new year message from Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, issued on 30 December 2022.

    This past year is one we will never forget – the year the UK came together to mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

    For those special, almost unreal days in September, the UK paused to remember her long reign and her remarkable life – a life devoted to service to her country.

    I was honoured to play a small part in the ceremonies to mark her passing in both Edinburgh and London. And I was so proud to see the scenes that unfolded during the official period of mourning.

    People from all walks of life, from all corners of the land, were united – in sadness, of course, but also in admiration, respect and gratitude for The Queen’s life.

    We witnessed history and we saw the United Kingdom at its very best.

    The Queen’s death followed an uplifting Platinum Jubilee programme of events celebrating her 70 years on the throne.

    I know, as the year ends, people across Scotland will join me in reflecting on her life, in once again saying thank you and in wishing our new King, Charles III, a long, happy and successful reign.

    I was delighted when His Majesty and The Queen Consort, in what was their first official duty, travelled to Fife to confer city status upon our ancient capital of Dunfermline.

    Accompanying them that day, I could see how much it meant to the people of Dunfermline, and caught a glimpse too of a new style of monarchy, fashioned very much in their own image.

    King Charles III and The Queen Consort will be crowned next May. We can look forward to a very special day that I am sure will again bring the whole country together.

    Another thing which brought people together this year was fantastic sport.

    Who can forget Perthshire’s Eve Muirhead leading her curling team to Olympic gold in February in Beijing? And Neil Simpson and his brother and guide Andrew topping the Paralympics podium in Alpine skiing?

    Later in the year the Birmingham Commonwealth Games kept us thrilled and inspired in equal measure, and I was lucky enough to be able to cheer on Team Scotland – who came away with a grand total of 51 medals.

    These shared moments feel especially important during difficult times.

    Like the rest of the world, the UK continues to face real challenges.

    The UK Government’s response to the Covid 19 pandemic saved lives and livelihoods, with a rapid vaccination roll-out and support for employees and businesses that helped keep hundreds of thousands of Scots in a job.

    But the costs continue to be felt. Essential public services still need our support.

    Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine also continues to take its terrible toll.

    We should be immensely proud of the humanitarian and military support we have provided to Ukraine as that country stands up to Putin’s Russia.

    That support will not cease. But we must recognise Putin’s aggression has sparked an energy crisis which has sent prices spiralling, compounding other cost-of-living pressures.

    Even with the UK Government’s multi-billion pound package of help for families and businesses with energy bills, we know times are hard.

    As we move into a new year, we must follow the course we set ourselves some time ago.

    We must continue to invest, here in Scotland and across the whole UK, in initiatives that will make a difference to communities and help grow our economy.

    With a new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and a new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, at the helm, we will achieve the sustainable economic growth we need.

    Here that means rolling out our £1.5 billion city and growth deals programme across the whole of the country. In the coming weeks and months we will announce two Freeports in Scotland, in an exciting joint initiative with the Scottish Government. The second round of the Levelling Up Fund will support more projects in Scotland and we will work directly with local councils to provide cash from the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

    That’s in addition to the work we are doing to support our energy sector – making us less reliant on imports – and to help Scottish firms break into new export markets.

    We will also continue to build warships on the Clyde and at Rosyth, equipping our Navy, keeping us safe, filling Scottish yards’ order books, and securing thousands of high quality jobs in Scotland.

    Serious times demand serious plans.

    The need for Scotland’s two governments to work together on shared challenges and real priorities has never been more pressing.

    There is much to be done, but by working together we can ensure that Scotland, as part of a strong United Kingdom, has a bright future.

  • Alister Jack – 2022 Statement on the Supreme Court Decision on a Scottish Referendum

    Alister Jack – 2022 Statement on the Supreme Court Decision on a Scottish Referendum

    The statement made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, in the House of Commons on 23 November 2022.

    I am grateful to the right hon. Member for providing me with the opportunity to address the House on this important ruling of the Supreme Court on the issue of the competence of the Scottish Parliament to legislate for a referendum on independence.

    The UK Supreme Court has today determined that it is outside the powers of the Scottish Parliament to hold an independence referendum, and I respect the Court’s clear and definitive ruling on this matter. The Scottish Government’s Lord Advocate referred this question to the Supreme Court, which has today given its judgment, and the UK Government’s position has always been clear: that it would be outside the Scottish Parliament’s competence to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence because it is a matter wholly reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament.

    We welcome the Court’s unanimous and unequivocal ruling, which supports the United Kingdom Government’s long-standing position on this matter. People want to see the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government focus on issues that matter to them, not on constitutional division. People across Scotland rightly want and expect to see both their Governments—the United Kingdom Government and the Scottish Government—working together with a relentless focus on the issues that matter to them, their families and their communities.

    The Prime Minister has been very clear, and has demonstrated since day one, that it is our duty to work constructively with the Scottish Government. We fully respect the devolution settlement and we want to work together with the Scottish Government on vital areas such as tackling the cost of living, growing our economy and leading the international response to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

    At this time of unprecedented challenges, the benefits of being part of the United Kingdom have never been more apparent. The United Kingdom Government are providing the Scottish Government with a record block grant settlement of £41 billion per year over the next three years, and the people in Scotland are benefiting from unprecedented cost of living support announced by this Prime Minister and our Chancellor. It is important now that we move on from constitutional issues, to focus on tackling our shared challenges. I therefore welcome the Supreme Court’s judgment, and I call on the Scottish Government to set aside these divisive constitutional issues so that we can work together, focusing all of our attention and resources on the key issues that matter to the people of Scotland.

    The United Kingdom Government are proud of their role as the custodian of the devolution settlement. The United Kingdom is one of the most successful political and economic unions in the world. By promoting and protecting its combined strengths, we are building on hundreds of years of partnership and shared history. I will conclude by saying that when we work together as one United Kingdom, we are safer, stronger and more prosperous.

  • Alister Jack – 2022 Statement on Supreme Court Ruling

    Alister Jack – 2022 Statement on Supreme Court Ruling

    The statement made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 23 November 2022.

    We note and respect the unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court today.

    People in Scotland want both their governments to be concentrating all attention and resources on the issues that matter most to them. That’s why we are focussed on issues like restoring economic stability, getting people the help they need with their energy bills, and supporting our NHS.

    Today alone, 11.6 million UK pensioners – around one million in Scotland – are starting to receive up to £600 to help with their energy bills this winter.

    As the Prime Minister has made clear, we will continue to work constructively with the Scottish Government in tackling all the challenges we share and face.

  • Alister Jack – 2022 Speech on Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy

    Alister Jack – 2022 Speech on Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy

    The speech made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, in the House of Commons on 2 November 2022.

    I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate. I would, by convention, congratulate the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian Blackford) on securing the debate, but forgive me, Mr Deputy Speaker, if I break with custom on this occasion, for the simple reason that a debate on Scotland leaving the United Kingdom is not a priority for the Scottish people, it is not a priority for Scotland, and it should not be a priority for this House. It is no surprise to me—but it is a great pity none the less—that the SNP has retreated into the only issue it ever cares about. It is a great pity because I and Conservative Members would warmly welcome a serious debate about the Scottish economy.

    I believe that this House should be discussing ways to improve Scotland’s economic growth, because our economic growth has lagged behind that of the United Kingdom during the time the SNP has been in power at Holyrood. Why is that, I wonder? How much better might things have been if the SNP had respected the democratic result of the 2014 referendum, and ceased its constant, unwanted demands to re-run that referendum?

    Several hon. Members rose—

    Mr Jack

    I fear that the SNP’s constant campaign—its neverendum campaign to leave the United Kingdom—acts like a millstone around the neck of the Scottish economy.

    Steven Bonnar

    I appreciate the Secretary of State giving way. We often hear that we do not respect the result of the referendum. I joined the SNP one week after the referendum. I was sent here to protect Scotland from Brexit and to fight for Scottish independence. Is that not taking part in the democracy of our country? I was not a member of the SNP then; I joined one week after the referendum, and I was elected to this place to help deliver Scotland’s path to independence. That is democracy.

    Mr Jack

    That simply is not democracy, because the hon. Member is not respecting the result of the referendum in 2014. As we heard from the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, there was confusion and, in that referendum, the Scottish National party was proposing that Scotland leave the EU. We have just heard a whole speech on how desperate the SNP is to get back into the EU, yet in 2014 the proposal made was that Scotland would leave—

    Angus Brendan MacNeil

    On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Is it in order to suspend proceedings so that the Secretary of State can have a tutorial on how elections and ballot boxes work and how an x is put on a piece of paper?

    Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)

    I am sure that the hon. Member’s leader would not be delighted if I were to suspend proceedings for any reason whatsoever.

    Mr Jack

    I say to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Angus Brendan MacNeil): take the splinter out of your own eye. I am explaining how ballot boxes work. There was a very good, legal referendum in 2014, and it was won by those who wanted to remain in the United Kingdom. It is as simple as that.

    I return to the point about the neverendum campaign being a millstone around the neck of the Scottish economy. The last thing that people need is greater uncertainty. The last thing that Scotland needs is the SNP’s continual push for a divisive referendum on leaving the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom Government are working tirelessly to strengthen the Scottish economy.

    During the covid pandemic, it was the UK Government who had the ability to support our economy through furlough and business grants, keeping businesses in business and protecting people’s livelihoods. We are now supporting households and businesses facing increased energy costs. The UK Government are also providing the Scottish Government with a record block grant settlement of £41 billion a year over the next three years. In real terms, that is the highest settlement since 1998.

    Alex Cunningham

    Seeing as I live in England, I may well have scuppered any chances I had of getting my Scottish passport, but the leader of the SNP did not mention education in his speech. Does the Secretary of State believe that may be because we have seen Scotland tumble down the PISA rankings for maths and science as the SNP has neglected the education of the future population of our home country?

    Mr Jack

    The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. It is not just education standards that are falling—there are many problems throughout public services in Scotland, and drug deaths are three times higher than in the rest of the United Kingdom. It is clear that those failings in public services in Scotland happen because the Scottish Government get up every day and go to work with the one objective of breaking up the United Kingdom, not realising that they are a devolved Administration who should be focusing on health, education and crime, doing the proper day job that people voted for them to do. I absolutely agree with him.

    Jamie Stone

    It is a well-known fact that the Scottish National party loves me to bits. However, I received my second covid vaccination from a British solider in Raigmore Hospital, where the British Army stepped in during the pandemic. The independence argument falls apart when it comes to the defence of the United Kingdom, because there is nothing that Vladimir Putin would like to see more than Scotland breaking away and our defences split in two.

    Mr Jack

    The hon. Gentleman makes a very good point. During the pandemic, in my role as Secretary of State for Scotland I signed many MACA—military aid to civil authorities—requests for Scotland, and our armed services stepped up and did an incredible job of helping us through the process.

    In addition to the UK Government support that I mentioned, we are directly investing £2 billion that will be delivered through the city region and growth deals programme, the levelling-up fund and the United Kingdom shared prosperity fund. Those projects are starting to transform communities and create tens of thousands of high-quality new jobs.

    Marion Fellows (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)

    The Secretary of State goes on about levelling up and how grateful we in Scotland should be for money that is disbursed from the UK centre at Westminster. Does he actually believe that? Does he not understand that people in Scotland pay taxes here as well as in Scotland and that we are entitled to a share of all those funds?

    Mr Jack

    All the SNP councils in Scotland are applying for these funds, and they have been welcomed. I remember the leader of Glasgow City Council—an SNP council—saying how pleased she was that the UK Government were delivering those funds directly to local authorities in Scotland. And—guess what?—they are taking that money in its full amount and delivering it to local projects. That is exactly how it should be.

    Marion Fellows

    I have signed applications for levelling-up funds because my community is as entitled to them as communities in the rest of the UK. We pay our taxes as well, and we do not need to be lectured about taking hand-outs, which is what the Secretary of State is implying.

    Mr Jack

    That could not be further from the truth. I am not implying that for a minute. It absolutely is fair shares for everyone; we have never disputed that. All I am explaining is that the method of delivery is through local authorities to get project funds directly to local communities.

    Several hon. Members rose—

    Mr Jack

    I am going to make some progress—[Interruption.]

    Mr Deputy Speaker

    Order. Mr MacNeil, you could start an argument in a room on your own. The Secretary of State is not giving way. Please pipe down.

    Mr Jack

    We are close to announcing two new UK freeports in Scotland, backed by £52 million of investment from the United Kingdom Government. That is a great example of how much more we can achieve when Scotland’s two Governments work together. We know that we can achieve much more by working together. So I repeat my offer to the Scottish Government to come and work with us on transport by improving cross-border links such as the A75 and on agriculture by giving farmers the gene editing technology that they desperately want. Gene editing will make crops more disease and drought-resistant and thereby drive down food prices. They should also work with us on energy, bringing small modular nuclear reactors—yes, you heard it here—to back up our tremendous renewable energy.

    Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (Con)

    Will the Secretary of State give way?

    Mr Jack

    Yes, I give way to my former colleague.

    Iain Stewart

    In talking about the city region and growth deals, the freeports and all the other shared investments, is not the key point that that is real devolution and not central Government—whether here or in Edinburgh—dictating to local areas what they want? It is them deciding their priorities and working with both Governments to deliver on them.

    Mr Jack

    My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I thank him for all the work that he did on the subject while he was a Minister in the Scotland Office. He was an absolute powerhouse in working with local authorities and working through all the different deals available. I appreciate everything that he did.

    Several hon. Members rose—

    Mr Jack

    If I can continue, the North sea transition deal is another thing that shows the UK Government working together with the offshore oil and gas industry to achieve a managed energy transition that leaves no one behind. The deal has the potential to support up to 40,000 jobs and generate up to £16 billion of investment by 2030. We are also supporting 1,700 Scottish jobs through the £3.7 billion Ministry of Defence shipbuilding programme on the Clyde. Those are just a few examples.

    Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West) (SNP)

    Will the Secretary of State explain how he is working with the Scottish Government to tackle child poverty? The Scottish Government have the Scottish child payment of £25 a week. What more can he do to support children who are living in poverty just now because of the UK Government’s policies?

    Mr Jack

    Apart from the record settlement of £41 billion over three years, there is additional money—the £37 billion —from the support schemes the Chancellor introduced. That has Barnett money, which goes to the Scottish Government. The wonderful thing about devolution is that the Scottish Government can then decide how they spend that money.

    Neale Hanvey (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) (Alba)

    Is the Minister able to tell us what percentage of the £8 billion of oil and gas revenue that has gone to the Treasury in the last nine months is being directed to the Scottish Government to prioritise for their own spending? What percentage of that revenue goes to Scotland? The answer is none, isn’t it?

    Mr Jack

    The answer is that Scotland gets her share of Government spending. Everything goes into one big pot, but we know that spending in Scotland is 26% higher per head than it is per head in England. That is the Union dividend, which I will come on to, of £2,000 per man, woman and child. We have one Treasury and one pot, and Scotland takes a very fair share out of that.

    Several hon. Members rose—

    Mr Jack

    I am going to make some progress.

    I have given some examples of how the UK Government are investing in Scotland. As I said earlier, I would welcome a proper debate about the Scottish economy any day, but this is not a serious debate. It is, I am afraid, just another opportunity, as we have heard from SNP Members, to dust off some of their tired old grievances.

    Let me turn to the premise of the motion and let us all consider reality. As the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber will be well aware, the pound has recovered. The Bank of England interventions have been effective and our energy interventions will help to bring down inflation.

    Ian Blackford

    Will the Secretary of State give way?

    Mr Jack

    I did not intervene on the right hon. Gentleman and I do not expect him to intervene on me. He spoke for a very long time.

    This is a challenging economic period internationally and we should not pretend that the UK—

    Ian Blackford

    On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. On the day of the referendum, the pound-dollar rate was 1.64. The Government have crashed the pound over the course of the last few years. That is the harsh reality and the Secretary of State might actually recognise that.

    Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)

    I call the Secretary of State.

    Mr Jack

    To clarify the record, I was referring to the recent turmoil in the market. [Interruption.] Let me proceed.

    This is a challenging economic period internationally and we should not pretend that the UK is the only nation which faces difficult times. The overall economic stability that the UK offers is the best long-term guarantee we have, so the right hon. Member is simply wrong in the motion about the state of the UK economy. He compounds his mistake, because his motion speaks of a land that exists only in his overactive and deeply aggrieved imagination: the so-called failing state of the UK. That will be the United Kingdom which has the sixth-biggest economy in the world, the UK which is a leading partner in NATO, the UK which is at the heart of the G7, and the UK with a permanent seat on the Security Council of the United Nations. [Interruption.] They do not like hearing it.

    Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)

    Order. Please resume your seats. Come on. Stop it, please. Stop it. We did not have that noise when the leader of the SNP was speaking, so in deference, and in good behaviour, please stop the shouting.

    Mr Jack

    SNP Members do not like hearing it. Instead of insulting Scots’ intelligence, the SNP might explain what it is doing with Holyrood’s extensive powers in economic development, education and skills, planning and transport to grow the Scottish economy.

    I hope that as the debate progresses we will hear something constructive from SNP Members, but I fear ferries will float before we do. Rather than deal with what actually matters to the vast majority of Scots—growing the economy and creating jobs—SNP Members want to talk about the Scottish Government’s “independence papers”.

    Several hon. Members rose—

    Mr Jack

    I will make some progress.

    Those papers have provoked scorn from respected economic experts, and even from high-profile independence campaigners. One prominent nationalist—Mr Deputy Speaker, I apologise in advance for the unparliamentary language—referred to the recent economy paper as “utter pish”. The kindest thing I could do is move on without further mention of those publications, so I will.

    I am very clear that we will tackle the challenges we face more effectively as one United Kingdom. Much to the frustration of the SNP, the Scottish Government’s own Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland figures demonstrate the benefit to people in Scotland of being part of the United Kingdom. As I mentioned earlier, people in Scotland benefit from a Union dividend worth more than £2,000 a year for each man, woman and child.

    Mr Perkins

    I agree with the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian Blackford) that in 2014 the pound was at 1.64 against the dollar and that now, because of this Government, it has crashed. However, what does it say to the Secretary of State that even with that, the Scottish independence campaign seeks to reassure the markets by saying it will not go for the Scottish pound, but stick with this crashing economy? What does that say about its confidence in the Scottish pound?

    Mr Jack

    I would add to the hon. Gentleman’s remarks by saying that as a country shadowing the pound it will not be the lender of last resort—it will have no lender of last resort. It is utterly irresponsible.

    As one United Kingdom, we are able to draw on our great shared institutions such as the NHS. We are better able to respond to the nationwide challenges on the cost of living, just as we did in overcoming the pandemic when we offered the covid vaccine to everyone in the UK. The energy price guarantee will save a typical household in Great Britain around £700 this winter. I believe that our collective strength as a family of nations means we are much better able to tackle the big problems.

    Stephen Flynn (Aberdeen South) (SNP)

    Will the Secretary of State give way? [Interruption.]

    Mr Jack

    For ingenuity, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will give way.

    Stephen Flynn

    I thank the Secretary for State for giving way. In the aftermath of his former Prime Minister’s and former Chancellor’s budget, he called on the Scottish Government to implement those tax cuts. Beyond that, the following day he said that he was going to “hold firm” on those tax cuts. Does he regret those comments, and indeed the damage that his Government caused to households in Scotland?

    Mr Jack

    I make no apology for the fact that I have always been pro low taxes. That remains my position today.

    For all that the motion for today’s debate purports to focus on the economy, we should be clear that it is, in reality, about allowing the SNP to talk about the one issue that matters to it: separation and seeking to break up the UK. This is simply not the time to be talking about another independence referendum. We share these islands, and we share a rich, shared history.

    Angus Brendan MacNeil

    Will the Secretary of State give way?

    Mr Jack

    It is like musical chairs, Mr Deputy Speaker.

    Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)

    If the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Angus Brendan MacNeil) carries on moving across the Labour Benches, he will find the door is there. [Laughter.]

    Angus Brendan MacNeil

    On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Is it in order to put on a Liverpool accent so that the Secretary of State will maybe give way to a Scottish MP?

    Mr Deputy Speaker

    It is up to whoever is on their feet who they allow in. For whatever reason, you are not the flavour of the month, Mr MacNeil, and I have to say you are rapidly going down my list as to when you will actually come in.

    Mr Jack

    Mr Deputy Speaker, I admire the tenacity of the hon. Gentleman. He is obviously very good at playing musical chairs, but I am going to finish.

    We share these islands. We share a rich history. Together, we have been able to develop the great institutions we are so proud of, such as the NHS and our armed forces. People in Scotland want their two Governments to be focused on the issues that matter to them: growing our economy, ensuring our energy security, tackling the cost of living and supporting our friends in Ukraine against Russian aggression. Those are the issues that matter to the people of Scotland, not the motion before us today.

  • Alister Jack – 2022 Comments on Scottish GDP Figures (August 2022)

    Alister Jack – 2022 Comments on Scottish GDP Figures (August 2022)

    The comments made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 31 August 2022.

    We are facing unprecedented global challenges, but our economy showed huge resilience emerging from the pandemic and I feel sure we will come through these uncertain times too.

    Supporting families and businesses is our priority. A quarter of all UK households will receive £1200 of direct help as part of our £37 billion package to assist the most vulnerable, with the first cost of living payments already paid out to over seven million people.

    Our steps to support businesses include slashing fuel duty, reducing employer National Insurance and freezing alcohol duty which helps pubs and our hospitality industry. All this is in addition to the Scottish Government receiving a record £41 billion per year settlement for the next three years.

  • Alister Jack – 2022 Comments on Government Expenditure and Revenue Figures for Scotland

    Alister Jack – 2022 Comments on Government Expenditure and Revenue Figures for Scotland

    The comments made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 24 August 2022.

    Today’s Scottish Government figures show how people and their families benefit massively from being part of a strong, resilient UK.

    Scotland’s deficit – the shortfall between taxes raised here, including oil, and public spending – stands at £23.7bn. But as part of the UK, we can rely on the Treasury to step up to support us in plugging the gap.

    At a time of unprecedented challenges, sharing resources around the UK has never been more important.

    As we continue to recover from the pandemic and confront global pressures on prices and the cost of living, it is clear we need a shared and a relentless focus on boosting the economy.

  • Alister Jack – 2022 Comments on Platinum Jubilee

    Alister Jack – 2022 Comments on Platinum Jubilee

    The comments made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 2 June 2022.

    I send my heartfelt congratulations to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, on her Platinum Jubilee.

    The Platinum Jubilee is a reminder of what an extraordinary life The Queen has led. She has been, and continues to be, a dignified and hardworking figurehead to the nation. Not just dedicated, but compassionate, warm and humorous.

    I know people across Scotland will join me in wishing her the very best on this huge milestone, and thanking her for her lifetime of service.