Scotland Bill — House of Commons, 2015-06-29
Topic: Macroeconomics
David Michael Gauke (Conservative, Centre-right): I should put it as neutrally as I possibly can. We do not believe that the behavioural effects are as great as those set out in the PwC report, which is why we believe APD does raise revenue. There is a consensus—not a universal consensus—that it is right that we move on APD. On the point about regional airports, we will come back to that later in the summer May I also pick up the point on the aggregates levy? The hon. Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray) asked about the likely progress on legal matters. The European Commission was forced to reconsider its 2002 decision that the exemptions from the levy did not provide state aid following legal action by the British Aggregates Association. It announced its decision in March, finding that the levy as a whole was lawful, as were most of the exemptions. The Government are currently informally consulting trade associations on draft legislation to reinstate those exemptions—for example on slate and clay—found lawful by the Commission in March 2015 With those points of clarification, I hope that the clauses before us can stand part of the Bill Question put and agreed to. Clause 16 accordingly ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 17 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Schedule 1 agreed to. Clause 18 ordered to stand part of the Bill. New Clause 1 Independent Commission on Full Fiscal Autonomy ‘(1) The Secretary of State shall appoint a commission of between four and eleven members to conduct an analysis of the impact of full fiscal autonomy on the Scottish economy, labour market and public finances and to report by 31 March 2016 (2) No Member of the House of Commons or of the Scottish Parliament may be a member of the commission (3) No employee of the Scottish Government or of any government Department or agency anywhere in the United Kingdom may be a member of the commission (4) The Secretary of State shall appoint as members of the commission only persons who appear to the Secretary of State to hold a relevant qualification or to have relevant experience (5) The Secretary of State shall not appoint as a member of the commission any person who is a member of a political party (6) Before appointing any member of the commission, the Secretary of State must consult— (a) the Chair of any select committee appointed by the House of Commons to consider Scottish affairs, and (b) the Chair of any select committee appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of Her Majesty’s Treasury and its associated public bodies (7) The Secretary of State may by regulations issue the commission with terms of reference and guidelines for the commission’s working methods, including an outline definition of the policy of full fiscal autonomy for the commission to analyse. (8) The Secretary of State must lay copies of the report of the commission before both Houses of Parliament, and must transmit a copy of the report of the commission to the presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament (9) Regulations under this section must be made by statutory instrument, subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament." —(Ian Murray.) This New Clause requires the Secretary of State for Scotland to establish an independent commission of external experts, appointed in consultation with the Treasury Select Committee and Scottish Affairs Select Committee, to publish a report by 31 March 2016 setting out an analysis of the impact of the policy of Full Fiscal Autonomy on the Scottish economy, labour market and public finances. Brought up, and read the First time.