The Scottish Government has proposed a range of changes to the Scotland Bill to enhance the powers of the Scottish Parliament and improve other aspects of the Bill.
The SG's detailed commentary was provided to the Scottish Parliament on December 1, 2010, after the Bill, sponsored by Secretary of State Michael Moore, was introduced to the Westminster Parliament on November 30, 2010.
The Bill was debated at Second Reading on January 27, 2011 when the House of Commons voted for the Bill to be considered by a Committee of the Whole House that would scrutinise it clause by clause. The Committee of the whole House had its third sitting on the March 15, 2011.
On Monday, June 13 Mr Moore made a Ministerial statement outlining changes the UK Government proposes to the original Bill. Finance Secretary John Swinney responded.
A Third Reading was held on June 21 and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords.
_______
Westminster's summary of the Bill
The Bill will implement recommendations of the Final Report of the Commission on Scottish Devolution (the Calman Commission). It would make changes to the finances of the Scottish Parliament, including a new Scottish rate of income tax, and make a number of adjustments to the boundary of devolved responsibilities.
_______
The Scottish Government's perspective
The Scottish Government has proposed a range of changes to the Scotland Bill to enhance the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
Since the election the Scottish Government has highlighted the case for:
- greater borrowing powers
- greater devolution of broadcasting
- devolution of corporation tax
- devolution of the administration and revenues of the Crown Estate
- devolution of excise duties
- Stronger voice in Europe
The Scottish Government has also proposed other changes to the Bill, e.g. more effective devolution of speed limits and drink driving, removing the proposed reservation of insolvency and regulation of health professions and measures on the Lord Advocate and European Convention on Human Rights.
Details of these are available in the document store in the SG's evidence to the Scotland Bill Committee in the last session of the Scottish Parliament.
That Committee also proposed a series of the changes to the Bill in a report published on March 3, 2011. On March 10, 2011, the previous Scottish Parliament agreed to a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) on the Bill, supporting the Committee's proposals for change and looking forward to the current Scottish Parliament considering any amendments made to the Bill in a further LCM.