16 September 2009
The UK Government will set out its detailed proposals to strengthen Scottish devolution this autumn, Jim Murphy has confirmed.
The Scottish Secretary told this morning's plenary meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee in Westminster that the Government will publish its proposals to make improvements to the devolution settlement ten years after the creation of the Scottish Parliament, drawing on the recommendations made in the final report of the Commission on Scottish Devolution [Calman review].
Following the publication of the final report on June 15th, Mr Murphy had discussions with the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and other ministerial colleagues about HM Government's response to the report; and in parallel set up two groups to work on implementation.
An officials group of senior civil servants from across Whitehall departments was set up to look at the detail of the recommendations on functions, finance and inter-administration relations in the Calman report.
The Chancellor, Alasdair Darling, has already said: "I think the gap that was left ten years ago was that the Scottish Parliament could spend money but it didn't have to think so much about raising the money. Now, this way there is a mechanism that means that they've got to actually set the rate - the tax rate - and I think that's right."
Jim Murphy said: "The Government welcomed the Commission's final report and we've made good headway across Whitehall over the summer. Officials have made sufficient progress that we are now confident that we will be able to set out proposals in the Autumn."
Mr Murphy also established a cross-party steering group of politicians to look at the implementation of Calman. The Secretary of State chairs the group, which has representatives from Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties at both Westminster and Holyrood.
The group met in Edinburgh on the 7th September and welcomed plans to remit the recommendations about inter-governmental working to the Joint Ministerial Committee; it also agreed to work with colleagues in the UK and Scottish Parliaments on the Commission's recommendations to strengthen inter-parliamentary working, including pursuing early discussion with and between the respective Parliamentary authorities.
Jim Murphy added: "Cross-party consensus was fundamental to the establishment and the successful operation of the Commission and we are all keen to maintain this consensus now as we work to take the recommendations forward."
Jim Murphy is also making progress towards the report's recommendations that the UK and Scottish governments and parliaments should work more closely. He has agreed with the new House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow, who is expected to discuss the report's recommendations when he visits the Scottish Parliament this week, that they should meet shortly to discuss what progress can be made.
16 September - JMC plenary meeting will consider the inter-governmental recommendations from Calman
September - The Officials Group of civil servants will meet regularly throughout September and beyond in order to prepare advice to Ministers on the wide-ranging Calman recommendations.
September - Scottish Secretary and new House of Commons Speaker to meet to discuss Calman and possible implications for Parliament.
Ongoing - Further meetings of the Steering Group
The work being conducted through these channels will enable the Scottish Secretary to have one-to-one and collective discussions with his Cabinet colleagues to finalise the UK Government's proposals for publication in the autumn.