HC Deb 08 June 1981 vol 6 cc16-7
29. Mr. Canavan

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what effect he estimates his arrangements for dealing with Scottish parliamentary business will have on the amount of time the House spends on Scottish business.

Mr. Pym

If the House accepts the Government's proposals on the Order Paper this would increase the number of debates in the Scottish Grand Committee. I would not anticipate that this would affect the time at present spent on Scottish business on the Floor of the House.

Mr. Canavan

Why does the Leader of the House intend to wait until next Session before increasing the number of days available to the Scottish Grand Committee to discuss Scottish matters and Estimates? Why will he not introduce the extra time in this Session so that, if necessary, the Scottish Grand Committee may meet in Scotland before the end of the long recess to discuss important matters such as Scottish unemployment, which will probably be well over 300,000 by then?

Mr. Pym

If, when we debate these motions fairly soon, the House decides to change significantly the arrangements for debating Scottish business, it seems that the right moment to begin that new process would be next Session. However, in the meantime, as I understand it, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has recently agreed to an Opposition proposal that there should be six Estimate day debates this Session and there may be a second matter day debate. Although we have not had an opportunity and I have not yet brought the motions before the House, nevertheless seems that there will be an increase in the time that is devoted to Scottish business in the way that I have just mentioned.

Mr. Lang

Does my hon. Friend agree that the proposal that the Scottish Grand Committee should meet occasionally in Scotland could be fraught with hazard? If a Committee of this House were to meet in isolation in, say, Edinburgh, would not there be a danger of its nature and functions being misunderstood?

Mr. Pym

The inter-party group that met to discuss these matters came to the conclusion that that would be a matter for the House to decide. I am sure that that is so, and I hope to give the House that opportunity fairly soon.

Mr. Gordon Wilson

Is it not scandalous that in the Scottish Grand Committee there can be no meaningful votes on subjects discussed by it, that it is unable to reach any conclusions on the outcome of Scottish business and that, furthermore, the six Estimate days are concentrated within a three-week period in the high summer, leaving many important issues undebated during the rest of the year?

Mr. Pym

The way in which the Scottish Grand Committee and the Scottish Committees discuss and deal with their business has been going on for considerably longer than either the hon. Gentleman or I have been in the House. Of course, it is possible for the House to adjust it from time to time. Perhaps the motions that I have tabled following the inter-party talks will yield that result, but in the meantime I am sure that the House wishes Scottish business to be dealt with in Committee upstairs, in the way that it has been dealt with for many years.