Governance of Scotland (Hansard, 6 July 1994)

§ 12. Mr. Trimble
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on developments relating to the governance of Scotland since the publication of "Scotland in the Union: A Partnership for Good".

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
We have pressed ahead vigorously to implement the various proposals in the White Paper "Scotland in the Union: A Partnership for Good", published last year. All the commitments have either been implemented or are well in hand.

§ Mr. Trimble
Does the Minister agree that earlier supplementary questions suggest that Labour will revert to cover-up and bluster rather than taking the opportunity to clean out the Augean stables that exist in its organisation in the Greater Glasgow area? Does he further agree that the recent election result shows that there is an urgent need for the creation of a moderate, right-of-centre, pro-Union alternative to Labour, which the present Conservative and Liberal Democratic parties cannot provide, and that without such an alternative the outlook for Scottish politics is not encouraging?

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
I welcome the hon. Gentleman's sturdy support of the Union of Great Britain. The Conservative party stood on that platform before the last general election and the number of Conservative Members increased as a result. We will continue to fight as hard as we can for the Union on every conceivable occasion. The proposals in the White Paper strengthen the Union between Scotland and England. The Standing Order changes that are proposed will be introduced early next Session after being debated and we look forward to Scotland benefiting greatly from the changes. We will bear in mind the problems in relation to Greater Glasgow that the hon. Member has mentioned.

§ Mr. Connarty
Does the Minister accept that the whole concept of the White Paper has been made ludicrous in the eyes of the people of Scotland because of the growing number of quangos and the fact that the Secretary of State appoints all those people who are answerable only to him? With regard to health, the quango is answerable to a health Minister who is in another place and who has not even been elected, having been rejected by the people of Scotland. How can the people of Scotland give any credibility to any movement in "Scotland in the Union: A Partnership for Good" until we get rid of the quangos and put elected people in responsible positions in Scotland?

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
I am astonished that the hon. Gentleman has the nerve to ask a question of that nature when the shadow Secretary of State for Scotland served on the Scottish tourist board, the Scottish Development Agency and on a third quango relating to the police. We have considerably reduced the number of quangos throughout Britain and that is greatly to our credit. However, where there is a need for them—for example, Scottish Homes—they will, of course, survive in the public interest.

§ Madam Speaker
Time is up. I call the Secretary of State for National Heritage to make his statement.

§ Mr. David Clelland (Tyne Bridge)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

§ Madam Speaker
I take points of order after statements.