Scotland: Holyrood passes law to protect benefits from UK cuts

[MichaelMcGuire]

The Scottish Parliament has passed a law designed to offset the impact of UK Government cuts on the poorest families.

The Welfare Reform (Further Provision) (Scotland) Bill aims to protect council tax benefits and so-called "passported" benefits, which entitle claimants to other forms of support such as free travel.

MSPs took the unprecedented step of refusing legislative consent for the Welfare Reform Act, passed at Westminster, which will replace a whole raft of benefits with a single universal credit.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said evidence gathered by the Scottish Parliament's Welfare Reform Committee found that disabled people stand to lose up to £250m in benefits, while 170,000 households are expected to lose money when they receive the single universal credit.

"This Government will do everything we can to protect people in Scotland from the worst impact of these reforms," she said.

"But I make no apology in saying that the only way that we can ensure that Scotland is no longer subject to the kinds of reforms going through Westminster is to make sure that powers for these matters pass to this Parliament, and we can design a welfare system that reflects the values of this Parliament and the Scottish people."

Continue reading: http://news.stv.tv/politics/108466-holyrood-passes-law-to-protect-benefits-from-uk-cuts/

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. It would be good for the group to explain how this will impact things

and the legal structures involved. The relationship between Scotland and the UK is not the same as a California to the Federal government

[MichaelMcGuire]

5. The official Scottish Government website.

http://home.scotland.gov.uk/home
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Information/FAQs

The Scottish Government
The devolved government for Scotland is responsible for most of the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education, justice, rural affairs, and transport.
What is devolution?
Devolution is the transfer of powers from a central body to devolved administrations. The UK Parliament at Westminster has devolved different powers to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Under the terms of the Scotland Act 1998, the Scottish Parliament is able to pass laws on a range of issues. The Act also gives the Scottish Parliament the power to raise or lower the basic rate of income tax by up to 3 pence in the pound.

Devolved matters include Education, Health (the NHS in Scotland), Agriculture and Justice. The Scotland Act also specifies certain issues on which the Scottish Parliament cannot pass legislation. These are known as reserved matters and include Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security.

For more detailed information see the devolution section.

"Devolution established the Scottish Parliament with responsibility for devolved matters while the UK Parliament remains responsible for 'reserved matters' in Scotland.

The Scottish Parliament has full legislative competence (in other words, it can pass both primary and secondary legislation) across a wide range of devolved subjects.

The Scottish Government is the devolved administration led by a First Minister, elected by the Scottish Parliament, who appoints a Cabinet of Scottish Ministers.

The 1998 Scotland Act does not set out devolved subjects but instead lists 'reserved matters' for which the UK Parliament retains responsibility. By definition, devolved matters on which the Parliament can legislate are all those which are not specifically reserved (with certain provisos set out in the Act).

Devolved issues include:

health
education and training
local government
social work
housing
planning
tourism, economic development and financial assistance to industry
some aspects of transport, including the Scottish road network, bus policy and ports and harbours
law and home affairs, including most aspects of criminal and civil law, the prosecution system and the courts
the Police and Fire services
the environment
natural and built heritage
agriculture, forestry and fishing
sport and the arts
statistics, public registers and records"

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Factfile/18060/11552

"The UK Parliament continues to legislate for Scotland on reserved matters. There are currently 72 members in the UK Parliament representing constituencies in Scotland. It may also legislate on devolved matters in Scotland. However, in accordance with the so-called Sewel Convention, a principle has been adopted whereby "The UK Parliament will not normally legislate in relation to devolved matters in Scotland without the agreement of the Scottish Parliament".

The Scottish Parliament can agree the incorporation of legislative provisions affecting Scotland in devolved areas by what is called a 'Sewel Motion'. This enables the Scottish Parliament to agree that Westminster should legislate for Scotland on devolved matters where, for example, it is considered sensible and appropriate to put in place a single UK-wide regime or where the Parliament supports the proposed legislation but no Parliamentary time is available because of separate Scottish priorities.

Reserved issues include:

constitutional matters
UK foreign policy
UK defence and national security
fiscal, economic and monetary System
immigration and nationality
energy: electricity, coal, gas and nuclear energy
common markets
trade and industry, including competition and customer protection
some aspects of transport, including railways, transport safety and regulation
employment legislation
social security
gambling and the National Lottery
data protection
abortion, human fertilisation and embryology, genetics, xenotransplantation and vivisection
equal opportunities
The Scotland Act lists, in Schedule 5, the matters that are reserved. Any matter not so reserved, or otherwise defined in the Act as being outwith the competence of the Parliament, is devolved."
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Factfile/18060/11555

[Odin2005]

2. Off Topic, but that's a really cool building.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. At £414 million, it should be

Up from the initial estimate of £40 million or less, just 7 years earlier: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-03357.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Parliament_Building

It cost over £100 per voter.

[MichaelMcGuire]

6. The building is a work of art, and reflects a new Scotland.

I would have used the old Scottish parliament, that we had and I felt it would have been the better choice, upon the reconvening of the parliament. However the new building has grown on me.

"The Parliament should be able to reflect the land it represents. The building should arise from the sloping base of Arthur's seat and arrive into the city almost surging out of the rock."
Enric Miralles

The new Scottish Parliament building will house Scotland's first independent Parliament in nearly 300 years.

Visit: http://www.arcspace.com/architects/miralles/parliament/

[Zalatix]

3. FRAK yes!!! Way to go, Scotland!

[MichaelMcGuire]

7. Cheers