Scotland bill welfare amendments fall

All SNP and Labour amendments were defeated on the third day of debate on further powers for Scotland at the House of Commons last night.

The Scottish Government wrote to complain to Scottish Secretary David Mundell that ideas from opposition MPs in Scotland were not being considered, but Mundell insisted he had been listening.

Additional powers of taxes and spending will devolved to Scotland under the bill.

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SNP Commons leader Angus Robertson said: “This was typical Tory arrogance - a single Tory MP refusing to listen to the representatives of the people of Scotland. We saw cross-party support on the Opposition benches for SNP amendments being voted down by a Tory government with a single MP in Scotland."

Labour's Shadow Scottish Secretary Iain Murray put forward amendments, some of which supported by the SNP, which would have allowed the Scottish Parliament to create additional welfare benefits.

During the debate Priti Patel, Minister for Employment, asked the SNP to give the UK Government the “benefit of the doubt”.

Mundell said it "spoke volumes" no amendments mentioned pensions. 

"It tells us that even the supporters of independence accept there are parts of welfare where it makes sense to share resources and risks with the rest of the UK. It is clear that pensions are safer and more affordable if we work with everyone else in the UK and that it would be wrong to devolve UK pensions.

MPs have to respect the referendum result where people in Scotland voted to remain part of a United Kingdom and hold on to the benefits of being part of the UK."

Holyrood understands Mundell is to offer the SNP more places on the Scottish Affairs committee than would be normally allocated to a third party in the Commons, reflected the fact the party holds 56 of Scotland's 59 seats.