Further Devolution Bill 'Falls Short'

UK Government plans for further Scottish devolution "fall short" in "some critical ways", according to a report.

Holyrood's Devolution Commitee says the new Scotland Bill requires "extensive redrafting", particularly around welfare and benefits.

Members - from all parties - unanimously agree it does not meet the cross-party agreement on proposals put forward by the Smith Commission following the rejection of independence.

The Committee concluded:

• Welfare: Plans don't meet spirit and substance of Smith recommendations & potentially pose challenges in trying to implement changes.
• Income Tax: "Significant issues" to be resolved about implementing new powers such as defining residency for a Scottish taxpayer, details of which body will collect tax & how it'll function, & the need to avoid double taxation.
• Financial changes: any final detail of changes to Scotland's funding through the Barnett formula should be provided to MSPs in early 2016
• Crown Estate: "serious concerns" of the competition andconfusion that may arise from having two Crown Estates
• 'Permanent' Scottish Parliament: Scots should decide to keep Holyrood, and dissolving it would require a majorityvote in both the Scottish and UK Parliaments.

It comes as the Chancellor sets out plans to give cities in England more powers. The proposal for 'Metro-Mayors' - who would have control over policing, housing and transport budgets - will be included in the Queen's speech later this month.

George Osborne has said that the current system 'is 'broken'.

Group convener Bruce Crawford said David Cameron indicated his commitment to delivering on the recommendations of the Smith Commission.

The SNP MSP added that the Committee wants the new UK Government to consider the report "as a matter of urgency" and to work with Holyrood to ensure the new law achieves the objectives that all five parties on the Committee signed up for.

He said: “All political parties involved in the Smith Commission agreed to take forward its recommendations as quickly as possible while ensuring that the draft legislation met the spirit and substance of those recommendations.

'Sold short'

Members of the group decided to focus on "key issues" such as taxation and borrowing, welfare and benefits and The Crown Estate because they had a "short period" between the 'No' vote in September's indepedence referendum to the UK Parliament being dissolved six weeks before this month's general election.

“The Committee believes that the current proposals do not yet meet the challenge of fully translating the political agreement reached in the Smith Commission into legislation. For example, as we heard in our evidence taking, there is no power for the Scottish Parliament to top up reserved benefits despite that being one of the powers highlighted at the time of publication. The Committee also seeks reassurance that any new benefits or top-up benefits introduced in Scotland would result in additional income for a recipient." Mr Crawford added.

“The Committee is disappointed that the currently proposed legislation sells Smith short.”