The Scotland Bill

Labour's pledges

In keeping with Madam Speaker's request, I shall be brief. I apologise in advance if what I say is somewhat repetitive. I have sat through the debateboth yesterday and today so I know that, unfortunately, some of the points that I wish to make have already been made by others. No doubt that is inevitable at this stage. However, I have great pride in and enthusiasm for the Bill, so I hope that hon. Members will forgive me.

What I am holding up may look to Opposition Members like a credit card, but they would not get very far if they tried to buy anything with it. My hon. Friends may recognise it as the card containing Labour's five early pledges.

"Keep this card and see that we keep our promises", it says. For Scotland our pledges were slightly different in that, because of the swifter Scottish juvenile justice system, we did not mention a fast-track punishment for young offenders.

Instead, our card states:
"Legislate for a Scottish Parliament in our first year by holding a referendum on devolution and campaigning for a Yes Vote".

First and foremost the Bill is about trust, and about promises kept.

A Parliament for the people

The Labour party always said that we would deliver a Scottish Parliament--the Parliament that the people wanted. Some Opposition Membersdid everything that they could to question and undermine that commitment.

I am especially pleased to be standing here now, because throughout the long unofficial election campaign and the six weeks of the official campaign we heard the Conservatives say that the last thing that we needed was more parliamentarians.

Indeed, we have heard that allegation repeated today by the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (Sir T. Taylor).

However, the people who said those things are now in Scotland scrambling for nominations to stand for that same Scottish Parliament. To be fair, I mustadmit that the Conservatives were not all singing from the same hymn sheet.

Delivering what we promised

While my predecessor prophesied the end of the Union, others were saying that they had always been devolutionists. We have heard that repeated in the debate too. While some talked of abolishing the Parliament if it was set up, others warned, "A Scottish Parliament is not for Christmas, it is for life."

As for the Scottish National party, it told us that the Parliament would not be worth having. It would be a toytown, Mickey Mouse effort, and in any case the referendum was a cunning device to get off the hook and fail to deliver.

None the less, I welcome the last-minute conversions to the cause, from whatever quarter they come. I also welcome the positive public support given by the SNP during the referendum campaign, as well as the positive contribution we have had from SNP Members to this debate. That has been gratifying to hear.

However, the party that has consistently said that there will be a Scottish Parliament has kept its promise in government at every stage of the process, just as it is keeping all its other pledges--on the minimum wage, welfare to work, reform of the health service, tackling crime and investing ineducation, child care and nursery provision.

We have kept faith with the principles of the Scottish Constitutional Convention. I join others in praising the convention and all the hard workthat it carried out over the years. I was not involved personally, but it is gratifying to see that all that hard work has now to come to fruition.

We campaigned vigorously for a double yes vote in the referendum, and we secured three quarters of the vote. We delivered a White Paper clearly outlining what was proposed, and now we have delivered the Bill.

The whole timetable has been driven by the Government's determination that there shallbe a Scottish Parliament.

Looking after Scottish affairs

The support for that idea, both from the Government and from others throughout the community in Scotland, derives from the principlesundergirding the policy. We genuinely support a Scottish Parliament looking after Scottish affairs, while remaining within the United Kingdom andplaying our part in Europe and the world.

We do not support the Parliament for the same reasons as the SNP--reasons that have just been outlined by the hon. Member for Perth (MsCunningham)--nor do we take the negative view outlined by some that the Parliament should be supported simply to stop the break-up of Britain. Wegenuinely see it as good for Scotland. It will be a shot in the arm for our democracy and for our self-confidence, economically, culturally and politically.

I shall now turn from promises kept to the opportunity that the Parliament offers for a new politics. I have not noticed any particular interest inthat aspect of the argument on the part of Opposition Members during the day and a half that this debate has lasted so far.

Perhaps they should consider how people throughout the country, in other parts of the United Kingdom as well as in Scotland, view our democracy at the moment--with cynicism and alienation. In that context the possibility of a new politics should be welcomed.

Public trust

Keeping our promise on the Scottish Parliament in itself goes some way to restore public trust in the political process following the public cynicismborn in part of the years of Conservative government.

Changes are being considered in the way in which this House operates, and I welcome that--but with a brand new Parliament we shall have a uniqueopportunity to do things differently from the outset.

Mr. Gray: Is the hon. Lady of the view that the new politics as practised in Paisley and Glasgow will reduce the cynicism she talks about?

Ms Osborne: The new politics formed as part of the Scottish Parliament will include discussions with all the people and will be different from the cynical and hostile attitude displayed by the hon. Gentleman.

Modern, civilised behaviour

There will be a place for all-party discussions. These have already begun, as was announced yesterday, and I genuinely welcome that. There will be a place for history, tradition and institutions, but not at the expense of modern culture and civilised behaviour for the 21st century.

If the Scottish Parliament is to have credibility and is to contribute to the evolution of democracy in this country and beyond, there must be no place for practices that make sensible co-operation impossible, polarise every issue and inhibit thought and constructive debate.

There have been 200 Acts passed since 1979 removing democratic responsibilities from elected councils and there has been an enormous growthin the quango state. In that context, the Scottish Parliament is not a stand-alone issue, but is part of a wider process; an extension of democracy, including the Welsh Assembly, an elected authority for London and the opening up of debate on appropriate regional decentralisation.

Conservative Members have commented on the principle of regional government. I will not attempt to suggest what is appropriate for England, but I believe that the institution of a Scottish Parliament will open up the debate. That is why the type of Parliament that we create is important, as it willprovide the model for improving democracy, and not just in Scotland.

Modern legislature

We need a modern legislature with sensible working hours and conditions, and it must be accessible to the public. I know--as others do--of the level of interest in Scotland and the enthusiasm, particularly among young people, for the Parliament. I hope that the structure of the Parliament will encourage participation and generate further enthusiasm.

The Parliament needs to be representative of Scottish society as a whole, politically, geographically and socially. However, it must go further than being a beauty contest between the parties to see how many show business personalities can be cajoled onto the additional member list.

People of different political views will be genuinely delighted to hear that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is to stand for the Scottish Parliament because they all recognise the wisdom and experience that he will bring.

A range of experience

We need to draw on a range of different experience and we need to ensure the fair representation of women and men. If this institution can be transformed in a single election into one that has more than 100 women Members of Parliament, there is no excuse for failing to find gender balance in the Scottish Parliament which has no sitting Members and no favourite sons.

Mrs. Laing: Does the hon. Lady agree that any attempt to achieve what she calls "gender balance" by positive discrimination in favour of women is simply an insult to women, because it presupposes that women are not capable of doing on their own what men are capable of doing--in other words, beingelected to this institution or to the new Scottish Parliament?

Ms Osborne: I totally disagree with everything that the hon. Lady has said. I find it offensive--many other women agree--that we are not represented in public life as we should be. As we all know, that has nothing to do with merit and, as we can see, the Conservative party does not regard this as a significant issue. It does not regard the fact that women are under-represented in politics as a problem. That is one of the reasons why the Conservatives have no Scottish Members of Parliament.

Equality in the parliament

The election on 1 May brought quality into this House. Now we can go one better and achieve equality in the Scottish Parliament. We do not want equality for its own sake, but for the positive difference that it will make well beyond the life of the political institution.

We have legislation to ensure that women and men are treated the same, but there are real differences in their social and economic positions. Girls in Scottish secondary schools achieve better exam results than boys, but fewer go on to higher education. Full-time women workers earn only three quarters of their male counterparts' wages. Only a small percentage of women retire on the full basic pension. Women make up about a third of solicitors and 10 per cent. of police officers, and there is only one woman judge.

In public bodies over which the Scottish Parliament will have authority, women make up 40 per cent. of the members, but only 25 per cent. when children's panels are excluded.

During yesterday's debate, my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mr. Chisholm) said that the Government are committed to gender equality in the Scottish Parliament and asked whether a temporary special measure could be introduced to exclude the first election from the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. I am aware that Scottish Office Ministers are making strenuous efforts to examine how a 50:50 gender balance can be achieved, and I look forward to a report on their progress.

Fair representation

I noted that the hon. and learned Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace) also raised the possibility of tabling an amendment relating to theSex Discrimination Act. I welcome his interest in the issue of gender equality, but I hope that it does not signify the laying of the groundwork to renege on the agreement that his party has entered into to ensure gender equality following discussions with the Scottish Constitutional Convention.

It has been shown that when women are fairly represented alongside men in the decision-making process, there is a difference in the way things aredone and in the policy priorities. Not only can the Scottish Parliament be a shining example of new politics, it can begin to promote new politics. Onthat subject, it was very unfair of the media to make so much of the fact that the site for the new Parliament is to be a brewery. They did not mention that it is also the site of an old folk's home. That is equally significant.

The development of democracy

As an aside, I concur with many of my hon. Friends that the distribution of jobs associated with the Scottish Parliament should be considered throughout Scotland. Just as the competition to design the Parliament building will be open to architects from throughout the world, the Parliament is a completely new political institution which can contribute to the development of democracy in other countries.

Just as the campaign for a Scottish Parliament drew strength from the examples of Catalonia and the German lander, we have the chance to encourage developments elsewhere. Just as the movement for gender equality draws from the successes of other countries, we have the chance to promote further equality elsewhere by successfully achieving equality in a Scottish Parliament.

Entering the new millenium

Finally, I wish to say a few words about the scope of the Parliament's powers and the opportunities they present. I was around during the previous devolution referendum and legislation in 1978 and 1979. I know what was proposed then, and this Parliament is no 1978-style assembly.

This is a Scottish Parliament for the new millennium with powers over all Scottish Office functions. This is a Scottish Parliament which will act in partnership with the UK Parliament in many areas of reserved powers. This is a Scottish Parliament which will have oversight of other Scottish public bodies--more than 100 are listed, especially within the health service and local government. This is a Scottish Parliament with the discipline and responsibility of defined financial powers.

Let me comment briefly on the importance of the range of functions devolved. The social and economic problems facing Scotland do not arise from national suppression or London mismanagement--they result from a political failure to tackle inequality and from the narrow centralised nature of our democracy.

The problems we experience in Scotland are no different from the problems experienced in other parts of the UK--inadequate social services, poorhousing, homelessness and health service waiting lists. The distinctive and separate Scottish education system and criminal justice system--indeed, thewhole devolved administration of the Scottish Office--is crying out for political accountability.

Promises kept

From my background in local government and my previous job dealing with the problems of homelessness, I know at first hand the distinctive Scottish tradition of socially rented housing. The Scottish Parliament will be able to address the specific and distinctive nature of Scotland's economic, social, political and cultural needs in a way that will liberate our capacities and aspirations.

In conclusion, the Bill is about trust and promises kept by the Government, but it is also about new politics, democratic advances affecting well beyond the Scottish borders and the opportunity to take control of our own affairs to the economic, social, political and cultural benefit of Scotland. It represents the settled will of the Scottish people being put into practice by the Government in whom the people placed their trust.