An article examined the ways in which the Scottish National Party had approached social policy issues, focusing on its concern to develop policies that promoted solidarity, cohesion, and fairness. The article also considered the importance of nationalism for the analysis of social welfare: social policy-making was often central to nation-building – particularly in the context of multi-national devolution of the kind that had recently developed in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
Source: Gerry Mooney and Gill Scott, 'Social justice, social welfare and devolution: nationalism and social policy making in Scotland', Poverty & Public Policy, Volume 3 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A committee of MSPs said that it was 'unable to recommend' support for United Kingdom legislation designed to transfer new powers to the Scottish Parliament. It said that the plans were 'not yet fit for purpose', because they did not include the devolution of full powers over tax and benefits.
Source: Report on the Scotland Bill, 1st Report 2011, SP Paper 49, Scottish Parliament Scotland Bill Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Parliament press release | Scottish Government press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Dec
A chapter in the 2011-12 British Social Attitudes Survey report examined trends in public opinion in Scotland and England on social and economic issues. People in Scotland were generally a little more likely than those in England to express 'social democratic' views on issues of economic inequality: but this difference had not widened since devolution. Scotland was not more socially conservative than England: on some issues opinion in Scotland had became more liberal, in tandem with a similar trend in England.
Source: John Curtice and Rachel Ormston, 'On the road to divergence? Trends in public opinion in Scotland and England' (in Alison Park, Elizabeth Clery, John Curtice, Miranda Phillips, and David Utting (eds.), British Social Attitudes 28: 2011-2012 Edition), SAGE Publications
Links: Chapter
Date: 2011-Dec
The new Scottish Government announced its legislative and non-legislative priorities for the 2011-12 parliamentary term. These included: a pledge to provide every young person aged 16-19 with a learning or training opportunity; legislation to create a single police service for Scotland; legislation to introduce a minimum price for alcohol; and a legal requirement for all Scottish Government policy and legislation to take account of the rights of children and young people.
Source: Renewing Scotland: The Government?s Programme for Scotland 2011-2012, Scottish Government, TSO
Links: Programme | FM statement | Scottish Government press release | COSLA press release | CRAE press release | STUC press release | Sustrans press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Sep
The Scotland Bill was given a third reading. The Bill was designed to provide the Scottish Parliament with new tax and borrowing powers including setting a Scottish income tax rate each year covering approximately 35 per cent of its revenue spending.
Source: Scotland Bill, Scotland Office, TSO | Debate 21 June 2011, columns 222-294, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Jun
The coalition government announced changes to the Scotland Bill designed to provide greater financial responsibility to the Scottish Parliament. The devolved government would be allowed to raise more money in addition to the £12 billion of financial powers already proposed in the Bill, and might be allowed to issue its own bonds.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 13 June 2011, columns 55-56WS, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Hansard | Scottish Government press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs called for greater transparency over the financial calculations in plans to devolve further tax and borrowing powers to the Scottish Parliament. Planned borrowing limits were too low and should be higher.
Source: The Scotland Bill, Fourth Report (Session 2010-11), HC 775, House of Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2011-Mar
A report by a committee of MSPs said that the financial powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament under the Scotland Bill (published in November 2010) should be increased. MSPs should have greater control over income tax bands, and a power to borrow up to £5 billion for capital projects – more than double the £2.2 billion limit set in the Bill.
Source: Report on the Scotland Bill and Relevant Legislative Consent Memoranda, 1st Report 2011, SP Paper 608, Scottish Parliament Scotland Bill Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Government press release | Hansard | BBC report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Mar
An article examined the impact of devolution on European Union policy-making. The relationship between devolution and institutionalized regional involvement was positive overall, but non-linear.
Source: Michael Tatham, 'Devolution and EU policy-shaping: bridging the gap between multi-level governance and liberal intergovernmentalism', European Political Science Review, Volume 3 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Mar
An article examined the Scottish experience of evidence-based policy-making. A recent shift of focus by the Scottish Government towards outcomes indicated a potential strengthening of the role of evidence in policy-making, and the development of strategic policy frameworks had involved extensive use of evidence.
Source: Ian Sanderson, 'Evidence-based policy or policy-based evidence? Reflections on Scottish experience', Evidence & Policy, Volume 7 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Feb
A report said that further devolution of powers to Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland seemed 'inevitable'.
Source: Arthur Aughey, Eberhard Bort, and John Osmond, Unique Paths to Devolution: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Institute of Welsh Affairs
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Feb
The Scotland Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to provide the Scottish Parliament with new tax and borrowing powers including setting a Scottish income tax rate each year covering approximately 35 per cent of its revenue spending.
Source: Scotland Bill, Scotland Office, TSO | Debate 27 January 2011, columns 467-556, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | Scotland Office press release | Scottish Government press release | SNP press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-Jan
