Call to delay the Scotland Bill

The House of Lords economic affairs committee wants to see further consideration of the Scotland Bill halted until the UK and Holyrood governments have agreed and published the devolution fiscal framework underpinning Scotland’s new tax and spending powers.

In its report A fracturing union? The implications of financial devolution to Scotland the peers said the framework would be central to future financial devolution arrangements and parliament could not be expected to scrutinise the Scotland Bill without seeing the details.

The Scottish and UK governments are negotiating this framework to underpin the new tax and spending powers. It would include agreement on the funding of the Scottish budget and how it is adjusted after powers are devolved the scrutiny of public revenues and spending borrowing powers fiscal rules and fiscal institutions.

The committee concluded that the decision to devolve almost all income tax revenue as well...