I associate my right hon. and hon. Friends with the comments of the Secretary of State in respect of Charles Kennedy, and I welcome the right hon. Gentleman back to his place in his role as Secretary of State for Scotland.

The next UK Budget is going to continue the austerity course of the Tory Government, and it will hit the poorest in society. Will the Secretary of State be up front and explain who it will hit when £12 billion of cuts hit families and communities across Scotland?

I associate my right hon. and hon. Friends with the comments of the Secretary of State in respect of Charles Kennedy, and I welcome the right hon. Gentleman back to his place in his role as Secretary of State for Scotland.

The next UK Budget is going to continue the austerity course of the Tory Government, and it will hit the poorest in society. Will the Secretary of State be up front and explain who it will hit when £12 billion of cuts hit families and communities across Scotland?

The last time I looked, this was Scottish questions, where it is the Government who have to answer the questions on the powers for which they are responsible. They are about to bring in £12 billion of cuts and the Secretary of State for Scotland has not been up front about where they will hit. On a related topic, the living wage can make a huge difference to those on low incomes, and I am very proud that the SNP Scottish Government are the first Government in the UK to become an accredited living wage employer. When will his Department and his Government follow the SNP lead on the living wage?

The last time I looked, this was Scottish questions, where it is the Government who have to answer the questions on the powers for which they are responsible. They are about to bring in £12 billion of cuts and the Secretary of State for Scotland has not been up front about where they will hit. On a related topic, the living wage can make a huge difference to those on low incomes, and I am very proud that the SNP Scottish Government are the first Government in the UK to become an accredited living wage employer. When will his Department and his Government follow the SNP lead on the living wage?

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of expenditure on his Department's procurement contracts was placed with small and medium-sized enterprises based in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland, (e) the North East, (f) the North West, (g) Yorkshire and the Humber, (h) the...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of expenditure on his Department's procurement contracts was placed with small and medium-sized enterprises based in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland, (e) the North East, (f) the North West, (g) Yorkshire and the Humber, (h) the...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what expert groups his Department has set up in each year since 1999.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what expert groups his Department has set up in each year since 1999.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of sickness pay to staff within his Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of sickness pay to staff within his Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Advisory Committee for coordination in the internal market field, (b) Advisory Committee on opening up public contracts, (c) Customs Cooperation Subcommittee—EEC-Albania and (d) Customs Cooperation Subcommittee—EEC-Bulgaria have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU;...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Advisory Committee for coordination in the internal market field, (b) Advisory Committee on opening up public contracts, (c) Customs Cooperation Subcommittee—EEC-Albania and (d) Customs Cooperation Subcommittee—EEC-Bulgaria have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU;...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Cooperation Subcommittee-EEC-Israel, (b) Customs Cooperation Subcommittee-EEC-Hong Kong, (c) EEC-Mexico Special Committee on Customs Cooperation and (d) Advisory Committee on the Communities' own resources have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Cooperation Subcommittee-EEC-Israel, (b) Customs Cooperation Subcommittee-EEC-Hong Kong, (c) EEC-Mexico Special Committee on Customs Cooperation and (d) Advisory Committee on the Communities' own resources have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Joint Committee (EEC-Switzerland) on the simplification of inspections and formalities (and working party), (b) Customs Section of the Joint Committee (EEC-Norway), (c) Customs Section of the Joint Committee (EEC-Iceland) and (d) Customs Section of the Joint...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Joint Committee (EEC-Switzerland) on the simplification of inspections and formalities (and working party), (b) Customs Section of the Joint Committee (EEC-Norway), (c) Customs Section of the Joint Committee (EEC-Iceland) and (d) Customs Section of the Joint...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Cooperation Committee-EEC-San Marino and (b) EEC-Denmark-Faroe Islands Joint Committee have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; what other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Cooperation Committee-EEC-San Marino and (b) EEC-Denmark-Faroe Islands Joint Committee have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; what other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) European Area Joint Committee, (b) Joint Committee with the countries of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), (c) Joint Committee on the Agreement concerning products of the clock and watch industry between the...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) European Area Joint Committee, (b) Joint Committee with the countries of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), (c) Joint Committee on the Agreement concerning products of the clock and watch industry between the...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Contact Committee on certain schemes for collective investment in securities, (b) Contact Committee: European economic interest grouping and (c) Accounting Directives Contact Committee have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Contact Committee on certain schemes for collective investment in securities, (b) Contact Committee: European economic interest grouping and (c) Accounting Directives Contact Committee have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) EEC-European Free Trade Association Joint Committee (and working parties), (b) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee— EEC-Canada, (c) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee—EEC-Korea and (d) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee—EEC-United States of America have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU;...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) EEC-European Free Trade Association Joint Committee (and working parties), (b) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee— EEC-Canada, (c) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee—EEC-Korea and (d) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee—EEC-United States of America have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU;...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Slovenia, (b) Customs Cooperation Committee (EEC-Turkey), (c) Customs Cooperation Committee-EEC-Andorra, (d) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Romania and (e) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Russia have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting;...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Slovenia, (b) Customs Cooperation Committee (EEC-Turkey), (c) Customs Cooperation Committee-EEC-Andorra, (d) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Romania and (e) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Russia have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting;...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee for the implementation of the Regulation establishing an Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession and (b) Economic Policy Committee: working party and reduced compositions have taken place during the UK Presidency of the EU; who...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee for the implementation of the Regulation establishing an Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession and (b) Economic Policy Committee: working party and reduced compositions have taken place during the UK Presidency of the EU; who...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: anti-fraud (SCAF), (b) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: training (SCAT), (c) Committee on...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: anti-fraud (SCAF), (b) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: training (SCAT), (c) Committee on...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Code Committee—movement of air or sea passengers' baggage (technical problems), (b) Customs Code Committee—transit, (c) Customs Code Committee—favourable tariff treatment (nature of end-use of goods and (d) Customs Code Committee—origin have taken place during the...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Code Committee—movement of air or sea passengers' baggage (technical problems), (b) Customs Code Committee—transit, (c) Customs Code Committee—favourable tariff treatment (nature of end-use of goods and (d) Customs Code Committee—origin have taken place during the...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on the movement of air or sea passengers' baggages (principles), (b) Advisory Committee on value-added tax, (c) Committee on mutual assistance for the recovery of claims and (d) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on the movement of air or sea passengers' baggages (principles), (b) Advisory Committee on value-added tax, (c) Committee on mutual assistance for the recovery of claims and (d) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Code Committee—duty-free arrangements, (b) Customs Code Committee—tariff and statistical nomenclature, (c) Customs Code Committee—tariff quotas and (d) Committee on recovery of claims have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Code Committee—duty-free arrangements, (b) Customs Code Committee—tariff and statistical nomenclature, (c) Customs Code Committee—tariff quotas and (d) Committee on recovery of claims have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on mutual assistance in customs and agricultural matters, including operation of the CIS, (b) Customs Code Committee-general customs rules, (c) Customs Code Committee-recovery of claims and (d) Customs Code Committee-customs valuation have taken place during...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on mutual assistance in customs and agricultural matters, including operation of the CIS, (b) Customs Code Committee-general customs rules, (c) Customs Code Committee-recovery of claims and (d) Customs Code Committee-customs valuation have taken place during...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on economic outward-processing arrangements for textiles, (b) Committee on the export of cultural goods, (c) Customs 2002 Committee and (d) Committee for the application of the rules on the manufacture and placing on the market...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on economic outward-processing arrangements for textiles, (b) Committee on the export of cultural goods, (c) Customs 2002 Committee and (d) Committee for the application of the rules on the manufacture and placing on the market...