I thought STV had cleared this up but the Insider is hanging on to this one:
The Advocate General for Scotland is “examining” Scottish Government spending on an independence minister, according to an email sent to a Labour peer.
A UK Government source had denied there was any investigation after the issue was raised by Lord Foulkes in the House of Lords on Thursday, when he asked Treasury minister Baroness Penn if she would co-operate with the probe.
However, an email exchange between the peer and Lord Stewart, the UK Government adviser on Scots Law, suggests an inquiry has been ordered.
In the email sent on Thursday, Advocate General Lord Stewart said: “Thanks for your question at the Constitution Committee.
“After the committee rose, I discussed the matter with officials from my department and tasked them with examining the matter of expenditure on this post (of independence minister) by SG, and the allocation of civil service time and personnel.
“I shall revert to you in early course once they have reported.”
Commenting on the confusion, Lord Foulkes told the PA news agency: “I am concerned that there is an attempt under way to reverse the assurances given to me by the Advocate General and Baroness Penn.
https://www.insider.co.uk/news/no-investigation-scottish-government-independence-30410593
How do you read the above ‘promise?’
“Ach, just tell him we’ll look at it. He’ll forget and go away.”
Talking-up Scotland 
He tweeted ‘Hansard doesn’t lie’
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The expenditure allocated to the office will not be difficult to assemble, but beyond that the only probe likely is a colonscope to establish Ffouksake’a brain function…
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Lard Ffoulksakia of Cumnocchio.
While he was MP factory and mining jobs, the mainstay of local employment disappeared, and he did NOTHING to alleviate the resultant social misery and poverty. A third of New Cumnock’s population moved out to find work. The entire main street in Auchinleck had all the shops shut and boarded up.
Drug users were decanted from Labour Strathclyde with horrific results as the dealers followed them down to find a virgin market.
His peerage a total disgrace.
Private education, like many of the Labourite elite.
Never had a proper job in his life, yet is a wealthy man.
Wanted to represent a mining community but went to live in the leafy ambiance of a then Tory constituency.
My opinion–a typical Labour huckster.
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UKGov appointing a minister for “brexit” was okay, though?
A socialist sitting in the house of Lords, I ask you?
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Let’s not forget the vast amount of money spent by the UK gov on reports undermining the independence, direct from Cameron’s office and various ministries using organisations such as the IFS and think tanks. That’s not counting the dark money sloshing about from unknown( apparently) sources.
One stands out which requires particular examination. I’m talking the Crawford and Boyle legal opinion commissioned by Cameron which stated that the Kingdom of Scotland had been extinguished by the Treaty of Union. Treason surely.
So two questions need answers.
1 Did Cameron seek and receive permission from the Queen.
2 Did Cameron of his own volition commission and make public the contents of this report.
Make no mistake either Cameron, Crawford and Boyle committed treason or the monarch did.
Perhaps we should ask the PS to look into this once they a blue tent free.
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I suggest we investigate the spending on the 57 unionist MSP,s in the Scottish parliament especially because 55 of the 57 got in without a single person voting for them , scandalous that any parliament in the world can have nearly half of its MPs that were never voted in by a single person and were in act granted their position in order to prevent the winners of elections having a majority.
That is where the spotlight should be that is where the injustice lies, a bunch of creeps some of whom are not even Scottish and do not live in Scotland.
No other country in the world would have to suffer such injustice and to think the Labour Party the turncoat Labour Party turned its back on the Scottish people and agreed to this slavery.
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I can not envisage all of the Minister’s salary and expenses being forefeited.
As a Scottish Minister they are still entitled to their MSP salary.
As a Minister they also receive an additional amount but, since 2009 Scotland’s FM and Ministers have been returning their pay awards to the public purse.
At the time of this FoI, their salaries are the same as it was in 2009.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202200312722/
Going by their job description, the Minister for More Devolution, or the Minister for Scotland’s Constitutional Future are also apt titles.
https://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-ministers/minister-for-independence/
“Responsibilities
Supports the First Minister
Specific responsibilities are:
*independence strategy
*parliamentary co-ordination and liaison regarding devolution, independence and Scotland’s constitutional future
*communication with people, businesses and organisations regarding devolution, independence and Scotland’s constitutional future”
I think the Scotland Act 2016 allows for the transfer of reserved powers by simple agreement. If it is the case, why not reach agreements with the Westminster parties on which reserved powers can be transferred?
For example, maybe resurrect the agreement on the devolution of VAT receipts?
Being out of the EU means the UK can devolve VAT.
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Having listened to yet another LBC discussion on Keir Starmer’s oracy proposals I have just fired off the following
“Hi, I have listened to many of your presenters talking about oracy over the last few days. I agree that this is an important school which should be included in all schools but do you realise that in Scotland it already is? One of the underpinning principles of the Scottish curriculum is Effective Contributors which is broken down as follows
Effective Contributors with:
> an enterprising attitude> resilience
> self-reliance and able to:
> communicate in different ways and in different settings
> make informed choices and decisions> work in partnership and in teams
> take the initiative and lead> apply critical thinking in new contexts
> create and develop> solve problems
https://scotlandscurriculum.scot/3/
The guidance goes on to define literacy (talking, listening, reading and writing) as
Language and literacy are of personal, social and economic importance. Our ability to use language lies at the centre of the development and expression of our emotions, our thinking, our learning and our sense of personal identity. Language is itself a key aspect of our culture. Through language, children and young people can gain access to the literary heritage of humanity and develop their appreciation of the richness and breadth of Scotland’s literary heritage. Children and young people encounter, enjoy and learn from the diversity of language used in their homes, their communities, by the media and by their peers.Literacy is fundamental to all areas of learning, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum. Being literate increases opportunities for the individual in all aspects of life, lays the foundations for lifelong learning and work, and contributes strongly to the development of all four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence.Competence and confidence in literacy, including competence in grammar, spelling and the spoken word, are essential for progress in all areas of the curriculum. Because of this, all teachers have responsibility for promoting language and literacy development. Every teacher in each area of the curriculum needs to find opportunities to encourage young people to explain their thinking, debate their ideas and read and write at a level which will help them to develop their language skills further.https://education.gov.scot/media/t5cne5st/literacy-across-learning-pp.doc
No doubt if this is brought into the discussion the Scottish people will be accused of trying to pick a fight or trying deliberately to be different but I can assure you that is not my intention. It would however be good to hear it recognised as it would appear the media are more interested in identifying what they see as Scottish government failings And, before you argue that English schools score higher on international literacy achievements please remember the Scottish education system is predominantly comprehensive meaning our results are less likely to be skewed by public schools like Eton where families pay for the privilege of a superior education”
My question here is will anyone ask Anas Sarwar whether Scotland can lead the way here?
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Drat, spotted a typo – skill not school first paragraph Blood pressure/cataract combo!
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I look forward to the day when we no longer have to subsidise people like Foulkes with their £300 pounds per day plus expenses and not to forget subsidised booze just so that they can try to pretend that Scotland doesn’t exist.
Foulkes is just one in a long line of Scottish Labour politicians who viewed their job as being to self promote themselves within the Anglo establishment.
That is how the “union” was initially formed and as long as Scots keep voting for these creeps,is how it will always be.
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It’s beginning to look like a unionist diversionary tactic has gone wrong probably intended to cover the release of a joint statement by the Scottish and UK Governments issued on Thursday that revealed that the yield from Scottish Income Tax for 2020/2021 due to growth was almost £1.5 Billion above the OBR’s prediction.
The ill-informed Scotland Office said one thing and the UK Government another.
The noble lord has aggravated the situation by getting the treasury more involved.
Leaving one unanswered question, why did the Baroness give the Lord an assurance on the availability of Treasury staff for an investigation that didn’t exist?
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Thanks
Did this quickly after reading your comment:
John
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Isn’t this what Lord Foulkes in his capacity as UK legislator should be getting upset about? Note that the past period in which a “qualified audit opinion” was given on the DWP accounts included the time when he was a UK government minister …
From the website of CIPFA the public accountancy professional body:
“DWP accounts qualified amid record benefit underpayments
By: Oliver Rudgewick 7 Jul 23
The failure to pay benefit claimants the correct level of support was a contributing factor in the National Audit Office giving a qualified opinion on the Department for Work and Pensions’ accounts.
The department underpaid £3.3bn in benefits last year, an increase from the £2.6bn from 2021-22 and the largest amount on record – equal to 1.4% of benefit spending – the NAO said.
Auditors attributed the majority of the rise to £900m not being paid to people with disabilities or health conditions meaning they receive personal independence payments.
“DWP’s controls should detect large-scale underpayments in any year, but because it is reliant on detecting them through sampling, unknown problems can continue for many years,” the report said.
“This means the build-up of underpayments and the need for correction exercises are likely to remain features of the benefit system for the foreseeable future.”
The watchdog said the material level of fraud and error in the benefits system, including an estimated 4.9% of the £8.4bn allocated in cost-of-living payments being overpaid, also contributed to the qualified opinion.
The NAO has provided a qualified audit opinion on each DWP annual account since 1988-89 due to levels of overpayments and underpayments in benefit spending.
Auditors also criticised the department’s plan to reduce fraud and error, saying it needs to refine its methodology to be able to show that estimated savings are related to specific counter-fraud activities – not simply the result of external factors.”
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