QUESTIONS REVEAL £614,000 COST OF UNIONIST TALKING SHOP.

QUESTIONS REVEAL £614,000 COST OF UNIONIST TALKING SHOP.

INCLUSIVE NATIONAL CONVERSATION BETTER VALUE THAN EXCLUSIVE CALMAN COMMISSION,


Parliamentary Questions at Holyrood and Westminster have exposed the true cost of the exclusive Calman Commission described by David McLetchie as "by unionists, for unionists" totalling at least £614,000 - far more than opposition claims of the cost of the Scottish Government National Conversation. Answers from the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body and the Scotland Office show the Scottish Parliament contributed over £111,000 with a further £3,400 on catering costs, while the UK Government provided £500,000 for the Commissions work. Revealing the figures SNP Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Pete Wishart MP said: "At a time of economic recession this was a waste of time and a waste of taxpayers' money. The Calman Commission clearly had an exclusive price tag to match its exclusive remit. "This must be the most expensive and exclusive consultation in Scottish history and it exposes the absolute hypocrisy of the opposition parties. The Calman Commission did not want to hear the views of ordinary people but now expects them to pick up the tab. "We are talking about £600,000 spent "by unionists for unionists", not a dialogue with people in Scotland. It has cost the taxpayer over £600,000 pounds for unionist parties to talk to each other - instead of joining the thousands of people participating in the open and inclusive National Conversation. "UK Ministers and unionist opposition parties have simply been avoiding answering a question they have no answer to - why do they say no to a referendum on independence." SNP MSP Christina McKelvie, who revealed the cost to the Scottish Parliament added: "All parties and everyone in Scotland is and always has been welcome to join the National Conversation. "Aside from spending taxpayers money on talking to themselves the refusal of unionist parties to quickly implement the Calman recommendations on which we all agree and to allow a referendum on their damaging financial proposals suggests this has all been money for nothing. "The SNP want independence, prosperity and equality for Scotland. Instead of supporting this sensible proposal the opposition have spent over £600,000 of other people's money to be come up with a set of policies not one of them intends to implement and not one of them has the guts to put to the Scottish public in a referendum. "The unionist parties must drop their delay and obfuscation immediately and support the Scottish Government in making the Calman recommendations on which we all agree a reality and agree to put the financial powers to the public in a referendum. "


Notes of interest, 1. SPCB Contribution to Calman Commission. Date for Answer: 23 July 2009 S3W-25373 Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the cost to the Parliament was of the Calman Commission on Scottish Devolution. Alex Fergusson (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): The final cost to the SPCB of fulfilling the direction contained in motion S3M-976 to support the Calman Commission on Scottish Devolution are as follows - £111,161.87 on staff time (seconded Clerk Team Leader for 14 months, broadcasting contractors, SPICe support, provision of Official Report and Events ushers); catering and other costs - £3,432.73. These costs were met from existing budgets. 2. UK Government Contribution to Calman Commission Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what (a) financial and (b) other support the UK Government has made available to support the work of the Calman Commission. [285582] Ann McKechin: The UK Government provided around £500,000 for the commission's work, which concluded on 15 June 2009 with the publication of the final report. The report which was widely welcomed across Scotland was presented jointly to the Scottish Parliament and the UK Government as co-sponsors. During the commission's consideration the UK Government provided evidence and factual information to assist the commission with its deliberations. Both the Scottish Parliament, UK Parliament and the UK Government also provided resources such as committee rooms and technical support for some of the commission's oral evidence sessions.