Scots slammed for lack of tax devolution detail

SCOTTISH SECRETARY Michael Moore has ridiculed the SNP Scottish Government for failing to replying detail to challenges over its demand for the devolution of power over corporation tax north of the border.

He said: "The Scottish Government cannot just ignore the difficult questions they have been asked on corporation tax.

"It would be completely unreasonable to pretend these questions haven't been asked or to decide that they don't deserve an answer."

His comments follow a letter from Exchequer secretary David Gauke raising a series of issues about the demand from Scottish first minister Alex Salmond and Scottish finance secretary John Swinney, who want the power added to the Scotland Bill now in course of consideration in the Lords, with a possible threat by the Scottish Parliament to attempt to block the bill if it does not contain the power.

Gauke's letter raised issues ranging from how the change would make administering the ax more efficient to whether the Scottish government had sought the advice of ICAS and what consideration there had been to the need to police the proposed new tax border.

The UK government is considering a Northern Ireland administration plea for responsibility for the rate of the tax in Ulster to be handed to Belfast because of the pressing need to combat tax competition from Ireland.