Scotland Bill clears the House of Lords

Plans to give wide-ranging new powers to the Scottish Parliament have cleared the House of Lords.

The Scotland Bill, which has cross-party support, will allow Holyrood to set income tax rates, increase borrowing, introduce taxes and control matters such as speed and drink-drive limits.

MSPs gave their endorsement to the new powers last week by passing a “legislative consent motion”.

Although the bill completed its third reading and then cleared the Lords without a vote, former Scottish secretary Lord Forsyth renewed his attack on the legislation. The Tory peer said the bill contained sweeping powers and criticised people who thought that by “appeasing nationalism we will avert the catastrophe of the Balkanisation of Britain and the break-up of the United Kingdom”.