The political heavyweight was responding to an article from a former SNP MSP who said the imbalance proved the UK was not working. Writing in The Times, businessman Andrew Wilson wrote: "The UK is one of the most unequal countries in the developed world. Every region and nation outside the southeast and east runs a large deficit on this measure."
He continued: "This is not a cause for celebration but a clear sign that the UK is not working.
"This is why the Prime Minister is constantly talking about the need to 'level up'."
Mr Wilson, a former chairman of the SNP sustainable growth commission, said fiscal transfers - cash moved from Westminster to Edinburgh - "locks in structural inequality, and ensures that poorer parts stay poorer".
But Mr Neil accused Mr Wilson of failing to understand the figures, in what could be seen as a hammer blow to Nicola Sturgeon's independence bid, as he made his point which suggested Scotland was benefitting from being in the Union.
The BBC presenter tweeted: "A proper understanding of the stats does not show UK the most unequal regionally.
"But there is regional inequality and point of fiscal transfers is to reduce that inequality.
"Scotland gets a £15bn/year transfer. If it locks in inequality and keeps you poor, why not give it up?"
Earlier, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said new figures showing Scotland's deficit of just over £15bn was not a reflection of how the country would fare if it was independent.
Ms Sturgeon spoke after the latest Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (Gers) statistics showed spending amounted to £15.1 billion more than ministers received in revenues.
Scottish Conservatives described the statistics as a "hammer blow" to the SNP's aspirations for independence.
But Ms Sturgeon, who was asked about the figures at First Minister's Questions, said they were a "reflection of Scotland's fiscal position in the United Kingdom, not a reflection of how Scotland would fare as an independent country".
Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said the figures do not take into account the "blockbuster support" from the UK Government, such as the furlough scheme.
He said: "This is a hammer blow to the SNP and a massive setback for separation.
"Nicola Sturgeon would have to throw away Scotland's entire NHS, every nurse and doctor, just to come close to balancing the budget in her separate state.
"It's beyond dispute that the economic case for independence has never been weaker.
"Separating would cost Scotland £15 billion a year that we need for our schools and hospitals."
Tightened restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19 are to be eased in parts of north-west England, allowing more than a million people to mix in different households.
From Wednesday rules will be relaxed in Bolton, Stockport, Trafford, Burnley, Hyndburn and parts of Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees.
Current restrictions in Leicester will remain until a review on 11 September.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: "We brought in measures to protect people in these parts of northern England.
"We're seeing the positive results of our local approach, and are able to bring in increasingly targeted measures."
Businesses which opened elsewhere in England on 15 August, including bowling alleys and indoor play areas, will also be able to reopen in the areas where rules are being relaxed.
Coronavirus cases per 100,000 population in Burnley halved during the week ending 20 August from 52 to 24.6, while cases in Bolton and Stockport fell from 25.6 to 18.9, and 23 to 15.1 respectively, and Trafford cases dropped from 27.1 to 17.8, the government said.
However, Andrew Western, Labour leader of Trafford Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he believed it was "premature" to lift restrictions as the last few days have shown a "slight increase" in infection rates.
"It was our view - in line with the expert advice from the council's director of public health - that we should see evidence of a sustained reduction in Trafford's infection numbers before calling for the lifting of local restrictions," Mr Western said.
"This action by government makes a mockery of the claims of locally led decision making and once again shows that local government is being ignored in spite of being on the front line of this crisis."
BBC Health correspondent Nick Triggle
The easing of restrictions is good news for people in these areas - and good news for people everywhere in the UK.
It suggests the approach being taken is effective at containing local outbreaks.
The testing capacity the UK has means it is able to identify where infection rates start rising and to do this at an early stage.
But the encouraging signs are to do with much more than just this. It is a testament to the way people react - working together locally to ensure the virus does not spread.
There are many more challenges to come. Infection rates have crept up a little in recent weeks - and that is likely to continue into the autumn and winter.
But the fact that the areas with higher infection rates have been able to reverse the trend is a step in the right direction.
Conservative MP Sir Graham Brady, who represents Altrincham and Sale West and is chairman of the party's 1922 committee, was in favour of lifting the measures.
The government has based its decision partly on the rate of cases up to 20 August which showed cases in Trafford had fallen.
However, latest data released on Friday showed Trafford recorded 25.3 cases per 100,000 people in the week to 25 August.
Restrictions will continue in the following areas:
North-west England
A ban on two households mixing indoors will continue in Preston, the city of Manchester, Oldham, Salford, Rochdale, Bury, and Tameside
In Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn, residents are also advised to avoid mixing with anyone from another household inside or outside.
Some businesses and organisations will remain shut in Blackburn and Darwen.
Leicester
On top of the indoor gatherings restrictions, some leisure businesses will remain shut
The next review of these measures will take place by 11 September
West Yorkshire
The ban on indoor household gatherings remains in urban areas of Bradford, Dewsbury, Batley and parts of Calderdale
Some businesses and organisations remain shut in urban areas of Bradford
Shielding advice for clinical extremely vulnerable individuals remains across all of Blackburn with Darwen, and Leicester.
Tracy Brabin, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, welcomed the lifting of restrictions in Kirklees but said she was disappointed Batley was not included, adding residents there were "understandably concerned".
This was echoed by councillor Shabir Pandor, leader of Kirklees Council, who said he was going to "press the government to tell us how we can get Dewsbury and Batley lifted from these restrictions", adding he was "going to fight for these communities".
Lancashire's director of public health, Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, warned against "complacency".
"In both Burnley and Hyndburn infection rates are significantly above the national average with an increasing rate in Hyndburn," he said.
"There is a high volume of social, educational and commuting travel between these areas and Lancashire's hotspots."
Birmingham, which became an "area of enhanced support" last week, has avoided a local lockdown after what West Midlands mayor Andy Street said was a "remarkable" turnaround.
Ramping up testing and a legally-enforced crackdown on businesses flouting Covid-19 measures has helped it avoid local restrictions.
Sandwell in the West Midlands and Swindon have moved up the Public Health England "watchlist" to become "areas of enhanced support", meaning they will get additional resources to tackle a rise in cases.
Luton has moved down from "enhanced support" to an "area of concern" following a drop in cases.
Stoke-on-Trent is being added to the list for the first time as an "area of concern", meaning there may be extra testing of high-risk areas or groups, such as care homes, and more communication about social distancing.
Trafford, Bolton, Stockport, Burnley, Hyndburn, Burnley, parts of Bradford, parts of Kirklees, and parts of Calderdale are moved down the list from "intervention" - the highest category on the watchlist - to "enhanced support".
Police have made four more arrests over the disappearance of three young brothers kidnapped by their father from a foster home in south London.
The new suspects are all male and were arrested in Ilford, east London, on Friday on suspicion of conspiracy to abduct children and remain in custody.
They are all thought to be known to the boys' father Imran Safi, 26, who officers believe may have abducted his sons because they were about to be officially adopted.
Image:Police are hunting for Imran Safi and are urging for people to get in touch with them about his movements
On Thursday, police put out an urgent appeal after Bilal, Mohammed Ebrar and Mohammed Yaseen, aged six, five and three, were taken from their home in Coulsdon on Thursday 20 August.
In a statement from Scotland Yard, detectives said the children were playing in the garden while their foster carer was in the house.
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She told officers she heard footsteps nearby, turned around and saw Mr Safi, who then threatened her with a knife and used force to take the children.
He drove off in his distinctive red Nissan Qashqai car, with a reg plate which reads PK13 WFO, in Coulsdon Road, Croydon, south London, later that afternoon.
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They have not been seen since.
The foster carer did not suffer any serious physical injuries, but was left "distressed".
Image:The car used to take the children away is a distinctive red Nissan Qashqai
A manhunt for Mr Safi was immediately launched by detectives. They have been working out of a specialist facility to trace his movements.
Chief superintendent Dave Stringer, commander of the south area basic command unit, said: "Whilst this development has brought us one step closer to finding Imran and the three children, we still need more information from the public to help us locate them.
"Since we appealed for help yesterday afternoon (Thursday 27 August), we have received more than 30 calls from members of the public to our control room and via Crimestoppers. These calls are now being followed up by my officers who continue to work all hours of the day to bring these children home safely.
"I would really urge anyone from the Croydon, and now Ilford, area to think long and hard about if they saw these children, or their father, the evening of Thursday, 20 August and possibly the morning of Friday 21 August."
Previously, eight individuals were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the abduction.
They included:
A 25-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man, who were arrested in Kenley on Friday, 21 August
Three men, two aged 20 and one aged 17, who were arrested in Croydon on Sunday, 23 August
A 25-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man who were arrested in Kenley on Tuesday, 25 August
A 33-year-old man who was arrested in Croydon on Tuesday, 25 August
All eight have since been bailed to return to a south London police station at a later date.
Anyone who believes they have seen Mr Safi and his children since Thursday 20 August should contact the police immediately through the investigation control room on 07942599374.
The number is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Alternatively, people can contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.
A man has admitted manslaughter after the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants found in a lorry container in Essex.
The men, women and children were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October in Grays.
Haulier Ronan Hughes, 40, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, admitted manslaughter and conspiring to assist unlawful immigration at the Old Bailey.
A second man, Eamonn Harrison, 23, of Mayobridge, County Down, denied 39 charges of manslaughter.
Mr Harrison also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to assist unlawful immigration and faces a trial in October.
Hughes, whose conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration charge spanned 1 May 2018 to 24 October 2019, was described as "a ringleader of a people smuggling ring".
His address in court was given as in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
The bodies of the Vietnamese nationals were discovered at an industrial estate soon after the lorry arrived in the UK on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium.
Ten teenagers, two of them 15-year-old boys, were among the dead.
An inquest heard their medical cause of death was asphyxia and hyperthermia.
Also on Friday, Gazmir Nuzi, 42, of Barclay Road, Tottenham, north London, pleaded guilty to a single charge of assisting unlawful immigration on or before 11 October 2019 and 18 April 2020.
Earlier this year, lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 25, of Craigavon, County Armagh, pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
Mr Harrison now faces a trial expected to last five weeks starting on 5 October with three others.
Gheorghe Nica, 43, of Langdon Hills, Basildon, Essex, denies 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
Valentin Calota, 37, of Birmingham, and Christopher Kennedy, 23, of County Armagh, Northern Ireland, have each denied conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
A man has admitted manslaughter after the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants found in a lorry container in Essex.
The men, women and children were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October in Grays.
Haulier Ronan Hughes, 40, of County Armagh, Northern Ireland, admitted manslaughter and conspiring to assist unlawful immigration at the Old Bailey.
A second man, Eamonn Harrison, 23, of Mayobridge, County Down, denied 39 charges of manslaughter.
He also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to assist unlawful immigration and faces a trial in October.
Hughes, whose conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration charge spanned 1 May 2018 to 24 October 24 2019, was described as "a ringleader of a people smuggling ring".
The bodies of the Vietnamese nationals were discovered at an industrial estate soon after the lorry arrived in the UK on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium.
Ten teenagers, two of them 15-year-old boys, were among the dead.
An inquest heard their medical cause of death was asphyxia and hyperthermia.
Earlier this year, lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 25, of Craigavon, County Armagh, pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
People will again be encouraged to go back to their workplaces as part of a government campaign starting next week.
Employers will be asked to reassure staff it is safe to return by highlighting measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Business leaders have warned of damage being done to city centres as people stay away from offices.
And Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said some things were "impossible" to do remotely.
But Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he cared more about how employees performed than where they were working.
Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, which represents civil servants, said ministers needed to accept the "world of work has changed" and millions of employees were working from home successfully.
Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are still advising people to work from home if possible.
The campaign, which will launch as most schools in England and Wales reopen, will predominantly be promoted through regional media, BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said.
Meanwhile, nine in 10 UK employees who have worked from home during lockdown would like to continue in some form, according to a survey.
The research by academics at Cardiff and Southampton universities - which involved thousands of people between April and June - suggests the majority of people working from home are as productive, if not more.
Whitehall sources insist the campaign will not suggest those who continue to work from home are at any greater risk of losing their jobs.
Labour's shadow business minister, Lucy Powell, said no one should be forced "to choose between their health and their job" and the government should "categorically rule out" any campaign suggesting people could be out of a job if they refused to return to the office.
Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said: "The prime minister needs a credible plan to help more people travel and work safely, not a scare campaign."
She called for a fast and reliable test-and-trace system, better enforcement of transport and workplace safety and more childcare support.
The employers' organisation the CBI has warned city centres could become "ghost towns" if the prime minister does not do more to encourage staff back, with businesses relying on passing trade from office workers.
Some prominent Conservative MPs share these concerns and have urged ministers to deliver a clear and consistent message that it is safe to return.
But Mr Hancock said getting staff back to work was a "matter for employers" and, when asked about the Department for Health, that his main concern was how employees performed.
"Some of them have been working from home, some come in sometimes, some are in full-time - and what matters to me is that they deliver and, frankly, they've been delivering at an unbelievable rate," the health secretary told Times Radio.
Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast his own department was encouraging people to return to the office but it was "a gradual process".
Where it is safe to do so, the transport secretary said people should go back to their workplaces, adding that there were some things which were "impossible" to do remotely.
"But I suspect we'll see more flexible working than we've seen in the past and it will be for employers and employees to work out the right balance in their particular cases," he said.
Mr Shapps said employees with "legitimate concern" over whether their workplace was "Covid-secure" could raise this with the Health and Safety Executive but most employers had worked hard to make them safe.
He acknowledged the return of pupils to school and parents to work tended to "create pressures" on the public transport system.
"We'll be watching those very carefully and looking to, for example, in some cases run additional services where we see those problems bubble up," he said.
However, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said people returning to offices as normal would put pressure on public transport and create "too high a risk of the virus spreading very quickly".
Can employers force staff back to the office?
In the overwhelming majority of cases the return to office work - or the continuation of home-working - will be a matter of discussion between employers and employees. Businesses will heed public health and government employment guidance, carry out risk assessments, meet employees' concerns and make any reasonable adjustments to facilitate a return to a safe office.
Much will depend on the nature of the business and the specific employee role, but there are two principal grounds on which employees can challenge an employer's demand that they return to the office.
Firstly, if the employee is disabled or has a condition which puts them at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19, or suffering more severely if they do contract it, they could challenge the demand as discriminatory under the Equality Act. Age could also play a part here as older workers could argue they are more vulnerable to the virus.
Those workers, who tend more often to be female and are caring for others who are especially vulnerable to the virus, could bring indirect sex discrimination claims if compelled to return.
Secondly, the Employment Rights Act protects employees who reasonably believe there is a "serious and imminent" risk of danger in returning to work. This could include risks in getting to and from the workplace.
If meaningful work has been carried out at home during lockdown, it will be difficult for employers to resist requests for flexible working. However, employees must be mindful of their duty to carry out any demands from their employer which are legal and reasonable.
The industries with the largest proportion of employees working remotely were education and information and communication, where the figure was more than 70%.
Figures from investment banking company Morgan Stanley suggest the proportion of UK office workers operating in their normal workplace is less than half that of other major European countries.
One of the main reasons given was that firms could not see a way of accommodating large numbers of staff while social distancing regulations were still in place.
In May, Boris Johnson said people who could not work from home - such as those in construction and manufacturing - should return to the workplace.
Then in July, he told people to "start to go back to work now if you can" and has repeated the plea since then.
