Parliamentary questions
Ken Macintosh
1,334 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new recruits have completed police training in each of the last eight years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The recruitment and training of police officers is an operational matter for chief constables.
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes it has made to the organisation of the civil service to deal with tax changes arising from the Scotland Act 2012 and whether this includes secondments from the Treasury or HM Revenue and Customs.
Answer · John Swinney: An additional division within the Finance Directorate of the Scottish Government was established in June 2011 to plan and implement delivery of the financial provisions of the Scotland Act 2012, including the delivery of taxes to replace Stamp Duty Land Tax a…
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward details for a local income tax and whether the principles of that scheme will be the same as those of the scheme that was subject to a ruling by the Scottish Information Commissioner.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government believes the current council tax system is unfair and will consult with others later in this Parliament to produce a fairer tax based on the ability to pay. All potential alternative approaches will be considered as this work is progre…
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive at what property value purchasers would pay more under the revenue neutral property transaction tax scenario whereby all house purchases below £180,000 are exempt and how many (a) private dwellings, (b) commercial, (c) local authority, (d) NHS and (e) non-NHS public properties would be su…
Answer · John Swinney: The illustrative scenario referred to applies only to residential property. The scenario is described in page 49 of the Scottish Government consultation paper Taking Forward a Scottish Land and Buildings Transaction. Under this scenario (Scenario 1) residenti…
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it calculates the revenue neutral property transaction tax scenario that “would bring benefits to about 95 per cent of the property market”; how many (a) private dwellings, (b) commercial, (c) local authority, (d) NHS and (e) non-NHS public properties would be subject to (i) higher an…
Answer · John Swinney: All of the illustrative scenarios included in Annexes A to C of the Scottish Government consultation paper Taking Forward a Scottish Land and Buildings Transaction were calculated using a model developed by professional analysts within the Scottish Government…
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what distributional analyses and by whom underpin the conclusion that 95% of the property market would benefit from the Scottish Government's proposed revenue-neutral change to property transaction tax.
Answer · John Swinney: The analysis was undertaken by professional economists within the Scottish Government. The conclusion referred to relates to Scenario 2 on page 52 of the Scottish Government consultation paper Taking Forward a Scottish Land and Buildings Transaction. Under th…
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether HM Revenue and Customs has indicated that it is likely to (a) inhibit or (b) veto decisions of the Scottish Government in respect of fiscal policy and whether any similar discussions have taken place with the (i) Bank of England or (ii) Treasury with respect to a Scotland separate…
Answer · John Swinney: In evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee on 30 May 2012, HMRC set out the limitations of the role they would play in the collection and administration of the two replacement taxes devolved by the Scotland Act 2012: “If it (the Scottish Gov…
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the basis is for its figure of £16,706,000 for a separate tax collection agency to collect stamp duty land tax and landfill tax and whether this includes set-up, ongoing and future contingency and running costs.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the note on costs of administering the devolved taxes that I have placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 54051). This figure includes set-up, ongoing and future contingency and running costs.
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with business and industry representatives regarding its plan to set up a separate tax collection agency, broken down by (a) organisation and representatives, (b) date of meeting or correspondence and (c) ministers involved.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Government officials discussed the proposal to establish Revenue Scotland with representatives of ICAS, The Law Society, Ernst and Young, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Deloitte and the Council of Scottish Government Unions on 7 June.
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and (b) trade unions regarding the future of the HMRC staff employed in Scotland as a result of the Scottish Government's plan to set up a separate tax collection agency, and who was involved in such discussions.
Answer · John Swinney: No formal discussions have taken place with HMRC regarding the future of HMRC staff employed in Scotland in relation to the Scottish Government’s proposal to establish Revenue Scotland. A first discussion between representatives of the Scottish Government Fin…
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its correspondence with HM Revenue and Customs regarding the cost of collecting stamp duty land tax and landfill tax on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the submission I have placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 54051). This contains the cost estimates provided to the Scottish Government by HMRC.
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the statement by a representative of HM Revenue and Customs to the Finance Committee on 30 May 2012 that it had not provided estimates of costs as it had “not yet been told what kind of tax the Government wants to introduce” (Official Report, c. 1291) was accurate.
Answer · John Swinney: As the official from HMRC confirmed to the Finance Committee of the Scottish Parliament, HMRC has not provided cost estimates for administering the devolved tax described in the Scottish Government’s consultation document. HMRC has provided indicative cost e…
8 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) on what date and (b) how HM Revenue and Customs indicated that it would cost £22,274,000 to collect land and buildings transaction tax and landfill tax on behalf of the Scottish Government until 31 March 2020 (Official Report, c. 9909).
Answer · John Swinney: HMRC provided a cost estimate for the administration of a like for like stamp duty land tax on 1 February 2012 and for a like for like landfill tax on 28 February 2012. These estimates were provided by email and are included within the overall Scottish Govern…
30 May 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many part- and full-time college places for students requiring additional support have been lost over the last year.
28 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a Scotland separated from the rest of the UK would be able to appoint external members to the Bank of England's monetary policy committee.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-07551 on 21 June 2012. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusi…
28 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how a Scotland separated from the rest of the UK would influence the Bank of England's monetary policy committee.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-07551 on 21 June 2012. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusi…
28 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how a Scotland separated from the rest of the UK would influence interests rates if they were set by the Bank of England.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-07551 on 21 June 2012. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusi…
28 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the appointment of external members to the Bank of England's monetary policy committee.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-07553 on 21 June 2012. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusi…
28 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the (a) Bank of England and (b) UK Government regarding the representation that a Scotland separated from the rest of the UK would seek to have on the Bank of England's monetary policy committee.
Answer · John Swinney: As I set out in the answer to oral question S4O-01106 on 7 June 2012, the Scottish Government engages in discussions with the Bank of England on matters of importance to the Scottish economy. The Scottish Government also engages in discussions with the UK Gov…
28 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to Deputy First Minister's comments on the BBC Scotland programme, The Big Debate - Choosing Scotland's Future, on 27 May 2012 that “there is no Scottish representation on the monetary policy committee, something that would change if Scotland was independent”, what form this repr…
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-07551 on 21 June 2012. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusi…
28 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the Deputy First Minister's comments on the BBC Scotland programme, The Big Debate - Choosing Scotland's Future, on 27 May 2012 that “there is no Scottish representation on the monetary policy committee, something that would change if Scotland was independent”.
Answer · John Swinney: As the First Minister set out in First Minister’s Questions on 31 May, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has nine members, including four external members appointed by the Treasury. As part of a formal monetary union we would expect to be a part…
22 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that ipilimumab should be accessible to patients in cases where a clinician believes that it would be beneficial.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Medicine Consortiums’ advice is that ipilimumab will not be routinely available in the NHS in Scotland for the treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma in adults who have received prior therapy. However, NHS board Individual P…
22 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the drug, ipilimumab, is accessible to patients through the individual patient treatment request system and, if so, what impact the Scottish Medicines Consortium's guidance of 14 May 2012 that the drug should not be recommended for use will have on this.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) advice of 14 May 2012 means that ipilimumab will not be routinely available in the NHS in Scotland for the treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma in adults who have received prior therapy. NHS boar…
14 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06705 by Aileen Campbell on 1 May 2012, how many of the 3,886 adoptions broke down.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The information requested is not held centrally.
14 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06705 by Aileen Campbell on 1 May 2012, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications for adoption were made from 2002 to 2010.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The number of successful and unsuccessful adoption petitions is provided in the Civil Judicial Statistics Scotland publication series for the years 2002, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. Information for 2002 can be found in Table 3.12 of the Civil Judicial Stat…
9 May 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it procures public contracts for supported employment.
26 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to make the Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund more accessible to house builders.
Answer · Keith Brown: The first round assessment is now complete and, consistent with best practice, that outcome will be reviewed for future rounds.
26 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is reviewing the criteria for the Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund.
Answer · Keith Brown: The first round assessment is now complete and, consistent with best practice, that outcome will be reviewed for future rounds.
26 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications it has received for the Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund.
Answer · Keith Brown: Five applications were received of which three are in the process of being progressed to an offer of loan funding.
26 Apr 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £10 million Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund has been disbursed.
Answer · Keith Brown: Offers of loan to successful applicants with exact funding requirements are currently being finalised. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe) – Bib. …