Parliamentary questions
Lewis Macdonald
2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-35881 and S3W-35882 by John Swinney on 7 October 2010, how many business properties are eligible for rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme as of 1 October 2010.
Answer · John Swinney: As stated in my answer to S3W-35882, final figures on take-up of Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) for the current year will be available in 2011.</p> <p >However, following the 2010 revaluation and the uplift and expansion of SBBS, latest estimates indicat…
8 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-2634 by Alex Salmond on 7 October 2010 (Official Report c. 29451), how many businesses successfully appealed following the 2005 rates revaluation and what proportion of all appeals this represents.
Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally.</b></p>
8 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-2634 by Alex Salmond on 7 October 2010 (Official Report c. 29451), what the rateable values were of businesses that successfully appealed following the 2005 revaluation (a) before and (b) after they appealed.
Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally.</b></p>
8 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-2634 by Alex Salmond on 7 October 2010 (Official Report c. 29451), what the basis is for the statement that the rateable values of the businesses that successfully appealed following rates revaluation in 2005 were reduced by just under four per cent.
Answer · John Swinney: For the period 1 April 2005 to 30 June 2010, the total original rateable value for all properties that appealed was £3,266 million. The total revised rateable value of all those properties after appeals were determined is £3,140 million. This is a 3.9% reduct…
17 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what authority the board of the Scottish Police Services Authority decided not to make public its recommendations on the forensic services modernisation plans.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36370 on 28 September 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: </p> <p >http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/…
17 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice expects to make a final decision on the recommendations given by the Scottish Police Services Authority on its forensic services modernisation plans.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I will carefully consider the recommendations from the Scottish Police Services Authority on its forensic services modernisation plans when they are received. The final decision will be made this year.</b></p>
17 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions were given to the Scottish Police Services Authority in relation to its not making public its recommendation regarding its forensic services modernisation plans.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: No instructions have been issued. It is normal practice for the Scottish Police Services Authority to seek approval for proposals under the terms of its Financial Memorandum with the Scottish Government without publication.</b></p>
17 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has had with the Scottish Police Services Authority board regarding its forensic services modernisation plans.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have had no discussions with the Scottish Police Services Authority board regarding its forensic services modernisation plans.</b></p>
17 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether representatives of the Scottish Government were present at the last board meeting of the Scottish Police Services Authority.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government does not attend Scottish Police Services Authority board meetings.</b></p>
17 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will next meet the Scottish Police Services Authority board and what issues will be discussed.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have no meetings arranged with the SPSA Board.</p>
17 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice last met the Scottish Police Services Authority board and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I last met the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) board at the SPSA awards event on 14 March 2010. The discussion was based on the outstanding achievements of SPSA staff in providing expert support services to Scotland''s police forces.</b></p>
14 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35792 by Richard Lochhead on 9 September 2010, what external body will be responsible for carrying out a strategic review of Scottish grid infrastructure for marine energy to identify longer term grid infrastructure upgrades on the basis of expected …
Answer · Jim Mather: We do not envisage any external body taking on this important role for Scotland. However, our Second National Planning Framework highlights a suite of energy infrastructure and grid development projects across Scotland that we have identified as projects of n…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the cost would be of introducing transitional relief for businesses facing increased bills as a result of rates revaluation from 1 April 2010 that capped any increase in rates payable at (a) 12.5%, (b) 25% and (c) 37.5% per year
Answer · John Swinney: The cost of transitional relief with a 12.5% cap was published by the Scottish Government on 14 May 2010 in the following report: </p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/917/0098553.pdf">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/917/0098553.p…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its income will be from non-domestic rates from each local authority in 2010-11
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36257 on 7 October 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what net change there will be in its income from non-domestic rates from each local authority following rates revaluation from 1 April 2010
Answer · John Swinney: The following table shows the change in the amount of business rates collected by each local authority between 2009-10 and 2010-11.</p> <p >The Scottish Government guarantees each local authority a combination of distributable business rates plus general rev…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its income was from non-domestic rates in each local authority in 2009-10
Answer · John Swinney: The following table shows the amount of business rates collected by each local authority in 2009-10.</p> <p >The Scottish Government guarantees each local authority a combination of distributable business rates plus general revenue grant, with the total amou…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the non-domestic rates income of each local authority will be in 2010-11
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36254 on 7 October 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what change there was in the non-domestic rates income of each local authority from 1 April 2010
Answer · John Swinney: The following table shows the change in business rates income distributed between 2009-10 and 2010-11 broken down by local authority.</b></p> <p >The figures for 2010-11 use the latest forecast of net income from non-domestic rates in 2010-11 and also draw o…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the non-domestic rates income was of each local authority in 2009-10
Answer · John Swinney: The following table shows the amount of business rates income distributed in 2009-2010 broken down by local authority.</b></p> <p >The Scottish Government guarantees each local authority a combination of distributable business rates plus general revenue gran…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total non-domestic rates payable were in each local authority area as of 1 April 2010
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36251 on 7 October 2010. 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/Apps2/Business…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what net increase there has been in non-domestic rates payable from each local authority area as a result of rates revaluation from 1 April 2010
Answer · John Swinney: The following table shows the non-domestic rates payable by each local authority in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and the difference between the two figures.</b></p> <p >The Scottish Government guarantees each local authority a combination of distributable business ra…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total non-domestic rates payable were in each local authority area as of 1 April 2009
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36251 on 7 October 2010. 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/Apps2/Business…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rateable value is of properties subject to non-domestic rates in each local authority area
Answer · John Swinney: Data on total rateable values in each local authority area is published on the Scottish Assessors website at www.saa.gov.uk.</b></p>
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what net increase there has been in non-domestic rateable values in each local authority area as a result of rates revaluation from 1 April 2010
Answer · John Swinney: It is not possible to split out changes in rateable values which are solely due to the 2010 revaluation.</b></p> <p >Rateable values will vary when compared across any given time period, including a revaluation period, because of a number of reasons. This in…
13 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rateable value was of properties subject to non-domestic rates in each local authority area on 1 April 2009
Answer · John Swinney: The total rateable value of all non-domestic properties, by local authority, as at 1 April 2009 is as follows. </b></p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left > </p> </td> <td valign=top > <p al…
6 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35879 by John Swinney on 6 September 2010, how many businesses in each local authority area have had (a) a decrease and (b) no change in their business rate as a result of rates revaluation from 1 April 2010.
Answer · John Swinney: A full breakdown of bill changes following the 2010 revaluation by local authority area, including the number of ratepayers who saw their bills decrease and those whose bills did not change, is shown in the following table. The figures given are before the im…
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, given its conclusion that the Energy from Waste Potential in Scotland report showed that “heat-only plants could meet 6% of Scotland’s existing heat needs”, what proportion of this 6% does it estimate will come from (a) thermal-only output from waste-streams identified as potentially sui…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The <i >Energy from Waste Potential in Scotland</i> report did not identify the heat potential split between combustion and anaerobic digestion processes and the Scottish Government does not hold this information.</b></p>
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the publication of the report Building a roadmap for heat - 2050 scenarios and heat delivery in the UK, what role it envisages for heat-grids to help manage the matching of electricity demand and supply in future updates to the Renewable Action Plan.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government recognises the potential role of renewable electricity for heating, and has already supported community owned wind to heat small scale projects in more remote areas of Scotland.</b></p> <p >District heating is a new focus in our polic…
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the closure of the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme to new applications, when it intends to publish the remit of the feasibility study it has commissioned to look into early stage financing for renewables’ projects.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has already commissioned a feasibility study whose summarised remit is to investigate the need and demand for a loan fund to be used by community groups and landowners to finance renewable energy projects. The study will also explore t…
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to fund the pilot project to develop a national data-sharing centre to improve the co-ordination of scientific work in relation to consents and planning.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has no current plans to fund such a project.</b></p>