Parliamentary questions
Tom Mason
273 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17540 by Derek Mackay on 17 July 2018, whether any independent institution has verified the claim in Scotland’s Fiscal Outlook: The Scottish Government’s Five Year Strategy that Scotland has the "most attractive business rates package in the UK".
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18752 on 5 October 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…
11 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17420 by Derek Mackay on 16 July 2018, what its position is on the Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasting in its report that any gap between Scottish and UK RDHI, after narrowing, will immediately widen throughout 2020-21 and not close again.
Answer · Derek Mackay: As highlighted by the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s latest report and the previous response in question S5W-17420, any gap between the growth rate of Scottish and UK Real Disposable Household Income (RDHI) on a per capita basis (controlling for differences in …
6 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17603 by Jeane Freeman on 20 July 2018, whether the cabinet secretary’s response confirms that ministers welcome the news that more patients were treated and seen within the 18-week standard in March 2018 compared with December 2017 when considering…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Whilst I welcome the increase in the number of patient journeys within the 18 week referral to treatment waiting time standard, I am very much aware that performance is well below the level I require from Boards. As you will be aware the Scottish Government h…
6 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17602 by Jeanne Freeman on 20 July 2018, what the funding is for each NHS board in 2018-19, also broken down by additional funding that has been (a) announced and (b) allocated since the Budget was agreed.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14783 on 21 February 2018 which sets outs baseline funding for NHS Boards for 2018-19. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can…
6 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17603 by Jeane Freeman on 20 July 2018, whether it considers that the widening of the negative gap between real NHS performance and the 90% target was solely because more patients required treatment.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I welcome the increase in the number of patients being treated within the 18 weeks referral to treatment standard. Delivery of the standard can be influenced by a number of factors, this could be due to a significant increase in patients but will also be affe…
6 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17602 by Jeane Freeman on 20 July 2018, whether it will provide a breakdown of the levels of funding allocated to reducing each key performance target area’s waiting times.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18638 on 25 September 2018. a further 25 million was issued to Health Boards in the September allocation. Please see following table. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliam…
6 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17602 by Jeanne Freeman on 20 July 2018, how the additional £25 million funding is being spent by each NHS board.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The information requested is provided in the following table below. Boards are using the funding across the whole patient pathway - outpatients, diagnostic tests and inpatient and day case treatment waiting time standards and guarantee - to ensure long wai…
5 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17787 by Derek Mackay on 3 August 2018, whether it will provide the information requested regarding the sample size of the YouGov poll that it used in its publication, expressed as a percentage of the Scottish electorate, and for what reason it did …
Answer · Derek Mackay: The poll in question was carried out by YouGov and reported on in the Times in an article titled, " Scottish voters back SNP plan to raise taxes ”. The poll was not commissioned by the Scottish Government and therefore the Scottish Government did not have a s…
5 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17786 by Derek Mackay on 3 August 2018, and, in light of its reference to the June Panelbase poll referred to in the question as being "one of a succession of polls" showing a "wider public acceptance" of Scottish Government policy, what action it i…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government policy is not to charge patients who miss an appointment or to remove cosmetic procedures from NHS treatment. The poll referred to by the member was on our changes to income tax policy which showed support for the changes.
5 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a reported continued fall in Higher pass rates in the last decade, and given the 0% productivity growth in the last two years as reported by the Scottish Fiscal Commission, what its position is on the assertion that the (a) current education system is conducive to the low pr…
Answer · John Swinney: This year’s SQA results demonstrate that overall performance remains broadly consistent at Higher with around 77% getting A to C, despite a 2.4% fall in the S5-S6 school roll. Scotland’s productivity has increased by 6.7% since 2007, compared to an increase …
20 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17541 by Derek Mackay on 17 July 2018, and its reference to the result of YouGov polling on income tax changes showing that "more than half of Scots support our income tax changes", to what extent it considers that the result of a single opinion pol…
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Times YouGov poll is just one of a succession of polls showing that the majority of Scots support our progressive tax reforms to enable us to invest in our vital public services. Most recently, a June Panelbase poll for The Sunday Times found that 52% of …
20 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S5W-17541 by Derek Mackay on 17 July 2018, what the date of publication is of the YouGov opinion poll referred to; what its sample is, expressed as a percentage of the Scottish electorate, and whether it will provide details of any other research it…
Answer · Derek Mackay: Fieldwork was conducted between 12 and 16 January 2018 by YouGov commissioned by The Times. The results were published on 18 January 2018. The poll findings confirmed that a clear majority of the sample of 1002 adults interviewed supported the Scottish Govern…
4 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its estimate of any budget underspend for 2018-19.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government actively manages the budget position over the course of the financial year. As part of the Budget Revision process the Government has committed to provide a mid-year report on revenue and spending up to the end of December to the Finan…
4 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13227 by Shona Robison on 9 January 2018, how much of the additional £4.9 million funding made available to NHS Grampian to improve waiting times was spent by the board, and what it was spent on.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Grampian used the £4.9 million additional funding to address exceptionally long waiters across a number of specialties, particularly in relation to first outpatient consultation. Latest published figures for 31 March 2018 shows that 63.4% of patients wait…
4 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13227 by Shona Robison on 9 January 2018, and in light of the additional funding for NHS Grampian to improve waiting times between January and March 2018, what its position is on the percentage of people being seen within 18 weeks of referral decrea…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The actual of number of patients journeys within the 18 week referral to treatment standard increased from 4,226 in December 2017 to 4,722 in March 2018 a 12% increase. This shows that although the percentage seen with 18 weeks fell in March 2018 compared to …
3 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of regional NHS board spending plans for 2018-19, including any extra funding that has been (a) allocated and (b) announced since the budget for 2018-19 was agreed by the Parliament.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Regional planning has been designed to complement local planning and individual Board expenditure plans and allocations – as included in the 2018-19 budget – will feed in to each of the regional plans. The 2018-19 Budget includes an additional £175 million t…
27 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has to support its claim in Scotland's Fiscal Outlook, The Scottish Government's Five Year Financial Strategy that there is a "wider public acceptance" of the income tax policy changes in the 2018-19 budget.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Polling by YouGov for the Times showed that more than half of Scots support our income tax changes. When asked if they supported the income tax changes announced at the Budget, 54% of respondents said they supported the change, and only 27% did not. That is d…
27 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what basis it claims in the Scotland's Fiscal Outlook, The Scottish Government's Five Year Financial Strategy that Scotland has the "most attractive business rates package in the UK".
Answer · Derek Mackay: Scotland provides the most competitive non-domestic rates reliefs package available anywhere in the UK and is worth a record £720 million, up from £660 million in 2017-18, which includes several measures that are unique to Scotland. The Small Business Bonus S…
27 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-15800 by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2018, and in light of its indication that decisions on how to spend capital borrowing are not made at the time of the budget, for what reason the agreed repayment period for capital borrowing that will occur in 2018…
Answer · Derek Mackay: No borrowing has yet been undertaken in 2018-19 or 2019-20 therefore repayment periods have not been agreed. Where the lives of the assets being purchased through the loan justify longer terms, these can be agreed as set out in paragraph 60 of the Fiscal Fram…
27 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not split, or planned to split evenly, its capital borrowing repayments for the capital borrowing that took place, or is planned to take place, in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 over each respective payback period, and for what reason its approach in these years prio…
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government borrowed in 2017-18 using the Equal repayments (ER) method - an annuity profile of equal annual payments, hence varying levels of principal and interest (in the earlier years more interest and less principal is paid and vice versa in t…
27 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on claims that the Gini Coefficient in Scotland in recent years has largely been driven by a fall in median income due to the economic downturn in the north east.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Gini coefficient is widely used for measuring income inequality. Income inequality in Scotland as measured by the Gini coefficient has been fluctuating around a fairly stable level over the last 20 years. The Gini coefficient is calculated using the whol…
27 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve productivity growth by (a) sole traders and (a) SMEs.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of sole traders and SMEs to our economy and is committed to creating a supportive business environment conducive to sustained economic growth. While we continue to support local authorities in their management…
22 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-01731 by Derek Mackay on 1 February 2018, in light of it already confirming its plans for 2019-20 capital borrowing to the Scottish Fiscal Commission, for what reason it stated that capital borrowing decisions for 2019-20 would be taken and outlined…
Answer · Derek Mackay: No decisions have been made on capital borrowing in 2019-20. The impact of capital borrowing in 2019-20 has been modelled by Scottish Government and the Scottish Fiscal Commission but final decisions on if, and how much, to borrow will be taken as part of the…
22 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Fiscal Commission's view that "there is limited room for population growth…to contribute further to economic growth."
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) forecast that there is limited room for population growth to contribute further to economic growth because total population growth in Scotland is expected to slow in the coming years. Furthermore, the population aged 16-64…
22 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of non-savings, non-dividend (NSND) income tax forecasts being revised down by £1.74 billion in the years up to 2023-24, what its position is on whether pursuing an income tax policy that is estimated to result in a loss in revenue in the same period of £292.17 million due to b…
Answer · Derek Mackay: The SFC’s report, Table 3.5, clearly states that the main reason for their downgrade in income tax receipts is a change in their projections for wage and employment growth. There is no evidence that would suggest our income tax policy is leading to a downgrad…
22 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to split its payback of capital borrowing for 2018-19 and 2019-20 evenly over the 25-year payback period for each year’s worth of borrowing.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Decisions on repayment method have yet to be taken for 2018-19 and no decisions on use of borrowing have been taken for 2019-20. I also refer the member to the answer to question S5W-17426 on 16 July 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are a…
22 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Fiscal Commission's view that the government spending component of aggregate demand will be reduced significantly when the capital borrowing limit of £3 billion is reached and it can no longer borrow at its current levels.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government’s capital borrowing powers are constrained by the UK Government. Future borrowing availability is a key element taken into consideration as part of Scottish Government financial strategy. The Scottish Government will continue to try to…
22 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of behavioural responses to income tax policy and tax-motivated incorporations, what its position is on whether its current income tax policy has taken Scotland’s Laffer curve beyond its peak.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Laffer curve suggests that increasing tax rates beyond a certain point is counter-productive for raising further tax revenue because higher tax rates discourage people from working. However, the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission very clearly forecast…
22 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s statement in its recent forecast report that the growth of real disposable household income is "the main determinant of aggregate consumption".
Answer · Derek Mackay: Real Disposable Household Income is the largest determinant of aggregate consumption. However, other factors, such as household wealth or population growth, can also have an important impact. The Scottish Fiscal Commission is clear that leaving the EU is expe…
22 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact it considers its education policy, from early years to higher education, has had on the near 0% productivity growth since 2007.
Answer · John Swinney: Between 2007 and 2017, Scotland’s productivity has increased by 5.4% in total, or 0.6% per year on average. This compares to a UK increase of 1.7% in total, or 0.2% per year on average. The Scottish Government is taking action to support the Scottish economy…