Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-08233

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many appeals against council tax banding rates there have been in each of the last five years, and what percentage of these were upheld.

Question reference: S5W-08236

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken has been to make decisions on appeals from businesses regarding valuations for non domestic rates in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-08057

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06985 by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 March 2017, what guarantees were (a) sought from and (b) provided by Greggs plc regarding the retention of jobs at the Clydesmill bakery in Cambuslang, in the event that the Loanhead bakery closed.

As Greggs have not received public sector financial support to develop the proposed centre of excellence, we were not in a position to seek formal guarantees on future employment levels at the Cambuslang site. Information was provided through SE and SDI on the types of public sector support that could be made available to assist the development of the planned Centre of Excellence at Cambuslang. Whilst Greggs welcomed the information offered, they did not ultimately take any support forward.

Question reference: S5O-00842

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the Scottish Investment Bank.

Question reference: S5W-08229

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings ministers have had with airport representatives regarding changes to rateable valuations, and whether it will publish any notes or minutes of these meetings.

Question reference: S5W-08228

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in the revaluation of non domestic rates, the methodology adopted for retail, catering and other shopping facilities in airports has been applied consistently to all airports in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-08230

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the methodology for the revaluation of non domestic rates for commercial outlets in airports is the same as that for high streets, shopping malls and train and bus stations.

Question reference: S5W-08231

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings ministers have had with businesses affected by the revaluation of business rates, and what the outcome was of these meetings.

Ministers meet regularly with ratepayers, trade bodies, business organisations, Assessors and other stakeholders to discuss business rates and the impact of the 2017 revaluation.

As a result, a package of measures was introduced to support businesses in 2017-18 which included a reduction in the poundage of 3.7%; an increase in the rateable value threshold that the large business supplement becomes payable from £35,000 to £51,000; an expansion of the Small Business Bonus Scheme to remove business rates from an estimated 100,000 premises; a 12.5% cap on bill rises for pubs, hotels, restaurants and cafes and offices in Aberdeen City and Shire.

Question reference: S5W-06984

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) Regional Selective Assistance and (b) other support has been provided to Greggs plc to safeguard or create jobs at its (i) Cambuslang plant and (ii) plants across the rest of the country in each of the last five years.

No Regional Selective Assistance or other financial support has been provided by the Scottish Government or Scottish Enterprise (SE), to Greggs plc for its Scottish sites in the last five years. However, SE officials have offered support through the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service and SE's Account Management service.

An offer of Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) support to Greggs PLC headquarters has been made to assist any affected employees at the Clydesmill site. At the time of writing, the formal consultation period has not yet commenced and the PACE offer has not been taken forward. The company is still in discussion with its employees and the impact on the workforce of any potential compulsory redundancies has therefore not yet been confirmed.

Question reference: S5W-06985

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions (a) it and (b) its agencies have had with Greggs plc regarding the restructuring of its (i) Cambuslang plant and (ii) plants across the rest of the country.

Following the announcement of the proposed closure of the Loanhead bakery, the Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism spoke with Greggs' Company Secretary on 3 March 2016, along with Scottish Development International (SDI) and Scottish Government officials, to explore all possible support for the Loanhead site.

SDI subsequently met with Greggs on 11 March 2016 to discuss the proposed closure of the Loanhead bakery and had a further call with the company on 13 May 2016 to further explore areas of potential support for Loanhead, and the company’s plans for the proposed centre of excellence at the Clydesmill bakery in Cambuslang.

Scottish Enterprise (SE) and SDI visited the Clydesmill bakery in August 2016 to learn more about the company's plans and to offer support for Greggs’ Scottish sites through the Account Management and the Scottish manufacturing Advisory Service.

The company has also been contacted by the Scottish Government’s Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative, and a programme of support for employees at Loanhead was delivered by PACE between June and November 2016.

An offer of support was also made by the National PACE Team on 24 January 2017 for any staff that may be affected by redundancy at the Cambuslang site.