- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how much of tje revenue raised by the business rates incentivisation scheme has been retained by each local authority since its inception, broken down by year.
Answer
The Business Rates Incentivisation Scheme (BRIS) was introduced in in 2012-13 in recognition of the fact that the Scottish Government guarantees the combined General Revenue Grant (GRG) and distributable Non-Domestic Rates Income (NDRI) funding thereby reducing the incentive for local authorities to try and maximise their NDRI. The BRIS is focussed on incentivising local authorities to maximise their existing NDRI and also to grow their local business tax base. This is achieved by the Scottish Government setting annual locally based targets. All local authorities that exceed their annual target retain half the extra income achieved from growth in their tax base until the next NDR revaluation assuming they maintain the extra income in the subsequent years. The amounts to be retained are calculated from local authorities’ audited annual non domestic rates returns. The information requested is set out in the following table.
Local Authority | 2012-13 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
Aberdeen City | | 533,291 | 3,370,582 | | | |
Aberdeenshire | 188,983 | 471,198 | 932,087 | 79,448 | 241,742 | |
Angus | | | 70,615 | | | |
Argyll & Bute | | | | 38,799 | | 101,983 |
Clackmannanshire | 1,231,686 | | | | | |
Dumfries & Galloway | | | | | 1,481,766 | 1,592,095 |
Dundee City | | | | | 233 | 517,668 |
East Ayrshire | | | | | | 307,944 |
East Dunbartonshire | | | | | | |
East Lothian | 544,319 | | | | | 723,912 |
East Renfrewshire | 173,278 | 187,702 | | 124,893 | | |
Edinburgh, City of | | | | | 387,292 | |
Eilean Siar | 57,384 | | 71,571 | | | 17,707 |
Falkirk | | | | 272,112 | | |
Fife | 2,483,663 | 891,764 | | | | |
Glasgow City | | | 1,513,758 | | | |
Highland | 1,295,595 | 213,923 | 370,902 | | 1,095,060 | 227,963 |
Inverclyde | | | | 59,075 | | |
Midlothian | 365,758 | | | 111,361 | 176,277 | |
Moray | 1,267,263 | 136,837 | 16,243 | 299,153 | | 1,858,975 |
North Ayrshire | 860,843 | | | 239,573 | | |
North Lanarkshire | | | | | | |
Orkney Islands | | | | | | |
Perth & Kinross | 148,371 | | | 42,276 | | |
Renfrewshire | | 68,427 | | | | |
Scottish Borders | 385,084 | | | | | |
Shetland Islands | | | | | | |
South Ayrshire | | | 30,166 | | 163,086 | |
South Lanarkshire | | | | | 8,568 | |
Stirling | | | | 118,841 | | 291,594 |
West Dunbartonshire | | | | | 55,313 | |
West Lothian | | | | | 144,494 | |
Scotland | 9,002,227 | 2,503,142 | 6,375,925 | 1,385,531 | 3,753,831 | 5,639,841 |
Following the introduction of the scheme the Scottish Government and COSLA agreed to undertake a joint review of the scheme to take into account the lessons learned from the first year of operation, as a result the amounts to be retained in 2012-13 were provided as one-off retention sums and as a result could not be retained in subsequent years.
The Deputy First Minister announced details of the revised BRIS to the Scottish Parliament on 11 December 2014. The details of the revised scheme together with the 2014-15 targets and the provisional 2015-16 targets were published in the Local Government Finance Circular 9/2014 published the same day.
Due to the impact of COVID-19 on Non Domestic Rates Income, the operation of the BRIS has been temporarily suspended.
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to enable timely alternative appointments for people who, for health or work reasons, have been unable to attend their second COVID-19 vaccination appointment, in order to ensure maximum efficacy and given the rising number of cases being attributed to the so-called Indian variant.
Answer
Given the risk that the 02 variant may spread quicker around Scotland, having people fully vaccinated is important in reducing risks of morbidity and mortality.
In line with the latest JCVI advice, where vaccine supply allows we will bring forward the second dose of vaccine from 12 to 8 weeks. This will be prioritised in areas which are affected by the 02 variant.
Constituents that have received an appointment that is unsuitable are able to rebook via the portal detailed in their blue letter. Alternatively they can call the covid-19 helpline on 0800 030 8013. Vaccination centre availability and opening hours are co-ordinated by the individual NHS trusts.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how much the Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit Programme (BEAR) has given to bus companies in each year since 2017-18.
Answer
The Low Emission Zone Support Fund has made grant funding to bus companies through the Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit Programme as set out in the following table:
| | Year | Amount |
Phase 1 | 2018-19 | £1.6 million |
Phase 2 | 2019-20 | £1.577 million |
Phase 3 | 2020-21 | £9.75 million |
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the role played by private agency workers in supporting health and social care systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
The Scottish Government is deeply grateful for the role that all health and social care workers have played during the Covid-19 pandemic, whether employed directly or through agency contracts.
Our health and social care systems have experienced extraordinary levels of service demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although permanent recruitment is always the primary solution to NHS staffing needs, we have encouraged NHS Boards to make full use of NHS bank, agency and locum staff where necessary, to address immediate staffing needs during the emergency stages of the pandemic.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work regarding COVID-19 vaccine certification for international travel; what consideration it has given to the use of vaccine certification in the domestic economy; in what formats it expects to provide vaccine certification, and what engagement it has had with (a) the UK Government and (b) other devolved administrations regarding the development of vaccine certification.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6T-00019 on 26 May 2021. The answer is available on the Parliament's website at: Official Report - Parliamentary Business : Scottish Parliament
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government by what date dog and puppy training classes can resume under the COVID-19 protection levels system.
Answer
Dog and puppy training businesses have been permitted to be open for normal operation of training classes since the easing of restrictions on 26 April 2021. Those participating in any dog or puppy training should practice physical distancing and preventative hygiene to protect themselves and the persons with whom they are working.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many professional private agency staff have supported the health and social care response to the COVID-19 pandemic, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of private agency staff employed by NHS Boards. Data is published annually, in June, by NHS Education for Scotland on the total medical agency spend by NHS Scotland Boards; and the total WTE hours and cost for Nursing and Midwifery bank and agency staff. This data is not broken down by the number of individual staff members involved.
This information can be found in the ‘Medical and Dental’ and ‘Nursing and Midwifery’ dashboards, available through the following link:
https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/workforce-official-statistics/nhsscotland-workforce/publications/01-june-2021/
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to use their powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to vary business rates, and which local authorities have used these powers since 2015, broken down by year.
Answer
The Scottish Government granted local authorities the autonomy to introduce local reliefs schemes through the Community Empowerment Act 2015. The Scottish Government continues to encourage local authorities to use these powers where they may deem it appropriate. Local Authorities are independent bodies, democratically elected and accountable to their local electorate, and the administering of all reliefs under these powers is a matter for them.
The following table sets out spend on local reliefs from 2016-17 to 2019-20:
Local Rates Relief (£000s) | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 |
Aberdeen | - | 1,740 | - | - |
Aberdeenshire | - | 2,140 | - | 39 |
Perth & Kinross | 124 | - | 30 | - |
Scotland | 124 | 3,880 | 30 | 39 |
The Scottish Government will receive provisional outturn figures from councils on the level of any local reliefs awarded for 2020-21 under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 later this summer.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to return funds to Jamaica held by the Dick Bequest Trust, which were reportedly made in slave trading.
Answer
We recognise Scotland’s part in historic injustices like the transatlantic slave trade and Empire. We are determined to acknowledge and learn from our past and the role Scotland played. We must also focus on making sure we deliver positive outcomes for the minority ethnic people of Scotland now. A number of our Programme for Government 2020 – 21 commitments focus on recognising Scotland’s role, how we educate ourselves about our past and raise awareness of these events to the wider public.
Scottish Ministers are not aware of any powers that they have which would allow them to direct a charity such as the Dick Bequest Trust to require any return of money in the way that is being suggested. Scottish Ministers are actively considering the associated issues raised in a recent Press and Journal article as well as a letter addressed to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and will respond in due course.
- Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when the last meeting of the Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group was held.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2021
