Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-15764

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering proposals to change the law to prevent people convicted of murder acting as executors for their victims.

The Scottish Government is committed to reforming and modernising the law of succession in Scotland, to ensure a clear and fair legal framework for the law of inheritance, relevant to modern Scottish society and the rights of individuals and families. As part of this work we will consider whether there is a need to amend the law to address the issue of convicted murders acting as executors for their victims.

Question reference: S5O-01987

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on reinstating passenger services on the Edinburgh South Suburban railway line.

Question reference: S5W-14682

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties covered by the business rates transitional relief scheme have seen their net rates bills increase by (a) 129.5%, (b) 72.1% and (c) between 35% and 53% following the revaluation of business rates in 2017.

Question reference: S5O-01932

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses' non-domestic rates bill increased as a result of the 2017 revaluation.

Question reference: S5W-14681

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties covered by the business rates transitional relief scheme have seen their net rates bills increase by more than 14.75% following the revaluation of business rates in 2017.

A chart which has been placed in SPICe (BIB number 59575) shows the net bill rise for properties covered by the transitional scheme, which has been fully funded by the Scottish Government. Successful valuation appeals will potentially reduce figures for bill rises above 14.75% in real terms.

Bill rises of above 14.75% in real terms are primarily due to properties falling outwith the Small Business Bonus Scheme or breaching EU State aid de minims.

Question reference: S5W-14683

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties covered by the business rates transitional relief scheme saw their rateable value increase from between £10,000 and £12,000 to over £18,000 following the revaluation of business rates in 2017.

Following the 2017 revaluation the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) thresholds were significantly increased from £10,000 to £15,000 rateable value and a transitional scheme was introduced.

Both schemes are significantly more generous than their equivalents elsewhere in the UK with the SBBS offering 100% relief for properties with a rateable value under £15,000 and a transitional scheme which is fully funded from by the Scottish Government budget, unlike the transitional relief offered by the UK Government which increases bills for some businesses to fund the scheme.

Because of the generous nature of both reliefs, in designing both the SBBS and transitional schemes a balance had to be struck between affordability and helping the maximum number of small businesses.

The following table shows the number of properties that saw their rateable value increase or decrease between bands of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) relief that were potentially covered by the transitional relief scheme.

Pre 2017 revaluation Rateable Value band	Post 2017 Revaluation Rateable Value band	Number of Properties
Above £10,000	Below £15,000	around 100
£10,000 to £12,000	Over £18,000	around 150
£10,000 to £12,000	£15,000 to £18,000	around 150
£12,000 to £15,000	Over £18,000	around 350

Question reference: S5W-14684

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties covered by the business rates transitional relief scheme saw their rateable value increase from between £10,000 and £12,000 to between £15,000 and £18,000 following the revaluation of business rates in 2017.

Question reference: S5W-14685

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties covered by the business rates transitional relief scheme saw their rateable value increase from between £12,000 and £15,000 to over £18,000 following the revaluation of business rates in 2017.

Question reference: S5W-14680

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in light of reports that over 650 properties covered by the business rates transitional relief scheme saw their net rates bills increase by more than 14.75%.

Following the 2017 revaluation the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) thresholds were significantly increased from £10,000 to £15,000 rateable value and a transitional scheme was introduced.

Both schemes are significantly more generous than their equivalents elsewhere in the UK with the SBBS offering 100% relief for properties with a rateable value under £15,000 and a transitional scheme which is fully funded from by the Scottish Government budget, unlike the transitional relief offered by the UK Government which increases bills for some businesses to fund the scheme.

Because of the generous nature of both reliefs, in designing both the SBBS and transitional schemes and the interaction between the two a balance had to be struck between affordability and helping the maximum number of small businesses.

Local Councils also have wide ranging powers to introduce their own relief schemes to meet local circumstances, including to cap bill rises for individual properties.

Question reference: S5W-14793

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the Urgent Question regarding the merger between the British Transport Police in Scotland and Police Scotland by Michael Matheson on 21 February 2018 (Official Report, c. 1), by what date the (a) reported issues regarding (i) IT, (ii) pensions, (iii) third-party contracts and (iv) employees' terms and conditions will be resolved and (b) merger will go ahead.

The Joint Programme Board, as the appropriate body to manage the programme, has made progress in a number of key areas in the past eight months. This includes agreement that officers and staff will retain their current terms and conditions, including access to their current pension schemes. The Joint Programme Board has been advised that operational aspects of the integration will not be ready for April 2019 as planned; Ministers have therefore agreed that a re-planning exercise should take place in the coming months to ensure all aspects have a clear delivery plan in place. After that the Board will agree what the most appropriate integration date should be.

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Chamber and committees