Questions and answers

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.

Question reference: S5W-14616

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S5F-02020 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 February 2018 (Official Report, c. 19), in light of the potential impact on passengers and businesses in Scotland, what its position is on the decision to end the East Coast Mainline rail franchise contract that was awarded to Stagecoach and Virgin, and, in light of this contract ending, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding whether it is appropriate for the companies to continue to operate the West Coast Mainline service.

The Virgin Trains East Coast franchise is the responsibility of the UK Government’s Department for Transport, who let and manage that contract. Any penalties or bans relating to the contract are a matter for the UK Government, not the Scottish Government.

Our priority as a Government is to ensure there is no slide in the provision or quality of services, and that the interests of Scottish passengers are addressed. Both the Secretary of State for Transport and the Managing Director of Virgin Trains East Coast have given us reassurances that day-to-day operations will be unaffected.

Question reference: S5W-14617

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S5F-02020 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 February 2018 (Official Report, c. 19), in light of the potential impact on passengers and businesses in Scotland, what communications it has had with (a) the UK Government and (b) Stagecoach and Virgin regarding the ending of the current East Coast Mainline rail franchise contract.

I spoke to the Secretary of State on 7 February 2018 for reassurance that there will be no slide in the provision or quality of services, and that the interests of Scottish passengers are addressed. I then followed up that communication with a letter on 8 February 2018. Virgin Trains East Coast issued on 5 February 2018 a notification to stakeholders about the impending termination of the franchise and affirmed a continuing commitment, for the reminder of their contract, to the customers and the communities that they serve. My officials, in the light of the notification, wrote to the Managing Director, Virgin Trains East Coast on 13 February 2018 requesting advance notification of any changes to services affecting Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-14413

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 22 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the UK Government confirmed that it would be refunding the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s VAT for 2018-19.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Autumn Budget statement on 22 November 2017 confirmed that the UK Government would legislate to allow SFRS to reclaim VAT from April 2018.

In setting the budget for SFRS in 201819 we have ensured that it will benefit from the whole of the additional £10 million it can now reclaim on VAT. We will continue to press the UK Government over the £140m already paid to HMRC for Police and Fire VAT.

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Chamber and committees