- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 28 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it consulted with any representatives or representative bodies of the business community regarding its decision to fix a business rate poundage of 10.1% higher than in England prior to its ministerial statement on local government finance of 8 December 1999.
Answer
I had a number of meetings with business representative bodies to discuss rating and valuation issues. I will continue to do so up to, and following, the revaluation in line with the policy of openness and transparency. In addition, I have since published the detailed calculations which prove that the total revenue raised through business rates will simply be maintained in 2000-01.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 28 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact macro-economic policies planned by Her Majesty's Government will have on its enterprise policies, whether these policies will provide a good climate for people in Scotland to start up in business, and whether these policies will give small business the confidence to respond and invest in the future.
Answer
Inflation is now low and stable. Output in the Scottish economy continues to expand in both the manufacturing and service sectors. Unemployment in Scotland is falling and is low by historical and international standards, while employment is rising. These conditions provide a sound basis for the Scottish Executive's policies to promote a stable and competitive environment that will inspire more home grown enterprises to flourish.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 28 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact will be in Scotland upon (a) levels of unemployment, (b) small businesses and (c) the economy if it decides to make final its decision to fix a business rate poundage of 10.1 % higher than the proposed poundage in England.
Answer
The provisional poundage figure I announced on 8 December was calculated to keep the total tax burden the same in real terms for Scottish businesses. The proposed higher Scottish poundage results from an expected smaller increase in rateable value in Scotland than in England, the system has been designed to achieve a neutral effect overall.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be provided by the Business Growth Fund over each of the next 10 years and from what budget source; who will be responsible for administering this fund; what is the estimated costs for each of the next 10 years, and what gap the fund is designed to fill.
Answer
Funding of £12 million is being provided under the Business Growth Fund over three years (£3 million in 1999-2000; £4 million in 2000-01; £5 million in 2001-02), for loans between £20,000 and £100,000. These funds have been allocated to both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise who are responsible for the administration of the scheme. £2 million has already been committed under the Fund. A decision on whether to extend the funding beyond the initial three years will be made towards the end of that period following a review of the impact of the scheme.Small companies can face difficulties in raising sufficient funding due to their size and risk profile. The Business Growth Fund seeks to address this by providing assistance to businesses which are commercially viable and have growth potential, but which are unable to access sufficient funding from established sources.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list, for the last period for which information is available, the record of each local authority in Scotland for payment of debt, showing the average number of days within which each local authority has paid its suppliers and other creditors; whether it considers that these records are satisfactory and, if not, whether it will take steps to ensure that those local authorities which are not settling debts timeously do so; and after what period of time it estimates that such steps would result in all local authorities settling their debts timeously.
Answer
Payment arrangements are a matter between local authorities and individual suppliers. The latest information on the percentage of invoices that authorities pay within 30 days is published by the Accounts Commission in their Annual Report Comparing the Performance of Scottish Councils 1997-98. As noted in my response to question S1O-332, I spoke to Councillor Norman Murray, president of CoSLA, asking him to draw to the attention of councils the requirements of the Late Payment of Commercial Debt (Interest) Act 1998 and the importance of paying their bills on time. CoSLA wrote to all local authorities advising them of this on 1 October.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken into the blood levels of trapped wild fowl.
Answer
Lead levels in wildfowl blood have been investigated in a range of studies throughout the world. These are listed below:
Anderson W L and Havera S P (1985), "Blood lead, protoporphyrin and ingested shot for detecting lead poisoning in wildfowl", Wildlife Society Bulletin, 13, pp. 26-31.
Dieter M P and Finley M T (1978), "Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase enzyme activity in blood, brain and liver of lead-dosed ducks", Environmental Resources, 19, pp. 127-135.
Hall S L and Fisher F M (1985), "Lead concentrations in tissues of marsh birds: relationships of feeding habitats and grit preference to spent shot ingestion", Bulletin of Environmental Contaminant Toxicology, 35, pp. 1-8.
Madsen H H T, Kkjorn T, Jorgensen P J and Grandjean P (1988), "Blood lead levels in patients with lead shot retained in the appendix", Acta Radiol, 29, pp. 745-746.
Osweller G D, van Geldeer G A and Buck W B (1978), "Epiderminology of lead poisoning in animals" in Toxicity of heavy metals in the environment (editor F W Dehme), Marcel Dekker, New York.In Scotland, when acute poisoning incidents occur, investigations into the particular cause and poisoning level are carried out.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received written representations from the Scottish Council of Development and Industry opposing the decision to abandon the policy of a common UK non-domestic poundage and in particular to set a provisional poundage which is 10.1% higher than that in England.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that existing arrangements provide sufficient access for small businesses to unsecured long term development finance and, if not, whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government to investigate the possibility of setting up a new business bank to provide small businesses with access to loans at rates significantly better than high street banks.
Answer
The public sector currently provides, or contributes to, a range of small business finance schemes in circumstances where a discernible market failure can be identified. Most recently we established the £12 million Business Growth Fund to provide loans to small businesses with potentially viable proposals but unable to access sufficient funds from established sources - for example because of a lack of sufficient security or a limited track record. Some £2 million in loans has already been offered under the scheme and we will be evaluating its success in meeting this perceived gap in the funding market.The need for additional funding measures to support small business is kept under constant review. I remain to be convinced however that a case has been made for wider loan funding at below market rates, which may simply serve to displace existing private sector funding with no overall economic benefit.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a similar body in Scotland to the American body "The Small Business Administrator".
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to introduce in Scotland a body similar to the Small Business Administration in the United States of America. Public sector support for small businesses in Scotland is delivered primarily through Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and we are currently reviewing the existing Enterprise Network in Scotland. We will also give careful consideration to any recommendations which emanate from the inquiry into Scotland's local economic development services by the Scottish Parliament's Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee. The Executive is determined to ensure that public sector support for business in Scotland meets the needs of the twenty-first century.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 27 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any evidence of dead birds being washed ashore in wardened coastal reserves or elsewhere.
Answer
I am advised that dead birds are regularly washed up along the coast. The cause of bird mortality will vary depending on the location and time of year.
