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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: S3W-35882

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area are eligible for rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in 2010-11.

Latest figures show that 74,000 business properties in Scotland received a discount on their bill through Small Business Bonus, and 64,000 of those paid no rates at all.

However, there are a number of properties which are eligible, but have not claimed. In the coming weeks, the Scottish Government will write to businesses to encourage those who are eligible for the scheme, but have not yet claimed, to apply for the relief under the Small Business Bonus Scheme.

Figures on actual take-up for 2010-11 will be published later in 2011, which will include a breakdown by local authority area.

Question reference: S3W-35877

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many rates revaluation appeals since 1 April 2010 have been concluded and how many have been successful.

Question reference: S3W-35880

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area were eligible for rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

An estimate of the number of properties eligible for Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) in each local authority area for 2009-10 is shown in the following table. Equivalent data for 2008-09 is not held centrally.

The Scheme has been widely promoted and it is estimated that 85% of eligible small properties now benefit from relief. The Scottish Government is aware that a number of businesses eligible for SBBS have not yet applied for the scheme and efforts will continue to encourage take-up among that group.

Estimated Number of Properties Eligible for Relief

Aberdeen City	3,536
Aberdeenshire	6,855
Angus	3,298
Argyll and Bute	5,755
Clackmannanshire	848
Dumfries and Galloway	6,368
Dundee City	3,026
East Ayrshire	2,377
East Dunbartonshire	1,350
East Lothian	2,261
East Renfrewshire	1,004
Edinburgh, City Of	8,861
Eilean Siar	1,715
Falkirk	2,568
Fife	7,759
Glasgow City	12,736
Highland	12,161
Inverclyde	1,414
Midlothian	1,640
Moray	3,337
North Ayrshire	3,228
North Lanarkshire	5,265
Orkney Islands	1,596
Perth and Kinross	5,199
Renfrewshire	3,564
Scottish Borders	5,084
Shetland Islands	1,293
South Ayrshire	2,999
South Lanarkshire	5,353
Stirling	2,896
West Dunbartonshire	1,544
West Lothian	2,883
Scotland	129,773

Question reference: S3W-35883

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area it expects to receive rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in 2010-11.

Question reference: S3W-35874

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses have appealed their business rate revaluation since 1 April 2010.

Question reference: S3W-36119

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35879 by John Swinney on 6 September 2010, how many businesses in each local authority area have had (a) a decrease and (b) no change in their business rate as a result of rates revaluation from 1 April 2010.

A full breakdown of bill changes following the 2010 revaluation by local authority area, including the number of ratepayers who saw their bills decrease and those whose bills did not change, is shown in the following table. The figures given are before the impact of reliefs or appeals, both of which will significantly increase the number of properties who will see their bills decrease.

Local Authority	Ratepayers with Bill Decrease		Ratepayers with no Change to Bill		Ratepayers with Bill Increase - up to 12.5%		Ratepayers with Bill Increase - over 12.5%
Local Authority	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Aberdeen City	3,428	41.6	677	8.2	2,203	26.7	1,934	23.5
Aberdeenshire	2,224	20.6	2,920	27.1	1,789	16.6	3,848	35.7
Angus	2,009	41.9	1,063	22.2	1,034	21.6	691	14.4
Argyll and Bute	2,726	36.0	1,376	18.2	1,624	21.4	1,846	24.4
Clackmannanshire	751	48.8	204	13.3	264	17.2	319	20.7
Dumfries and Galloway	3,228	36.5	2,211	25.0	1,602	18.1	1,813	20.5
Dundee City	3,072	54.4	622	11.0	1,281	22.7	675	11.9
East Ayrshire	2,334	62.0	576	15.3	466	12.4	387	10.3
East Dunbartonshire	1,450	64.5	186	8.3	357	15.9	256	11.4
East Lothian	961	29.7	592	18.3	781	24.2	899	27.8
East Renfrewshire	1,007	61.6	199	12.2	215	13.2	213	13.0
Edinburgh, City of	8,034	42.9	1,682	9.0	4,963	26.5	4,070	21.7
Eilean Siar	453	21.3	541	25.4	647	30.4	488	22.9
Falkirk	2,601	55.2	614	13.0	851	18.1	645	13.7
Fife	5,741	45.3	2,052	16.2	2,286	18.0	2,602	20.5
Glasgow City	12,168	49.0	2,526	10.2	5,580	22.5	4,570	18.4
Highland	4,762	28.7	2,986	18.0	4,048	24.4	4,819	29.0
Inverclyde	1,451	63.7	255	11.2	227	10.0	346	15.2
Midlothian	1,001	36.9	401	14.8	602	22.2	711	26.2
Moray	760	17.2	1,061	24.1	971	22.0	1,617	36.7
North Ayrshire	2,601	53.9	644	13.3	700	14.5	884	18.3
North Lanarkshire	5,590	62.4	948	10.6	1,172	13.1	1,249	13.9
Orkney Islands	275	14.0	446	22.7	434	22.1	812	41.3
Perth and Kinross	3,785	47.0	1,733	21.5	1,155	14.3	1,383	17.2
Renfrewshire	3,903	65.0	650	10.8	698	11.6	755	12.6
Scottish Borders	1,700	24.6	1,507	21.8	1,237	17.9	2,465	35.7
Shetland Islands	556	29.4	507	26.8	361	19.1	470	24.8
South Ayrshire	2,755	60.7	570	12.6	606	13.3	609	13.4
South Lanarkshire	5,570	59.6	1,053	11.3	1,317	14.1	1,412	15.1
Stirling	2,484	51.4	714	14.8	760	15.7	873	18.1
West Dunbartonshire	1,876	69.7	203	7.5	272	10.1	340	12.6
West Lothian	2,715	50.6	637	11.9	956	17.8	1,055	19.7
Total	93,971	44.2	32,356	15.2	41,459	19.5	45,056	21.2

Question reference: S3W-36367

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 September 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will next meet the Scottish Police Services Authority board and what issues will be discussed.

Question reference: S3W-36371

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 September 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice expects to make a final decision on the recommendations given by the Scottish Police Services Authority on its forensic services modernisation plans.

Question reference: S3W-36368

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 September 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether representatives of the Scottish Government were present at the last board meeting of the Scottish Police Services Authority.

Question reference: S3W-36369

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 September 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has had with the Scottish Police Services Authority board regarding its forensic services modernisation plans.