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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: S5W-21535

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how much the cap on the increase in the rates poundage in Scotland will save businesses, broken down by local authority.

For 2018-19 we limited the inflationary increase in the non-domestic rates (NDR) poundage to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rather than the Retail Price Index (RPI) as had previously been the case. In 2019-20 we have gone further by limiting the inflationary increase in the poundage to less than CPI (2.1% compared to 2.2%). The estimated overall saving to businesses in 2019-20 as result of this decision is £35.2 million, relative to the baseline where the Scottish Government would have uprated the poundage by RPI. The following table provides a breakdown by local authority of the estimated saving based on the latest NDR income reported by local authorities on their 2018-19 Mid-Year Estimate returns.

Local authority	£m
Aberdeen City	3.1
Aberdeenshire	1.5
Angus	0.3
Argyll & Bute	0.4
Clackmannanshire	0.2
Dumfries & Galloway	0.6
Dundee City	0.7
East Ayrshire	0.4
East Dunbartonshire	0.3
East Lothian	0.3
East Renfrewshire	0.2
Edinburgh, City of	4.5
Eilean Siar	0.1
Falkirk	0.9
Fife	1.9
Glasgow City	4.4
Highland	1.8
Inverclyde	0.2
Midlothian	0.4
Moray	0.5
North Ayrshire	0.5
North Lanarkshire	1.3
Orkney Islands	0.1
Perth & Kinross	0.7
Renfrewshire	1.4
Scottish Borders	0.5
Shetland Islands	0.3
South Ayrshire	0.5
South Lanarkshire	4.2
Stirling	0.6
West Dunbartonshire	1.1
West Lothian	1.1
Scotland	35.2

Source: Local Authority Mid-Year Estimate Income Returns.

Question reference: S5W-21533

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much business rates relief has cumulatively saved businesses since 2007, broken down by local authority area.

The following table shows how much non-domestic rates relief has saved businesses cumulatively from 2009-10 until 2017-18, based on local authority audited income returns. Local authority breakdowns are not currently available for earlier years.

Local Authority	Rates relief (£m)
Aberdeen City	239
Aberdeenshire	165
Angus	84
Argyll & Bute	86
Clackmannanshire	30
Dumfries & Galloway	104
Dundee City	188
East Ayrshire	78
East Dunbartonshire	63
East Lothian	76
East Renfrewshire	42
Edinburgh, City of	738
Eilean Siar	29
Falkirk	105
Fife	307
Glasgow City	922
Highland	262
Inverclyde	62
Midlothian	69
Moray	59
North Ayrshire	108
North Lanarkshire	248
Orkney Islands	27
Perth & Kinross	150
Renfrewshire	173
Scottish Borders	102
Shetland Islands	38
South Ayrshire	97
South Lanarkshire	235
Stirling	100
West Dunbartonshire	58
West Lothian	151
Scotland	5,906

Source: Local Authority Audited Income Returns.

Note: Reliefs estimates include both the mandatory (i.e. eligible properties are entitled to claiming this) and discretionary (i.e. councils may choose to give it) elements of relief where applicable, but exclude backdated payments of relief, as well as councils' own contributions to reliefs. The Scottish Government funds 100% of mandatory relief and 75% or more of discretionary relief, while councils fund up to 25% of discretionary relief.

Question reference: S5O-02874

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to increasing pay for local councillors.

Question reference: S5O-02811

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the citizens' basic income pilot schemes.

Question reference: S5O-02767

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the decline in kestrel numbers in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-02713

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what it expects the impact to be on social security and older people in Glasgow of its draft spending and tax plans for 2019-20.

Question reference: S5O-02639

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether children in Glasgow must demonstrate greater needs than those in other parts of Scotland in order to gain access to an Additional Support for Learning school.

Question reference: S5F-02717

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2018

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to the reported rise in antisemitism.

Question reference: S5O-02491

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can give to older people who find themselves lonely and isolated.

Question reference: S5O-02384

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of the number of free-to-use ATMs reducing at a record rate, whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support communities on this issue, particularly those in remote and rural areas.