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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: S6W-19898

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent known level at which business rates begin to be paid for the rateable value of individual properties is in Scotland, and what information it has on how this compares with the level in (a) England and (b) Wales.

The Scottish Budget delivered a package of reliefs for 2023-24 worth £749 million, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme which offers up to 100% relief for eligible individual properties in Scotland with a rateable value of up to £20,000.

To improve the design of the scheme, the Scottish Government expanded the upper eligibility threshold for the Small Business Bonus Scheme from £18,000 to £20,000 and made the relief more progressive by introducing a taper for properties with a rateable value between £12,001 and £20,000. The Small Business Bonus Scheme remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK, and continues to take 100,000 properties out of rates altogether. Table 1 provides a comparison of small business rates reliefs in Scotland, England and Wales.

Table 1: Small Business Rates Reliefs in Scotland, England and Wales in 2023-24

Scotland

England

Wales

Small business 100% relief threshold (rateable value) *

The relief is 100% for properties with a rateable value up to £12,000.

The relief is 100% for properties with a rateable value up to £12,000

The relief is 100% for properties with a rateable value up to £6,000.

Small business relief thresholds (rateable value) for relief less than 100% *

The relief tapers from 100% to 25% for properties with rateable value from £12,001 to £15,000.

The relief tapers from 25% to 0% for properties with a rateable value from £15,001 to £20,000.

The relief tapers from 100% to 0% for properties with a rateable value from £12,001 to £15,000.

The relief tapers from 100% to 0% for properties with a rateable value from £6,001 to £12,000.

Small business relief cumulative rules for ratepayers with multiple properties.

The relief may also be available for ratepayers with multiple properties where the total rateable value of all of the properties does not exceed £35,000.

Where the total rateable value is £12,000 or less, the relief is 100%.

Where total rateable value is between £12,001 to £35,000:

The relief is 25% for properties with an individual rateable value of £15,000 or less.

The relief tapers from 25% to 0% for properties with an individual rateable value of £15,001 to £20,000.

The relief is available for ratepayers with only one property.

If a ratepayer occupies a second property, the relief continues to be available on the existing property for 12 months before expiring, unless the rateable values of both properties are less than £2,900 and the total rateable value is less than £20,000 (£28,000 in London).

The relief is limited to two properties per business in each local authority.

*Note: A property is required to meet eligibility criteria other than rateable value in order to be eligible for the relief. For example, in Scotland properties used for the purposes of payday lending or betting shops are not eligible. Similarly, there are eligibility restrictions for ratepayers occupying multiple properties as shown in the table.

Question reference: S6O-02403

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the future of community link practitioners working with GP practices, in particular in more deprived areas.

Question reference: S6F-02252

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2023

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government plans to mark Clean Air Day.

Question reference: S6O-02390

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the efficiency of the passholder secure entry system to the Parliament, in light of reports that passholders are experiencing difficulties in gaining access.

Question reference: S6O-02140

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider making proven and not proven the two available verdicts in the criminal courts.

Question reference: S6W-16180

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the introduction of its proposed Scottish Aggregates Levy Bill.

The Programme for Government 2022-2023 set out a commitment to introduce a Scottish Aggregates Levy Bill within this Parliamentary year. The Bill will set out key arrangements for a devolved tax on the commercial exploitation of aggregates in Scotland, including to provide for its administration by Revenue Scotland.

Consistent with the Framework for Tax, the Scottish Government is consulting and engaging with stakeholders to help inform development of the Bill.

Following public consultation and taking stakeholders’ views into account, the Scottish Government concluded that further work is needed to ensure that decisions on Bill provisions are based on optimal evidence. An advisory group has been formed to assist with this process.

Given this, the Bill will now not be introduced before the end of the current Parliamentary year.

Question reference: S6O-01949

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether current funding for colleges is fair, when compared to the funding received by universities.

Question reference: S6O-01920

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether housing associations should remain independent where possible, rather than being subsumed by larger organisations.

Question reference: S6O-01864

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any increased number and cost of commissions and commissioners for which it is responsible will mean resources being diverted away from frontline services.

Question reference: S6F-01745

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the second round of the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund allocations in Scotland.