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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-29420

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue has been received through non-domestic rates from the hospitality sector in each year since 1999.

Non-domestic rates are administered by local councils, and the Scottish Government does not routinely hold information on the amounts actually paid by individual businesses or properties. However, we are able to estimate the amounts some property types would have been liable for in some years where individual property level relief data has been collected nationally.

Table 1 presents estimated historic rateable values and estimates of net non-domestic rates income for hotels, public houses, and restaurants. Property level reliefs data, and therefore net income estimates, for years before 2012-13, and for 2014-2015, 2017-2018, and 2023-2024 are not available, and are not yet available for 2024-2025.

Hospitality premises are identified by property classes “public houses and restaurants” and “hotels”. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property. There may be properties within those classes which are not actually used for hospitality, and properties within other classes which are used for hospitality. Rateable values are as at 1 April in each financial year, and do not take into account any subsequent changes, even if backdated. A revaluation occurred in 2017-2018, and in 2023-2024. Reliefs information is derived from councils’ billing data, as at end April 2012, 1 October 2013, 8 October 2015, 5 October 2016, 1 June 2018, 31 May 2019, 1 July 2020, 1 June 2021, and 1 July 2022. The relief percentages reported in these billing data snapshots are applied to the gross income estimates based on rateable values on 1 April in each year to derive the net estimates. Net income in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 was affected by the Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure (RHL) relief introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. RHL relief awarded in 2022-2023 is not included, as this relief was not reported on the 2022 billing snapshot. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000.

Table 1: Total rateable value and estimated net NDR income related to hotels, public houses, and restaurants

Financial year	Rateable value	Net income
2012-2013	296,200,000	123,600,000
2013-2014	292,100,000	126,100,000
2014-2015	289,700,000	[not available]
2015-2016	296,200,000	133,300,000
2016-2017	299,800,000	138,500,000
2017-2018	402,500,000	[not available]
2018-2019	410,200,000	185,100,000
2019-2020	413,500,000	185,000,000
2020-2021	404,200,000	8,100,000
2021-2022	395,800,000	38,300,000
2022-2023	399,600,000	182,600,000

Question reference: S6W-29489

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what promotional efforts it will make in conjunction with the UK Government to encourage any pensioners impacted by the loss of the Winter Heating Payment to apply for pension credit.

Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ask her to do more to increase take up rates. We have also offered to work with the DWP to improve take-up rates. This will include working with stakeholders across Scotland to increase awareness of Pension Credit and the link to eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.

Our welfare advice services, supported by Scottish Government investment, also work very closely with people who may be entitled to benefits, devolved or reserved, but have not yet applied. These efforts include increasing the awareness and take-up of assistance to support people who are struggling financially.

This is why we have committed to investing over £12 million for the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice services in 2024-25, including support for the Citizens Advice Scotland Money Talk Team Service, which last year supported over 9,000 older people.

Question reference: S6W-29425

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to issue fair work grants and, if so, by what date it will do so.

As announced on 21 August as part of emergency budget controls, the Fairer Workplaces Fund 2024 to 2025 has been cancelled.

This is just one of a number of spending plans that we have been forced to withdraw due to the extremely challenging financial position faced by the Scottish Government following the continuing effects of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, alongside UK Government spending decisions. This does not in any way change our commitment to Fair Work or desire to promote Fair Work in Scotland. We continue to take forward the range of actions within the Fair Work Action Plan and to embed Fair Work throughout the delivery of the programme for government.

Question reference: S6W-29467

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the allocation of fishing quotas, whether it considers whether an operator aligns with its fair work framework as part of the Scottish Ministers' obligations under section 25 of the Fisheries Act 2020.

Section 25 of the UK Fisheries Act 2020 obliges the Scottish Government (and other UK national fisheries authorities) to utilise objective and transparent criteria related to social, environmental and economic factors when allocating quota. It also requires that national fisheries authorities seek to incentivise the use of selective fishing gear and the use of fishing techniques that have a reduced impact on the environment.

The Fair Work First policy applies fair work criteria to grants, other funding and public contracts awarded by and across the public sector. In distributing fishing quota, the Scottish Government is not making an award of a grant, contract or other funding, so this policy is not a direct consideration.

In our recent consultation on the allocation of Additional Quota, we sought views on crew welfare as a criterion for distributing quota. In the consultation outcome report we recognise that the ILO188 Work in Fishing Convention, enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, is the appropriate framework for monitoring crew welfare.

Question reference: S6W-29488

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact on eligibility for the Winter Heating Payment in Scotland, what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding simplifying the application process for pension credit.

Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of DWP. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ask her to do more to increase take up rates.

The Scottish Government is keen to see further details of plans by the UK Government to merge the administration of Housing Benefit and Pension Credit, which should simplify the application process and improve take-up rates.

Question reference: S6T-02090

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent reported dog attack in Aberdeenshire, what effect the restrictions on XL Bully-type dogs have had on the incidence of dog attacks.

Question reference: S6T-02092

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Commonwealth Games potentially being hosted in Glasgow in 2026.

Question reference: S6T-02083

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Grenfell report, what plans it has to ensure that the reported 107 buildings identified in its cladding remediation programme are fixed, including how many will be remediated this year.

Question reference: S6F-03346

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government’s plans to improve the planning and consenting regime for renewable energy generation can support the journey to net zero.

Question reference: S6F-03340

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to recent reports regarding Police Scotland’s policy on gender self-identification for individuals charged with or convicted of serious sexual assaults.