Seòmar agus comataidhean

Correspondence from MSPs is routinely answered by Scottish Government Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers. The Health and Social Care portfolio has experienced a huge and unprecedented increase in correspondence over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order for MSPs to receive timely responses, much of the correspondence previously signed by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport is being reviewed on their behalf by Scottish Government Deputy Directors. This remains under review and normal process will resume when volumes allow for timely responses.

The Scottish Government aim to respond to ministerial correspondence within 20 working days. Performance is monitored at local and corporate levels of government.

Disclosure Scotland checks and shares information about people's criminal records. This helps organisations to employ the right people for certain types of work, like working with children or protected adults. The requirement for disclosure checks is unlikely to apply to all individuals involved in the decision making process for the health and wellbeing census. Further information about the circumstances which require disclosure checks is available from Types of disclosure - mygov.scot

In terms of accessing individuals’ information, for the purposes of safeguarding, only a small number of individual staff within each local authority will have access to the responses provided by children and young people in the Census, and be able to actually identify an individual based on their Scottish Candidate Number by accessing a separate management information system which holds this information. No other persons (e.g. Scottish Government analysts) who will have access to the individual responses provided by children and young people would be able to do this, as they do not have access to any systems that store the names of individual pupils. Analysts are also required to comply with rules and regulations that are set out for when processing individual level data for statistics and research purposes.

It would be expected that anyone carrying out 'regulated work' including teaching or supervising children and/or protected adults or working directly with children and/or protected adults would have membership of the PVG Scheme.

Table 1 presents the estimated number of properties with a Higher Property Rate (HPR) liability in 2022-23, and the gross additional non-domestic rates income estimated to be raised in 2022-23 through the HPR, by property class.

Table 1 shows gross amounts and does not take account of reductions in liability due to reliefs awarded in 2022-23. This is in part due to the application of a £27,500 cap per ratepayer on retail, hospitality and leisure relief in 2022-23 which means that it is not possible to robustly estimate the breakdown of these figures by property class at this time.

Figures in Table 1 are broken down by property class as the Scottish Government does not hold data property-level on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and may not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.

Table 1: Estimated number of properties subject to the Higher Property Rate, and gross HPR income, by property class in 2022-23

In order to ensure that relief is only awarded to eligible businesses who wish to claim support, retail, hospitality, and leisure non-domestic rates relief will be application-based in 2022-23, as it was in 2021-22.

The Scottish Government provides the policy and legislative framework for community engagement in the Scottish planning system. Whilst not providing an advocacy service for communities, the Scottish Government provides financial assistance to PAS (Planning Aid for Scotland), an independent charity, to provide a free advice service on planning and environmental matters for communities and the public at large, through its professional planner volunteers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04901 on
‎ 24 December 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Budget continues to deliver the lowest poundage in the UK for the fourth year in a row, with a below inflation increase to 49.8p proposed in 2022-23. Compared to maintaining the poundage at the current rate of 49p, we estimate that this a will raise an additional £45 million.

Table 1 shows the estimated loss in gross non-domestic rates income (£57.9m) from freezing the poundage at 49p compared to raising it to 49.8p.

Table 1 presents a breakdown by property class as the Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and may not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.

Due to the application of a £27,500 cap per ratepayer on retail, hospitality and leisure relief in 2022-23, it is not possible to robustly estimate the breakdown of these net figures by property class at this time.

Table 1: Estimated loss to NDR income of freezing the poundage at 49p compared to 49.8p by property class

We are aware that some manufacturers may be affected by difficulties with imported components. Other manufactures have stock availability and specialist retailers are also able to meet demand, subject to logistical challenges. However, I would emphasise that when the legislation comes into force, it says that work should be done within a reasonable period, which takes into account individual circumstances. No home owner will be penalised if they are unable to do the work by 1 February 2022.

Interim arrangements are being put in place for the position of the Chair of Caledonian Maritime Limited, a formal appointments process will commence early this year.

Morag McNeil, current Non-Executive Director and Vice Chair of the Board of Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, has been appointed as Interim Chair until 31 October 2022.