Finance and Public Administration Committee
The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Green Freeports Relief) (Scotland) Order 2023 (SSI 2023/Draft)
Background
The Scottish and UK governments announced in January 2023 that the Inverness and Cromarty Firth and Forth Green freeports had been jointly selected to become Scotland’s first “Green Freeports”.
The Scottish Government says Green Freeports are designed to boost innovation and inclusive growth within communities while:
- supporting Fair Work First practices
- creating new green jobs
- upholding the highest environmental protections
- supporting economic transformation.
As part of its approach to Green Freeports, the Scottish Government proposes to provide relief from Land and Building Transaction Tax (LBTT) for certain types of transactions within a Green Freeport designated tax site.
The relief will be either a full or partial reduction in the amount of LBTT payable.
The Scottish Government says LBTT relief will:
- support delivery of the Green Freeports programme
- encourage long-term investment in these tax sites.
Secondary legislation
The Scottish Government has laid secondary legislation in Parliament seeking approval for this relief.
Read The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Green Freeports Relief) (Scotland) Order 2023 (SSI2023/Draft)
Read its accompanying explanatory notes.
Committee Scrutiny
The Finance and Public Administration Committee is the lead committee for considering this secondary legislation. It will report to Parliament later this year.
Oral Evidence
The Committee took evidence on the draft Order at the following meetings:
Tuesday 12 September 2023
The Committee took evidence from the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance
Read the agenda, papers and Official Report (substantially verbatim transcript) for this meeting
Tuesday 5 September 2023
The Committee took evidence from the Scottish Property Federation and Unite the Union
Read the agenda, papers and Official Report (substantially verbatim transcript) for this meeting
Committee Report
The Committee published its report on the draft Order on 22 September 2023. Read the Committee's report here:
Your views
The Committee was seeking views on The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Green Freeports Relief) (Scotland) Order 2023 (SSI 2023/draft). The call for views closed on 15 August 2023.
The Committee received 5 submissions to its call for views. Read the submissions on Citizen Space:
Timetable
Wednesday 28 June 2023
The call for written views opens.
Tuesday 15 August 2023
The call for written views closes.
Mid-September 2023
Witnesses invited to give oral evidence.
Late September 2023
The committee reports to Parliament.