Local Government and Communities Committee
Meeting date: Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Official Report 580KB pdf
Contents
- Attendance
- Decision on Taking Business in Private
- First-tier Tribunal for Scotland Housing and Property Chamber
- Subordinate Legislation
Subordinate Legislation
Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (Remuneration) Amendment Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/26)
Non-Domestic Rates (Reverse Vending Machine Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/36)
Non-Domestic Rates (Enterprise Areas) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/38)
Non-Domestic Rates (Relief for New and Improved Properties) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/40)
Non-Domestic Rates (Telecommunication Installations) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/41)
Non-Domestic Rates (Transitional Relief) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/42)
Non-Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2020 (SSI 2020/43)
Non-Domestic Rating (Valuation of Utilities) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020 (SSI 2020/44)
Agenda item 3 is the consideration of eight instruments that are subject to negative procedure, which means that the provisions will come into force unless Parliament agrees to a motion to annul them. No such motions have been lodged.
The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instruments at its meeting on 3 March 2020 and determined that it did not need to draw the attention of Parliament to the instruments on any grounds within its remit.
Given that no motion to annul has been lodged, if no member objects, I propose to ask a single question on all the instruments. However, I will first allow members the opportunity to put on record any comments or observations that they might have on the instruments. Is that approach satisfactory to the committee?
Members indicated agreement.
In that case, before putting the questions on those eight negative instruments, I invite any comments or observations.
I gave notice before the meeting that, although I do not wish to delay or oppose it, I have a couple of questions in relation to SSI 2020/38, which is about non-domestic rates in enterprise areas. I would like more information from the Scottish Government about the numbers of properties that will be impacted and its assessment of the effectiveness of the regulations that we have had before on that issue.
SSI 2020/26—on Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 remuneration—looks like a good regulation, because it gives councils more flexibility when councillors have a paid leave of absence. In the current climate of enabling people to take maternity or paternity leave, that is a good regulation and I am glad that it is in front of us today.
We will write the letter as suggested. Is the committee agreed not to make any recommendation in relation to any of the instruments listed in today’s agenda?
Members indicated agreement.
11:14 Meeting continued in private until 11:35.