Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-13367

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the savings will be in 2023-24 as a result of the decision to increase the starting threshold for the higher property rate, broken down by industry sector.

Table 1 presents the estimated gross savings to ratepayers due to the increase in the rateable value threshold for the Higher Property Rate (HPR) to £100,000. This table does not take into account any reliefs, including Transitional Relief. This is broken down 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 does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.

These tables are based on an imputed Valuation Roll based on an incomplete draft Valuation Roll, as used by the Scottish Fiscal Commission in Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts December 2022, and are therefore subject to change.

Figures in this table are rounded to the nearest £1,000.

Table 1: Gross savings to properties removed from HPR in 2023-24 due to the threshold increase, by property class

Property class	Savings to ratepayers before relief (£)
Shops	188,000
Public Houses	29,000
Offices	115,000
Hotels	28,000
Industrial Subjects	182,000
Leisure, Entertainment, Caravans etc.	44,000
Garages and Petrol Stations	16,000
Cultural	5,000
Sporting Subjects	1,000
Education and Training	90,000
Public Service Subjects	43,000
Communications	0
Quarries, Mines, etc.	5,000
Petrochemical	1,000
Religious	5,000
Health and Medical	25,000
Other	15,000
Care Facilities	39,000
Advertising	0
Statutory Undertaking	10,000
Not in Use	0
All	841,000

Question reference: S6W-12680

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on addressing any socioeconomic impacts on marine industries affected by the need for a just transition to a low-impact fishing industry.

The Scottish Government is committed to working to deliver a just transition to climate resilience and net zero for Scotland. Scotland’s Future Fisheries Management Strategy sets out our approach to managing sea fisheries in Scotland in partnership with our stakeholders through ‘co-management’ and in a way that balances environmental, social, and economic interests to ensure the long-term sustainable management of Scotland’s fishing sector.

We recognise that planning and stakeholder engagement will be crucial to ensure that the economic and social impacts and opportunities from the transition for climate resilience and net zero are not missed and that risks associated with rapid structural change are mitigated where possible. Understanding the social and economic impacts and opportunities for marine sectors using just transition principles is at an early planning stage and will be evidence-informed and co-designed, working with those most impacted by the transition to help shape our approach.

Question reference: S6W-12681

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the next National Marine Plan will include detailed marine spatial plans for mobile and static fishing gears.

The purpose of the National Marine Plan is to set out the strategic policies for the sustainable development of our marine resources. The current National Marine Plan reflects broad spatial areas for certain types of activities (for example through policies such as RENEWABLES 1 and AQUACULTURE 1, 2 and 3). The content of the new National Marine Plan (NMP2) is yet to be defined. Given its strategic nature, it is anticipated that it will similarly reflect broad areas for certain types of activity, as informed by other relevant marine planning processes and policies. It will also provide at a strategic level an overview of the range of human activities in the marine space, including fisheries, and their associated cumulative impacts and interactions.

In addition, Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy sets out our approach to managing sea fisheries in Scotland in partnership with our stakeholders through ‘co-management’ and in a way that balances environmental, social and economic interests. As part of our 12 point action plan, we will address issues around the shared marine space linking with wider developments through the Blue Economy approach, considering how fishing interests can work alongside others marine users including offshore renewables.

Our Fisheries Management Strategy commits to rolling out Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to key parts of the fishing fleet, and prioritises making REM (including Global Positioning Systems (“GPS”), sensors and cameras) mandatory on scallop dredge vessels and pelagic vessels. REM provides opportunities to modernise the way in which accountability and confidence is provided in delivering responsible and sustainable fisheries management. This is a substantial change programme and one that will significantly improve our data, and our abilities to monitor activity and fish stocks, which will feed into future spatial management measures.

We are also developing our Future Catching Policy, in partnership with our stakeholders, which will link stock management with responsive and proportionate technical and spatial measures to take concrete action to support fishers to avoid catching fish and other species which they don’t want to land, or catch in the first place – reducing waste and improving environmental outcomes.

Question reference: S6F-01626

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the roll-out of the Child Disability Payment.

Question reference: S6W-12265

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to (a) launching an inquiry to assess the potential value of retrofit over demolition and (b) the introduction of a demolition levy, in light of the Chartered Institute of Building’s report, Levelling the playing field, not Scotland’s built environment: a case for retrofit over demolition, which states that introducing a demolition levy could catalyse a shift in priority to favour retrofit projects and fund green initiatives.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of retrofitting existing buildings, as noted in our Town Centre Action Plan review and Housing to 2040 Strategy. We are aware that current VAT rules may incentivise demolition over retrofitting. However, VAT policy is currently reserved to the UK Government. As such, we have called on the UK Government to address this issue, but to no avail. We called on the UK Government to issue changes in a letter of 19 March 2021, but this request was declined in a response received in May 2021.

The Scottish Government will, of course, continue to consider what it can do to address the current imbalance, including through the promotion and facilitation of retrofitting within our policies. However, it is clear that the key powers lie with the UK Government.

The Scottish Government welcomes the report from the Chartered Institute of Building. We too have been clear that coordinated action is needed to tackle the challenge of building decarbonisation. We will carefully consider the report, including the recommendation of introducing a demolition levy in Scotland. However, a change to the VAT structure remains the preferred solution. As the imbalance is caused by the design of the VAT system, this would be most efficiently and effectively resolved through VAT reform.

The Scottish Government will continue to call on the UK Government to address the current imbalance.

Question reference: S6W-12777

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Ivan McKee on 1 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the National Strategy for Economic Transformation commitment to establish an investor panel, chaired by the First Minister.

The First Minister will chair the Investor Panel and has appointed Angus Macpherson, CEO, Noble & Co as co-Chair. Ministers and officials have been working closely with Mr Macpherson to identify suitable Panel members with the knowledge, experience and expertise in global capital investment markets and green finance to drive this work forward. The first meeting of the Panel will take place on‎ 12 December.

The Panel’s primary focus will be on attracting capital investment to the physical infrastructure required for a just transition and to provide advice on how we can create the right conditions to attract private investment to support policy objectives.

Question reference: S6W-11924

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that all patients who present to their GP with symptoms of leukaemia receive a blood test as soon as possible, in light of this reportedly not being specifically covered in the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer.

A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer was completed in 2018 with revised clinical guidance published January 2019. The guidelines support primary care clinicians in ensuring those with symptoms suspicious of cancer are put on the right pathway at the right time.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with primary care clinicians across NHS Scotland, including the Scottish Primary Care Cancer Group, to raise awareness of symptoms and best referral practice for all cancer types.

Scotland’s first three Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services are live, providing primary care with a new referral pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms i.e. fatigue, nausea, weight loss – this can often include patients with Haematological cancers. A suite of tests, including blood tests, are undertaken in primary care at the point of referral. The Scottish Government is committed to working towards equitable access to a RCDS across Scotland, for eligible patients.

Question reference: S6W-11921

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to monitor the number of patients diagnosed with leukaemia in an emergency hospital admission.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on emergency presentations.

We are committed to reducing emergency diagnoses for cancer and have established three Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS) across NHS Scotland, with a further two sites announced by the First Minister on 10 October 2022.

RCDS provide primary care with access to a new referral pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer. The Clinical Leads for two of the Services are Haematologists, reflecting the role that this new model can play in diagnosing blood cancers including leukaemia earlier.

In addition, the Scottish Government will continue to work closely with primary care clinicians, including the Scottish Primary Care Cancer Group, to identify possible symptoms as early as possible and support appropriate referral via the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer.

Work is underway to develop a new earlier diagnosis vision in Scotland - this will form part of the new cancer strategy, due to publish Spring 2023. Measurements such as emergency presentation data, to track progress and improvements, are being considered.

Question reference: S6W-11923

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is available data regarding the rate of emergency diagnosis of leukaemia in each NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-11922

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what data it currently has regarding the rate of emergency diagnosis of leukaemia.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on emergency presentations of cancer.

We are committed to diagnosing cancer as early and as quickly as possible which is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Early (DCE) Programme and are rolling out Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services. Work is underway to develop a new earlier diagnosis vision in Scotland - this will form part of the new cancer strategy, due to publish Spring 2023.

Chamber and committees