Chamber and committees

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: S4W-27559

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-04599 by John Swinney on 17 September 2015 (Official Report, c.3), what projects have been delayed as a result of the transition to the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 10).

A wide range of factors can have an impact on the delivery timetable for infrastructure projects. Twelve projects being delivered through the hub programme are working to delivery timetables that are affected by current consideration of classification issues: Lothian Health Centre Bundle; Inverclyde Care Home; Kelso High School; Newbattle High School; Baldragon Academy; Elgin High School; Dalbeattie Learning Campus; Barrhead High School; Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School; Ayr Academy; Campbeltown Grammar and Oban High School, and East Ayrshire Learning Campus (Kilmarnock Academy).

Question reference: S4T-01133

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when the Crown Office was first notified of the allegations of mortgage fraud against Christopher Hales.

Question reference: S4W-27630

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27233 by Fergus Ewing on 22 September 2015, what its direct annual spend on tourism has been in each year since 2007-08.

Direct annual expenditure on tourism since 2007-08, by VisitScotland (VS), Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is shown in the following tables:

VS Annual Expenditure

2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million
69.4	67.9	66.0	62.8	58.3	62.2	59.8	62.6

Notes:

(1) Data from annual accounts except for 2014-15, which is anticipated spend from the three year corporate plan revised in 2015. The 2014-15 annual report and accounts is yet to be released.

(2) Above figures exclude ring-fenced DEL (non-cash) and Annually Managed Expenditure (AME).

SE Annual Expenditure on Tourism

2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million
20.0	12.9	4.5	5.1	4.7	4.0

Notes:

(1) All data from annual accounts.

(2) Complete figures for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are unavailable as SE’s systems did not have full industry tagging available in those years.

(3) Expenditure on tourism from 2009-10 until 2012-13 included investments made towards the Queens Dock project: £12 million in 2009-10, £7 million in 2010-11, and £1 million in 2012-13.

(4) Above figures exclude ring-fenced DEL (non-cash) and AME.

HIE Annual Expenditure on Tourism

2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million
2.5	4.6	5.4	6.8	5.5	5.9	6.4	7.2

Notes:

(1) Data from annual accounts except for 2014-15, which is estimated. The 2014-15 annual report and accounts is yet to be published.

(2) Above figures exclude ring-fenced DEL (non-cash) and AME.

In addition to the above it should be noted that, other Scottish Government policy areas also provide funding and support, which supports tourism in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-27584

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it will agree the block grant adjustment for 2015-16 with the UK Government.

The block grant adjustment with respect to the fully devolved taxes for 2015-16 was set out in correspondence to the Finance Committee in January 2015. This saw the Scottish budget reduced by £494 million. The correspondence also noted that any forestalling effect would be assessed so that the Scottish Government would not be adversely affected by the UK government change to Stamp Duty and Land Tax announced in December 2014.

Question reference: S4W-27720

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what budget is available to advertise the Scottish rate of income tax in light of the comment of Charlotte Barbour of the Institute of Chartered Accountants to the Finance Committee on 23 September 2015 that "there may be restrictions on the budget for advertising the change and questions around who is paying for all of that”.

Question reference: S4W-27716

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it will set the Scottish rate of income tax.

Question reference: S4W-27719

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) when it will advertise the level that the Scottish rate of income tax has been set at to (i) taxpayers and (ii) employers.

Question reference: S4W-27717

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the risk of being unable to identify all Scottish taxpayers by April 2016.

It is the responsibility of HMRC to identify the Scottish taxpayer population as part of its implementation programme for the Scottish rate of income tax. The Scottish Government is represented on HMRC’s project and programme boards.

The level of risk associated with the identification of Scottish taxpayers is monitored and managed as part of the ongoing programme and project management procedures in place for the implementation of the Scottish rate of income tax by HMRC.

Question reference: S4W-27718

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) when it will advertise the coming into force of the Scottish rate of income tax to (i) taxpayers and (ii) employers.

Question reference: S4W-27715

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider the decision not to show the Scottish rate of income tax separately on P60s and payslips in light of evidence submitted to the Finance Committee.

The Scottish rate of income tax will be clearly shown on an individual’s annual tax summary to provide transparency for all Scottish taxpayers while minimising the impact on employers.

I set out the rationale for this decision in my letter of 9 June 2015 to the Convener of the Finance Committee. This can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_FinanceCommittee/General%20Documents/2015_06_11_Cab_Sec_to_Finance_Committee.pdf.