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-27882

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin the next round of pay negotiations with the trade unions representing civil servants.

The next pay review date for Scottish Government staff is 1 August 2016. Informal scoping discussions will begin soon with the recognised trade unions representing staff in the Scottish Government main and marine pay bargaining units. The formal negotiation process will begin in 2016 once public sector pay policy has been published and an approved pay negotiating remit is in place. I met the trade unions representing civil servants on 2 October 2015.

Question reference: S4W-27629

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what increase in the number of civil servants there has been in (a) the total devolved civil service and (b) its core directorates, in what sections and at what cost, in each year since 2007.

Normally, the Office for National Statistics’ Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey series (QPSES) is used to provide numbers on public sector staffing in Scotland and those working for the Scottish Government. However, given the question covers both staff number and costs, the Scottish Government annual consolidated accounts provide a more complete source of information¹.

Note 2 of the Scottish Government’s consolidated accounts contains information on whole time equivalent staffing numbers and costs by ministerial portfolio. Providing data by ministerial portfolio makes comparison over time more reliable. Organisational structures are flexible and change year on year which undermines comparison at a directorate level.

Accounts for each year since 2007-08 are available on the Scottish Government website via the links below:

2014-15 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/10/3786

2013-14 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2014/10/7433/19

2012-13 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2013/09/2320

2011-12 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2012/09/1505

2010-11 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/09/29132216/24

2009-10 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2010/09/27130425/23

2008-09 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2009/10/01085501/0

2007-08 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2008/09/29130020/18

2006-07 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2007/10/30102402/33

Note:

1. The annual accounts give an average over the year, whereas QPSES provides a snapshot of employee numbers. The annual accounts include all staff, whereas QPSES only includes directly employed staff.

Question reference: S4W-27713

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether people living in Scotland will be required to advise HMRC where they are resident for tax purposes.

Scottish taxpayers will be identified by the address that HMRC holds for them and will be written to directly by HMRC to advise them that they are considered to be a Scottish taxpayer. The addressee will only need to contact HMRC if they disagree with this assessment.

HMRC has planned activity to encourage people to ensure that HMRC holds their up to date address and will have in place enforcement and compliance processes to support the collection of the Scottish rate of income tax from April 2016.

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-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-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.

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-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-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.