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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 518 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-17737

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 28 July 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals against non-domestic rates levels have been made in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S2W-17740

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 28 July 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of pensioner households have paid more than (a) 5, (b) 10 and (c) 15 per cent of their gross income on council tax in each year since 1999.

The following table presentsestimates from the Family Resource Survey.

Estimates of Proportion of PensionerHouseholds who have Paid More than Five, 10 and 15 per cent of their Gross Incomeon Council Tax between 1999-2000 to 2003-04 (Percentage)

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Proportion of pensioners paid more than 5%	49	52	51	58	57
Proportion of pensioners paid more than 10%	13	14	12	18	17
Proportion of pensioners paid more than 15%	4	4	4	6	5

Source: Family Resource Survey.

Note: The figures given are estimates based on a sample surveyand are therefore subject to sampling variation. As such, small percentage changesare not statistically significant when considered on a year-on-year basis. A pensionerhousehold is defined as either one pensioner living alone or a couple where at leastone is a pensioner and the household does not contain any children.

We fully support the work of the Department of Work and Pensions to increase the take-up of benefits amongstpensioner households in Scotland and we are working with the UK Government to tackle pensionerpoverty in a range of ways. We have also established an independent review of localgovernment finance to undertake a thorough and comprehensive review of the localtaxation system.

Question reference: S2W-17738

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 28 July 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) total cost of appeals against non-domestic rates has been in each year since 1999.

The amounts of non-domestic ratesexpected to be repayable by councils (mainly as a result of appeals) in the years1999-2000 to 2005-06 are shown in the table below.

Year	Amount (£ Million)
1999-2000	52.115
2000-01	59.691
2001-02	50.321
2002-03	62.131
2003-04	82.273
2004-05	21.420
2005-06	22.998

Note: The figures given are takenfrom returns submitted to the Executive by councils, rounded to the nearest £ thousand.Figures between 1999-2004 are from audited returns. 2004-05 figures are mid‑yearestimates. 2005-06 figures are provisional estimates.

Question reference: S2W-17741

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 28 July 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) total cost of appeals against council tax banding has been in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S2W-17739

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 26 July 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals against council tax banding have been received in each year since 1999 and how many properties were moved down (i) one band, (ii) two bands and (iii) three or more bands following successful appeals.

Question reference: S2W-17388

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 June 2005
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make an assessment of the possibility of installing a light-controlled pedestrian crossing on the A75 in Springholm, Kirkcudbrightshire.

The Scottish Executive commissioned Amey Infrastructure Services in November 2004 to carry outan assessment for the provision of a pedestrian crossing on the A75 trunk road throughSpringholm.

The study concluded that, asthe level of pedestrian activity is low and pedestrians are able to cross the roadin relative safety with minimal waiting time, there is no justification at thistime for the provision of a formalised pedestrian crossing. However, the situationat Springholm will be reviewed should additional demand become evident.

Question reference: S2W-17236

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 20 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will update the information contained in Table 3.2 of Nurturing Wealth Creation: A Report by the Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group - Comparative Study of Business Tax Revenue to show the nominal income from non-domestic rates in Scotland and England in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06.

The updated information on certified non-domestic rate income in Scotland and England in 2003-04 is shown in the following table. In Scotland and England, certified non‑domestic rates income for 2004-05 and 2005-06 will not be available until early 2006 and 2007, respectively. Meantime, provisional forecast figures for Scotland and England in both years are shown in the following table.

Year	NDR Income (£000s)
	Scotland	England
2003-04	1,706,480	15,323,000
2004-05	1,813,000¹	16,214,000²
2005-06	1,951,000¹	17,000,000²

Source: Scottish Executive and ODPM.

1. Figures are taken from Annex 7 of Finance Circular 08/2004, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 34705).

2. Figures for 2004‑05 are provisional and the figures for 2005‑06 are based on rounded initial estimates from billing authorities.

Question reference: S2W-17232

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 17 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average rise in council tax has been in each year since 1993.

The following table shows, for each year from 1993-94 to 2005-06 the Scotland Average Band D Council Tax, and the percentage increase from the previous year.

Year	Scotland Average Band D Council Tax¹ (£)	Percentage Increase
1993-94	556	-
1994-95	588	5.8%
1995-96	624	6.1%
1996-97	708	13.4%
1997-98	783	10.7%
1998-99	827	5.5%
1999-2000	849	2.7%
2000-01	886	4.4%
2001-02	929	4.9%
2002-03	971	4.5%
2003-04	1,009	3.9%
2004-05	1,053	4.4%
2005-06	1,094	3.9%

Note: 1. Excludes water and sewerage charges.

Question reference: S2W-17231

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 17 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the rise in an average band D property council tax bill has been since 1993.

Question reference: S2W-17233

Asked by: Alasdair Morgan, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 17 June 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average non-domestic rate has been in each year since 1993.