- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates since 8 December 1999 it has met with (a) the Federation of Small Businesses and (b) the Forum for Private Business to discuss a small business rates relief scheme.
Answer
The Executive meets on a regular basis with representatives from a wide range of business organisations as part of a partnership working group established to consider aspects of the revaluation of non-domestic rates and the rating system generally. The working group has met twice since December 1999. Specific meetings with representatives of the Federation of Small Businesses were held on 11 July and 3 October 2000 and with the Forum for Private Business on 7 July and 29 September 2000.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what further research will be conducted or information sought on the issue of a small business rates relief scheme.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out since 8 December 1999 on the issue of a small business rates relief scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Valuation and Rating Council (SVRC) has been considering the issue of small business rates relief and the Small Business Consultative Group (SBCG) has been considering the wider issue of assistance for small businesses.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a small business rates relief scheme on 1 April 2001 and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a small business rates relief scheme; if so, whether the scheme introduced will be that advocated by (a) the Federation of Small Businesses, (b) the Forum of Private Business or (c) the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in Modernising Local Government Finance: A Green Paper and, if its scheme differs from all of these, whether it will outline its proposals.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the conclusions of the Local Government Committee's 8th Report 2000: Non-domestic Rates it (a) accepts and (b) rejects and what the reasons are for its position in relation to each of the committee's conclusions.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if it introduces a small business rates relief scheme, it will introduce a scheme under which small businesses occupying premises with rateable values of less than #10,000 receive rates relief according to a set of rateable value bands, with those occupying the lowest value premises receiving the greatest relief.
Answer
We are considering the position on rate relief for small businesses and will announce before Christmas what conclusions have been drawn and how we intend to proceed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, if small businesses are subject to a disproportionate burden in the level of business rates they are required to pay, why this is the case and what its position is in relation to the evidence given by the Federation of Small Businesses on this issue to the Local Government Committee's inquiry into non-domestic rates.
Answer
There is some evidence which suggests that non-domestic rates for small businesses represent a greater proportion of turnover and profit than their counterparts in larger businesses. We are considering the position on rate relief for small businesses and will announce before Christmas what conclusions have been drawn and how we intend to proceed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether business rates represent a greater burden to small businesses than to larger businesses.
Answer
It will depend on the particular business, but in general there is some evidence which suggests that non-domestic rates for small businesses represent a greater proportion of turnover than their counterparts in larger businesses.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been and will be taken to ensure that the planning appeals system is compliant with Article 6(1) of the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-6799 on 30 May 2000.
