- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 8 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that there is renewable energy capability in each public building.
Answer
The Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan raises awareness that there are opportunities for the public sector to lead by example in sourcing renewable energy systems, where appropriate.
We have recently introduced new building regulations to deliver a 30 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from new buildings and in many cases, compliance will involve use of renewable technologies.
We have provided some £13.5 million over the last two years to fund our Community and Renewable Energy scheme which provides free and independent advice as well as grants. Community based not-for-profit organisations, including local authorities and other public bodies, are eligible.
With Scottish Government funding, the Carbon Trust provides energy efficiency and emissions saving support to the public sector in Scotland. This includes advice on the installation of renewables technologies, where appropriate. In addition, the Central Energy Efficiency Fund continues to provides interest-free loans for local authorities, NHS boards and Scottish Water to invest in energy saving and renewables measures.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-2634 by Alex Salmond on 7 October 2010 (Official Report c. 29451), how many businesses successfully appealed following the 2005 rates revaluation and what proportion of all appeals this represents.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-2634 by Alex Salmond on 7 October 2010 (Official Report c. 29451), what the rateable values were of businesses that successfully appealed following the 2005 revaluation (a) before and (b) after they appealed.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 20 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-2634 by Alex Salmond on 7 October 2010 (Official Report c. 29451), what the basis is for the statement that the rateable values of the businesses that successfully appealed following rates revaluation in 2005 were reduced by just under four per cent.
Answer
For the period 1 April 2005 to 30 June 2010, the total original rateable value for all properties that appealed was £3,266 million. The total revised rateable value of all those properties after appeals were determined is £3,140 million. This is a 3.9% reduction in rateable value.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area were eligible for rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.
Answer
An estimate of the number of properties eligible for Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) in each local authority area for 2009-10 is shown in the following table. Equivalent data for 2008-09 is not held centrally.
The Scheme has been widely promoted and it is estimated that 85% of eligible small properties now benefit from relief. The Scottish Government is aware that a number of businesses eligible for SBBS have not yet applied for the scheme and efforts will continue to encourage take-up among that group.
Estimated Number of Properties Eligible for Relief
| Aberdeen City | 3,536 |
| Aberdeenshire | 6,855 |
| Angus | 3,298 |
| Argyll and Bute | 5,755 |
| Clackmannanshire | 848 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 6,368 |
| Dundee City | 3,026 |
| East Ayrshire | 2,377 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 1,350 |
| East Lothian | 2,261 |
| East Renfrewshire | 1,004 |
| Edinburgh, City Of | 8,861 |
| Eilean Siar | 1,715 |
| Falkirk | 2,568 |
| Fife | 7,759 |
| Glasgow City | 12,736 |
| Highland | 12,161 |
| Inverclyde | 1,414 |
| Midlothian | 1,640 |
| Moray | 3,337 |
| North Ayrshire | 3,228 |
| North Lanarkshire | 5,265 |
| Orkney Islands | 1,596 |
| Perth and Kinross | 5,199 |
| Renfrewshire | 3,564 |
| Scottish Borders | 5,084 |
| Shetland Islands | 1,293 |
| South Ayrshire | 2,999 |
| South Lanarkshire | 5,353 |
| Stirling | 2,896 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 1,544 |
| West Lothian | 2,883 |
| Scotland | 129,773 |
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area are eligible for rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in 2010-11.
Answer
Latest figures show that 74,000 business properties in Scotland received a discount on their bill through Small Business Bonus, and 64,000 of those paid no rates at all.
However, there are a number of properties which are eligible, but have not claimed. In the coming weeks, the Scottish Government will write to businesses to encourage those who are eligible for the scheme, but have not yet claimed, to apply for the relief under the Small Business Bonus Scheme.
Figures on actual take-up for 2010-11 will be published later in 2011, which will include a breakdown by local authority area.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area received rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.
Answer
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area it expects to receive rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in 2010-11.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35882 on 7 October 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses successfully appealed their business rate revaluation in each year since 2005-06.
Answer
Information on the number of successful appeals is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses have appealed their business rate revaluation since 1 April 2010.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35877 on 7 October 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
