Chamber and committees

Marine Scotland research vessel surveys and observer sampling for 2011-12 are already underway, covering all the main species exploited by Scottish fishermen (and including many of Scotland's most important whitefish species: cod, haddock, whiting, plaice, saithe, hake, monkfish, megrim, and skates and rays). Although there is no formal assessment for ling, Scottish Government has funded a study on ling around Shetland that will shortly conclude.

Homes Fit for the 21st Century: The Scottish Government's Strategy and Action Plan for Housing in the next decade was published in February 2011. This document sets out the Scottish Government's vision for housing to 2020, and a range of actions and proposals to realise that vision. It confirms that we will make shared equity a permanent feature of our housing policy. We want this option to be widely available to first time buyers including those currently renting in the social sector. In 2011-12 we are helping people access home ownership under our Open Market Shared Equity scheme, our New Supply Shared Equity with Developers Scheme and through other subsidised New Supply Shared Equity developments, which this year are being approved within the Innovation and Investment Fund (IIF). Both local authorities and housing associations were successful in their bids to the IIF fund for shared equity funding.

In September, the Scottish Government announced a total of £111 million of investment in affordable housing supply through the Innovation and Investment Fund. This funding is due to be paid on completion of the homes. The government has not determined in which years the spend will fall. However, the current forecast of this spend based on the grant applicants’ estimated completion dates is (a) 2011-12 - £ 2.5 million, (b) 2012-13 - £49.7 million and (c) 2013-14 - £ 55.3 million. The remaining funds are forecast to be paid later. As individual projects develop it is likely that some completion dates will move between financial years and that these figures will change.

The public health supplement is not aimed at increasing the price of alcohol and tobacco, but is an income raising measure to support the greater alignment of budgets on a preventative spend basis as outlined in the Draft Budget.

The public health supplement is not aimed at reducing the sale of alcohol or tobacco, but is an income raising measure to support the greater alignment of budgets on a preventative spend basis as outlined in the Draft Budget.

Properties located outside Scotland are not liable to pay business rates in Scotland.

At 26 October 2011, 10,622 premises were registered on the Scottish Tobacco Retailer Register.

The information requested is not held centrally. Registered Social Landlords administering the Scottish Government Low-Cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers (LIFT) schemes must apply published Administrative Procedures when assessing applications. Applications which do not meet certain eligibility criteria set out in the Administrative Procedures are not progressed.

It is estimated that around 240 retail premises in Scotland will be liable for the public health supplement. This represents 0.1% of non-domestic premises in Scotland.

More detail will be available when legislation on the public health supplement is laid before parliament in the New Year.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03542 on 4 November 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.