Chamber and committees

With effect from 1 April 2011 all Scottish councils have retained all of the business rates they collect, with the balance of their guaranteed needs-based funding met by general revenue grant (GRG).

Following the introduction of the Business Rates Incentivisation Scheme, on 1 April 2012, all councils are able to retain 50 per cent of any additional business rates income collected over and above an agreed target.

In practice, they retain 100 per cent of all business rates income with the 50 per cent balance of any additional income being recovered from their future GRG allocations.

Scottish Ministers apply the principle that some conversations with overseas governments should remain private where circumstances are relevant. I referred to provisions in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 as an illustration of the general acceptance that such a principle exists.

No. I refer the member to the answer to S4W-26869 on 24 August 2015. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to S4W-26869 on 24 August 2015. 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.

A report of the meeting was not sent to the UK Government. The British ambassador attended the meeting.

The Scottish Government has made no such approach to the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has had no discussions with Reprieve about the meeting.

Scottish Government officials met with Loganair on 17 August 2015 and I met with Loganair on 15 September 2015. The reliability of flights was discussed at both meetings. The Scottish Government corresponds regularly with Loganair about a variety of issues including service reliability.

The Scottish Government is awaiting an update from the Scottish Rural Affairs College (SRUC) on their proposals on the change to the network of veterinary disease surveillance centres and the future of their private business.

These proposals will be considered by Scottish Government to ensure that the different surveillance activities and the technical requirements we fund through the service SRUC provides can still be delivered.

The Scottish Government does not purchase milk. Milk is procured as part of the Scottish Government’s overall catering contract with Sodexo who advise an expenditure of approximately £80,000 per annum. Milk purchased by public agencies is 100% Scottish.