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.

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Question reference: S4W-23716

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the local government finance settlement published on 11 December 2014 shows the City of Edinburgh Council receiving a lower settlement in 2015-16 than in 2014-15.

The local government finance settlements are distributed on the basis of a formula agreed by local government, and the City of Edinburgh Council does, and will continue to, receive its fair share.

The local government finance settlement figures published in Local Government Finance Circular 9/2014 on 11 December 2014 were provisional with the distribution of a further £402.6 million for 2015-16, the majority of which is for the council tax reduction scheme, still to be confirmed. The City of Edinburgh Council will receive its fair share of this undistributed amount.

It should be noted that the council’s allocation includes £13.7 million in 2015-16 from the 85 per cent funding floor introduced by this government in 2011-12, which is in addition to the funds the council would have received through the distribution formula alone.

Question reference: S4W-23516

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when the next Oil and Gas Analytical Bulletin will be published and whether it will contain updated illustrative projections for Scottish North Sea tax receipts.

Question reference: S4W-23254

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding from the Fossil Fuel Levy has been paid into the Scottish Consolidated Fund.

Question reference: S4W-23255

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how all Fossil Fuel Levy monies have been spent, broken down by (a) financial year and (b) project.

The Scottish Government contributed £103 million from the Fossil Fuel Levy funds to support the creation of the Green Investment Bank and will use the remaining £103 million to promote the use of renewable energy in Scotland. This commitment was reaffirmed by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy at a meeting of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee on 12 November 2014.

The Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF) has been established as the main vehicle for investing and securing leverage from the Fossil Fuel Levy monies. The expenditure profile for REIF has already been extended to March 2016 to respond to the uncertainty caused by regulatory reform at a UK level and to give projects more time to come to fruition. Whilst at this time we cannot give a commitment to extend REIF further, as this would go beyond the current spending review period, we will be closely monitoring take-up.

Details of support offered to date under REIF are shown in the following table:

Recipient	Financial Year	Investment
Gigha Green Power Limited	12-13	£49,000
Barra and Vatersay Wind Energy Limited	12-13	£140,000
Point and Sandwick Power Limited	12-13	£133,000
Pelamis Wave Power Limited	12-13	£1,050,000
	Total 2012-13	£1,372,000
Gigha Green Power Limited	13-14	£10,000
Barra and Vatersay Wind Energy Limited	13-14	£160,000
Point and Sandwick Power Limited	13-14	£552,391
Callander Community Hydro Limited	13-14	£311,000
Galson Energy Ltd	13-14	£400,000
Pelamis Wave Power Limited	13-14	£3,250,000
Aquamarine Power Limited	13-14	£2,000,000
Atlantis Resources (Scotland) (formerly ARC Ventures (UK) Limited)	13-14	£1,500,000
Ocean Flow Energy Limited	13-14	£150,024
2-B Energy Limited	13-14	£436,207
	Total 2013-14	£8,769,622
Barra and Vatersay Wind Energy Limited	14-15	£250,000
Point and Sandwick Power Limited	14-15	£1,564,609
Islay Energy Community Benefit Society	14-15	£652,306
Fintry Renewable Energy Enterprise	14-15	£615,000
Green Energy Mull Ltd (Garmony)	14-15	£160,000
Pelamis Wave Power Limited	14-15	£1,800,000
Aquamarine Power Limited	14-15	£3,400,000
AWS Ocean Energy Limited	14-15	£203,000
Atlantis Resources (Scotland) (formerly ARC Ventures (UK) Limited)	14-15	£500,000
Tidal Power Scotland Holdings Limited	14-15	£5,269,493
2-B Energy Limited	14-15	£804,276
North Hoo Field Limited	14/15	£610,000
	Total (30.10.14)	£15,828,684
	TOTAL	£25,970,306

Question reference: S4O-03819

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with the Scottish business development bank.

The First Minister announced on 26 November 2014 that we will establish a business development bank. It will work with small and medium enterprises, investors and others, to support growing businesses, boosting innovation and international competitiveness. The next steps are to work with a range of stakeholders and partners as we develop the bank, finding the best structure and positioning for it. We will need to consider budgeting and accounting issues and HM Treasury requirements.

Question reference: S4O-03772

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget priorities are for the Education and Lifelong Learning portfolio in 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-23104

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) regulatory and (b) business and regulatory impact assessments have been produced in each year since 1999.

Data held by the Regulatory Review Group Secretariat provides the following:

Regulatory Impact Assessments completed

May 1999 to March 2000	16
Apr 2000 to March 2001	75
Apr 2001 to March 2002	26
Apr 2002 to March 2003	60
Apr 2003 to March 2004	63
Apr 2004 to March 2005	67
Apr 2005 to March 2006	67
Apr 2006 to March 2007	58
Apr 2007 to March 2008	66
Apr 2008 to March 2009	50
Apr 2009 to March 2010	75

Business and Regulatory Impact Assessments completed

April 2010 to March 2011	65
April 2011 to March 2012	49
April 2012 to March 2013	68
April 2013 to March 2014	100
April 2014 to October 2014	48

Question reference: S4O-03754

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has in respect of the non-domestic rates system.

Question reference: S4W-23106

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what working assumption it is using, in terms of value, for the block grant adjustment in 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-23105

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on the block grant adjustment for 2015-16.