Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 30 August 2013. 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 question S4W-15890 on 30 August 2013. 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 question S4W-15951 on 30 August 2013. 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.

The Scottish Government has repeatedly argued for the use of tax incentives to assist video games companies, film production and creative industries. The Scottish Government remains disappointed that after securing a commitment from the previous UK Government to introduce tax incentives for video games companies, this was initially dropped by the current UK Government and has yet to be fully introduced.

Our proposals for competition regulation in an independent Scotland were laid out in the discussion paper Economic and Competition Regulation in an Independent Scotland. This can be found online at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/02/1911.

In delivering these functions, an independent Scotland would ensure continuity of services, including transition from the current arrangements to which Scotland currently contributes fully through taxes and fees levied in Scotland by the UK Government. An independent Scotland would not simply replicate UK structures but would develop services based on the needs of Scotland, best practice and the views of our stakeholders.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15187 on 03 June 2013. 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 question S4W-15951 on 30 August 2013. 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.

The Scottish Government does not centrally hold information on the number of UK conferences held in Scotland since 1999.

However, since the creation of the VisitScotland administered Conference Bid Fund in 2012, three UK conferences have been held in Scotland this year to date out of a total of twenty nine that have received support. These welcomed 2,413 delegates collectively. There are positive impacts from bringing these three conferences to Scotland, and VisitScotland has estimated that gross expenditure of conference delegates, that is, without taking account of deadweight and displacement, is £4.5 million.

A summary only offence is an offence that can only be prosecuted in a summary court. The standard scale is the scale used to set maximum fine levels for summary only offences. The current standard scale is as follows:

Level 1: £200

Level 2: £500

Level 3: £1,000

Level 4: £2,500

Level 5: £5,000

These levels were set in 1992 when section 17 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 was brought into force.

A triable either way offence is an offence that can be prosecuted in either a summary court or a solemn court. All common law offences such as breach of the peace and assault are triable either way offences. When prosecuted in a summary court, the maximum fine level for triable either way offences was increased in 2007. This maximum fine is called the statutory maximum and it was increased from £5,000 to £10,000 by virtue of section 47 of the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.

While the Scottish Government keeps the level of the standard scale under review, we have not had any representations to change the levels of the standard scale and have no plans to change the levels at the present time.

The available information is given in the following table.

People fined within the standard scale in sheriff summary courts, 2006-07 to 2011-12:

Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database

The two main reasons why our summary courts are imposing fewer fines are a) they are dealing with fewer cases because of falls in crime and b) we have developed policies to increasingly deal with minor offending outwith the court system, e.g. through fiscal fines.