Chamber and committees

The data held on the Scottish Government Court Proceedings Database shows that there were 382 people (373 Male, 9 Female) given a custodial sentence of up to three months and 490 (483 Male, 7 Female) with a sentence of over three months to six months for cases where the main charge had a domestic abuse aggravator recorded in the financial year 2011-12.

Information on the relationships of the persons proceeded against for offences with a domestic abuse aggravator is not held centrally.

Source: Scottish Government Court Proceedings Database.

The works contract for repairing the damage caused by the landslip on the A68 trunk road at Blainslie, South of Lauder, should be awarded by the end of May. Works should be completed during the summer.

The following table provides the available information.

People proceeded against in Scottish courts for offences with a domestic abuse aggravator recorded by gender, 2011-12

Information on the relationships of the persons proceeded against for offences with a domestic abuse aggravator is not held centrally.

Source: Scottish Government Court Proceedings Database.

All pensions’ rights and entitlements which have been accrued will continue to be fully protected and accessible under independence, including private, public and state pensions. There is no rationale as to why in an independent Scotland the provision for and payment of private pensions would be otherwise.

We are engaging with key participants from providers, trustees and employers on this and other issues of importance to business in the independence debate.

The Scottish Government would welcome discussions with the UK Government on a range of issues relating to Scottish independence, including the operation of cross-border pension schemes.

The ICAS report “Scotland’s Pensions Future: What Pensions Arrangements Would Scotland Need?”, on page 17 footnote 22, provides the example of the implementation of EU Directive 2003/41/EC (IORP) and the operation of cross-border pensions schemes between the UK and Ireland and states:

“Prior to the Pensions (IORP) Directive, employers with subsidiaries in other member states (other than those with subsidiaries in the Republic of Ireland which received a level of exclusion due to a reciprocal agreement between the UK and Ireland) were required to establish separate schemes in each member state in which a subsidiary was based. The Pensions (IORP) Directive enabled, for the first time, companies operating in a number of member states to consolidate their pension arrangements in one member state. During the consultation process for the UK’s implementing legislation, the impact of the Directive’s cross-border funding requirements on existing UK/Irish cross-border schemes was considered. The Commission refused to exclude existing cross-border schemes operating in the UK and the Republic of Ireland from the scope of the obligations under the Directive, though ultimately the UK implementing legislation provided for a three year grace period for existing cross-border schemes to reach full funding levels.”

The current rights and entitlements under UK-wide schemes, such as the PPF which is funded by levies on the industry, will continue as will the protection that the Fund affords to current pension scheme members and pensioners in Scotland. It is a requirement of the EU Directive 2003/41/EC Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision (IORP) (Article 17c) that each Member State must provide a guarantee fund equating to one third of the required solvency margin. An independent Scotland will continue to comply with this EU regulation.

We assume that the question relates to the publication by HM Treasury on 13 May 2013 of a summary of responses to its consultation on bond issuance by the Scottish Government, which closed approximately eight months ago. The Scottish Government believes that it should have powers to raise funding through issuing bonds if this is the appropriate choice in the circumstances. Of those respondents expressing a view more agreed with the Scottish Government’s position than disagreed. We see no reason for the UK Government to seek to prevent the Scottish Government borrowing through these means. Local authorities and a range of public bodies such as Transport for London have such powers at present.

Development of the new Strategy for the private rented sector in Scotland has been influenced by the content of Sir Adrian Montague’s report, Review of the Barriers to Institutional Investment in Private Rented Homes.

In implementing the actions within the forthcoming Strategy for the private rented sector, we will discuss with stakeholders the relevance of recommendations to the Scottish context and how any opportunities for growth might be realised.