- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 15 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government when it will make calculations to assess whether any adjustments are required to the block grant under the fiscal framework.
Answer
The process for adjusting the Scottish block grant in respect of the newly devolved taxes and other powers will take place on an annual cycle. Separate adjustments will be calculated in respect of each tax and other relevant power. The fiscal framework and accompanying technical annex sets out how calculations will be carried out.
Paragraphs 44 to 53 of the fiscal framework agreement set out arrangements for further adjusting the block grant in respect of policy spillover effects. As explained in the answer to question S5W-00400 on 15 June 2016, consideration of these effects will be undertaken on a case by case basis, and any decision or transfer relating to a spillover effect must be jointly agreed by the Scottish and UK Governments.
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 15 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is for (a) assessment, (b) treatment and (c) psychological treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in each NHS board.
Answer
<>This information is not held centrally. Information services division publish data on waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services and psychological therapies however this is not broken down by diagnosis.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 15 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how much additional income tax will be paid by taxpayers in Scotland in each of the next five years under its proposals set out in Scottish Income Tax from 2017/18, and how this compares with how much would be collected if the (a) current and (b) assumed UK rates, bands and thresholds for this period were to be used.
Answer
The Scottish Government set out its proposals for the use of new Scottish income tax powers on 22 March 2016. The accompanying policy document provided estimates of the likely financial impacts on individual taxpayers of the proposal, and of expected additional revenues.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 15 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what procedure is in place to request a payment under the no detriment rule of the fiscal framework to compensate for the loss of income tax receipts following an increase in the personal allowance.
Answer
<>I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00400 on 15 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2016
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2016
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2016
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2016
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 2 June 2016
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 2 June 2016
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers it appropriate to enter into agreements with companies that have been allegedly implicated in human rights abuses or present a risk of gross corruption.
Answer
The Scottish Government condemns human rights abuses and corruption wherever it takes place.
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00024 on 31 May 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Amnesty International’s allegation that one of China Railway Group’s subsidiaries was involved in illegal forced evictions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and whether the Scottish Government will take this into consideration in deciding how to proceed following its signing a memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone on 21 March 2016.
Answer
As the memorandum of understanding does not involve any legal, contractual or funding obligations or commitments on behalf of the Scottish Government full due diligence was not undertaken prior to the signing of the memorandum. The Scottish Government was therefore not aware that the Council of Ethics for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global had recommended in 2014 that China Rail Group Ltd, the parent company of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group, be excluded from the investment universe of the fund. Nor was it aware of Amnesty International’s allegation that the Congo International Mining Corporation, a subsidiary of China Railway Group, was involved in illegal forced evictions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In the event of any specific investment proposals being confirmed or any proposals for legal or contractual agreements being brought forward both reports will be considered as part of the full due diligence that will take place.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities said on Scotland 2016 on 4 April 2016 that the Scottish Government, China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone were "not at the stage of discussing particular projects", and whether it considers that this was contradicted by Sir Richard Heygate in an interview on Good Morning Scotland on 8 April 2016.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00012 on 31 May 2016. All answers to written parliamentary q
uestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) a copy of the memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone, which was signed on 21 March 2016, and for what reason the Parliament was not informed about the agreement at the time.
Answer
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) is available on the Scottish Government’s website: www.gov.scot/ChineseMOU and is available in SPICe, Bib No. 57959. The MoU contains no commitments to investment and has no legal or contractual implications for the Scottish Government and as a result it was not considered necessary to inform the Scottish Parliament at that stage.