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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 932 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-08236

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken has been to make decisions on appeals from businesses regarding valuations for non domestic rates in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-08234

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken has been to make decisions on appeals from householders regarding council tax banding rates in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-08232

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings ministers have had with assessors regarding the revaluation of non domestic rates, and what the outcome was of these meetings.

Question reference: S5W-08233

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many appeals against council tax banding rates there have been in each of the last five years, and what percentage of these were upheld.

Question reference: S5W-08057

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06985 by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 March 2017, what guarantees were (a) sought from and (b) provided by Greggs plc regarding the retention of jobs at the Clydesmill bakery in Cambuslang, in the event that the Loanhead bakery closed.

As Greggs have not received public sector financial support to develop the proposed centre of excellence, we were not in a position to seek formal guarantees on future employment levels at the Cambuslang site. Information was provided through SE and SDI on the types of public sector support that could be made available to assist the development of the planned Centre of Excellence at Cambuslang. Whilst Greggs welcomed the information offered, they did not ultimately take any support forward.

Question reference: S5O-00842

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the Scottish Investment Bank.

Question reference: S5W-08230

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the methodology for the revaluation of non domestic rates for commercial outlets in airports is the same as that for high streets, shopping malls and train and bus stations.

Question reference: S5W-08229

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings ministers have had with airport representatives regarding changes to rateable valuations, and whether it will publish any notes or minutes of these meetings.

Question reference: S5W-08228

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in the revaluation of non domestic rates, the methodology adopted for retail, catering and other shopping facilities in airports has been applied consistently to all airports in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-08231

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings ministers have had with businesses affected by the revaluation of business rates, and what the outcome was of these meetings.

Ministers meet regularly with ratepayers, trade bodies, business organisations, Assessors and other stakeholders to discuss business rates and the impact of the 2017 revaluation.

As a result, a package of measures was introduced to support businesses in 2017-18 which included a reduction in the poundage of 3.7%; an increase in the rateable value threshold that the large business supplement becomes payable from £35,000 to £51,000; an expansion of the Small Business Bonus Scheme to remove business rates from an estimated 100,000 premises; a 12.5% cap on bill rises for pubs, hotels, restaurants and cafes and offices in Aberdeen City and Shire.