Chamber and committees

It is for the Chief Constable, working with the working with the Scottish Police Authority, to determine how to allocate its budget to meet policing priorities including incidences involving unexploded ordnance.

You may wish to write directly to Police Scotland on this matter.

The Scottish Government works alongside the Justice of the Peace Advisory Committees (JPACs) to recruit Justices of the Peace. JPACs across all areas in Scotland advise the Scottish Government on where pressures exist, and the recruitment needs to alleviate these pressures. The Scottish Government work with JPACs to plan an outreach strategy for recruitments and process applications. It is then for each Sheriffdom’s JPAC to assess applications, carry out interviews, and recommend individuals for appointment by Scottish Ministers.

A large-scale recruitment took place in 2023-24 with the new Justices undertaking 12 to 18 months of training and due to take up post in 2025. This recruitment round included appointing 11 new Justices of the Peace to the Sheriffdom of Grampian, Highland and Islands – the Sheriffdom with the most rural areas. Whilst Scottish Government are involved in the recruitment of Justices of the Peace, matters such as training and retention would fall to the JPACs.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-33027 on 22 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Police Scotland’s contingency plans are an operational matter for Police Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-33028 on 22 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Network Rail owns and manages rail infrastructure in Scotland, and its Scotland operations, including funding BTP to prevent theft from railways which are fully funded by the Scottish Government.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government. Responsibility for such information rests with Network Rail and rail operators.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-33028 on 22 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

In his question to me in the chamber on 17 December, the Member asked about the handling of a Freedom of Information request made to the Scottish Government in April 2021, which sought information regarding James Hamilton's investigation under the Ministerial Code (see: https://www.gov.scot/publications/independent-report-by-james-hamilton-on-the-first-ministers-self-referral-under-the-scottish-ministerial-code/).

The Member has corresponded with the Scottish Government on a number of matters relating to this issue. On 17 December I was aware that the Member was awaiting the Scottish Government’s response to his letter of 20 November, specifically regarding the costs of legal advice in relation to these matters. The Scottish Government’s response to the Member’s letter of 20 November was subsequently issued on 19 December. This is the response referred to in my answer.

The following tables present the estimated value of Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) relief awarded to self-catering units as at 1 June 2024, broken down in Table 1 by assessor, and in Table 2 by local authority, for properties (unit owners cannot be reliably identified from the information held) receiving 100% SBBS, 25% SBBS, other proportions of SBBS and no SBBS relief. These tables include all self-catering properties in receipt of SBBS relief.

It is not possible to provide how much non-domestic rates income has been forgone for the financial year 2023-2024. This is due to data issues within the 2023 Billing System snapshot. Equivalent figures for 2022-2023 can be found in the response to question S6W-12629. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government cannot reliably estimate the cumulative rateable value of each ratepayer’s non-domestic properties and can therefore not state the number of self-catering units that do not quality for SBBS due to having a combined rateable value in excess of £35,000. From 1 April 2023, SBBS relief includes a taper from 100% for properties with a rateable value up to and including £12,000, to 25% where the rateable value is £15,000, and to 0% where the rateable value is £20,000 or higher.  

Eligibility for SBBS is set out in legislation and it is for local authorities to administer it in accordance with that legislation.

Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand. Figures relating to fewer than five units, or less than £500 value, are suppressed for data protection purposes, and are marked as "[low]". Zero values are actual zero. Where no SBBS relief is awarded, the NDR income forfeited is zero. The data sources for both tables are the Scottish Assessors’ Valuation Roll as at 1 June 2024, and local authority reliefs information as at 1 June 2024. Final outturn data for 2024-2025 may vary.

Table 1: Estimated value of SBBS relief awarded to self-catering properties as at 1 June 2024, by assessor and SBBS percentage (£)