- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much is allocated in the proposed Scottish Budget 2023-24 to (a) Warmer Homes Scotland, (b) its Area Based Schemes, (c) Home Energy Scotland loans and (d) the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund and "fabric first" projects, and how each of these compares with the allocations in (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23.
Answer
The figures requested are set out in the following table:
| | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
Warmer Homes Scotland | £50m | £55m | £55m |
Area Based Schemes | £64m | £64m | £64m |
Home Energy Scotland Grants & Loans | £21m | £42m | £42m |
Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund | £20m | £30m | £60m |
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on alcohol-related harms and other public health impacts in Scotland of alcohol duty freezes.
Answer
Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.
We have made no assessment of the impact of the six-month freeze on alcohol duty on alcohol harm in Scotland. We remain committed to reducing alcohol related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any impact in Scotland, on the role that increases in alcohol duty play as a public health measure to reduce alcohol-related harms.
Answer
Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.
The Scottish Government believes that the stronger the beverage, the higher the duty should be, as it is the alcohol that causes the harms and stronger alcoholic drinks allow for faster consumption of alcohol. This is in line with the rationale behind our world leading minimum unit pricing policy which targets high strength, low-cost alcohol.
Our Alcohol Framework sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm. We take a whole population approach to tackling alcohol-related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when the timetable for submission of funding applications for regional climate action hubs will be announced, and what the anticipated duration of funding support will be for the hubs.
Answer
The Government published budget proposals in December. Subject to parliamentary approval, that will determine the levels and duration of funding available.
Until this is finalised officials are not in a position to publish the application form and eligibility guidance. A final decision should be made in the coming weeks.
Two pathfinder Climate Action Hubs were launched in September 2021 covering the Northeast of Scotland (NESCAN Hub) and the North Highlands, Orkney and Shetland (North Highlands and Islands Hub).
Both Hubs have provided a vehicle for communities to come together stimulating community level climate activity and supporting communities to adapt to our changing climate.
The Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN) is supporting the wider development of Climate Action Hubs. Funded by the Scottish Government they recruited 14 regional network coordinators in 2022 to bring communities together ensuring as inclusive an approach as possible. They are facilitating discussions on what is needed for each area, ensuring Hubs are shaped by and responsive to local need and build on existing support.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 12 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact in Scotland of the UK Government’s decision to extend the freeze on alcohol duty rates until 1 August 2023.
Answer
Alcohol duty is a reserved tax which is set and administered by the UK Government. We are not aware of the UK Government having made any assessment of the impact of the extended six-month freeze on alcohol duty on Devolved Administrations, nor did they consult with us on this decision.
We believe the UK Government must provide long-term clarity for the alcohol sector beyond the six-month rates freeze. Businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the freeze which was announced, cancelled, then re-announced, all in a three-month period.
When setting alcohol duty rates following the freeze, the Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of this. We remain committed to reducing alcohol related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the savings will be in 2023-24 as a result of the decision to freeze the headline business rate, broken down by industry sector.
Answer
The decision to freeze the non-domestic poundage rate at 49.8p is expected to save ratepayers £308 million in 2023-24, compared to uprating the poundage in line with September’s measure of CPI which would have resulted in a poundage rate of 54.8p in 2023-24. This figure is broken down in Table 1 by property class, as the Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.
These tables are based on an imputed Valuation Roll based on an incomplete draft Valuation Roll, as used by the Scottish Fiscal Commission in Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts December 2022, and are therefore subject to change. Figures in this table are rounded to the nearest £1,000.
Table 1: Gross savings to ratepayers of poundage freeze compared with maintaining real terms income, by property class
Property class | Savings to ratepayers due to poundage freeze (£) |
Shops | 64,501,000 |
Public Houses | 5,138,000 |
Offices | 41,479,000 |
Hotels | 11,995,000 |
Industrial Subjects | 51,444,000 |
Leisure, Entertainment, Caravans etc. | 10,667,000 |
Garages and Petrol Stations | 2,627,000 |
Cultural | 2,552,000 |
Sporting Subjects | 1,135,000 |
Education and Training | 28,257,000 |
Public Service Subjects | 14,615,000 |
Communications | 1,374,000 |
Quarries, Mines, etc. | 485,000 |
Petrochemical | 5,502,000 |
Religious | 1,707,000 |
Health and Medical | 11,259,000 |
Other | 6,466,000 |
Care Facilities | 6,132,000 |
Advertising | 339,000 |
Statutory Undertaking | 40,420,000 |
Not in Use | 0 |
All | 308,095,000 |
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the savings will be in 2023-24 as a result of the decision to increase the starting threshold for the higher property rate, broken down by industry sector.
Answer
Table 1 presents the estimated gross savings to ratepayers due to the increase in the rateable value threshold for the Higher Property Rate (HPR) to £100,000. This table does not take into account any reliefs, including Transitional Relief. This is broken down by property class, as the Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.
These tables are based on an imputed Valuation Roll based on an incomplete draft Valuation Roll, as used by the Scottish Fiscal Commission in Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts December 2022, and are therefore subject to change.
Figures in this table are rounded to the nearest £1,000.
Table 1: Gross savings to properties removed from HPR in 2023-24 due to the threshold increase, by property class
Property class | Savings to ratepayers before relief (£) |
Shops | 188,000 |
Public Houses | 29,000 |
Offices | 115,000 |
Hotels | 28,000 |
Industrial Subjects | 182,000 |
Leisure, Entertainment, Caravans etc. | 44,000 |
Garages and Petrol Stations | 16,000 |
Cultural | 5,000 |
Sporting Subjects | 1,000 |
Education and Training | 90,000 |
Public Service Subjects | 43,000 |
Communications | 0 |
Quarries, Mines, etc. | 5,000 |
Petrochemical | 1,000 |
Religious | 5,000 |
Health and Medical | 25,000 |
Other | 15,000 |
Care Facilities | 39,000 |
Advertising | 0 |
Statutory Undertaking | 10,000 |
Not in Use | 0 |
All | 841,000 |
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on addressing any socioeconomic impacts on marine industries affected by the need for a just transition to a low-impact fishing industry.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to working to deliver a just transition to climate resilience and net zero for Scotland. Scotland’s Future Fisheries Management Strategy sets out our approach to managing sea fisheries in Scotland in partnership with our stakeholders through ‘co-management’ and in a way that balances environmental, social, and economic interests to ensure the long-term sustainable management of Scotland’s fishing sector.
We recognise that planning and stakeholder engagement will be crucial to ensure that the economic and social impacts and opportunities from the transition for climate resilience and net zero are not missed and that risks associated with rapid structural change are mitigated where possible. Understanding the social and economic impacts and opportunities for marine sectors using just transition principles is at an early planning stage and will be evidence-informed and co-designed, working with those most impacted by the transition to help shape our approach.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether the next National Marine Plan will include detailed marine spatial plans for mobile and static fishing gears.
Answer
The purpose of the National Marine Plan is to set out the strategic policies for the sustainable development of our marine resources. The current National Marine Plan reflects broad spatial areas for certain types of activities (for example through policies such as RENEWABLES 1 and AQUACULTURE 1, 2 and 3). The content of the new National Marine Plan (NMP2) is yet to be defined. Given its strategic nature, it is anticipated that it will similarly reflect broad areas for certain types of activity, as informed by other relevant marine planning processes and policies. It will also provide at a strategic level an overview of the range of human activities in the marine space, including fisheries, and their associated cumulative impacts and interactions.
In addition, Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy sets out our approach to managing sea fisheries in Scotland in partnership with our stakeholders through ‘co-management’ and in a way that balances environmental, social and economic interests. As part of our 12 point action plan, we will address issues around the shared marine space linking with wider developments through the Blue Economy approach, considering how fishing interests can work alongside others marine users including offshore renewables.
Our Fisheries Management Strategy commits to rolling out Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to key parts of the fishing fleet, and prioritises making REM (including Global Positioning Systems (“GPS”), sensors and cameras) mandatory on scallop dredge vessels and pelagic vessels. REM provides opportunities to modernise the way in which accountability and confidence is provided in delivering responsible and sustainable fisheries management. This is a substantial change programme and one that will significantly improve our data, and our abilities to monitor activity and fish stocks, which will feed into future spatial management measures.
We are also developing our Future Catching Policy, in partnership with our stakeholders, which will link stock management with responsive and proportionate technical and spatial measures to take concrete action to support fishers to avoid catching fish and other species which they don’t want to land, or catch in the first place – reducing waste and improving environmental outcomes.
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the roll-out of the Child Disability Payment.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022
