- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the conclusions of the Local Government Committee's 8th Report 2000: Non-domestic Rates it (a) accepts and (b) rejects and what the reasons are for its position in relation to each of the committee's conclusions.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive which bodies it has met to discuss a small business rates relief scheme since 8 December 1999.
Answer
The Executive has discussed the issue of small business rates relief with representatives of the following bodies; in some cases separately or as part of the business representatives group meetings:
British Hospitality Association;
Confederation of British Industry, Scotland;
Chemical Industries Association;
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities;
Forum of Private Business;
Federation of Small Businesses, Scotland;
Institute of Directors;
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland;
Scottish Assessors' Association;
Scottish Chambers of Commerce;
Scottish Council Development and Industry;
Scottish Licenced Trade Association;
Scottish Retail Consortium;
Scottish Tourism Forum;
Scottish Valuation and Rating Council;
Scottish Wholesalers' Association;
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates since 8 December 1999 it has met (a) Ministers and (b) officials of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to discuss a small business rates relief scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Executive maintains close contact with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on local taxation issues including those relating to small business rates relief.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it first considered any relationship between a small business rates relief scheme and the transitional rates relief scheme.
Answer
The current transitional relief scheme provides relief to all qualifying businesses, including small businesses.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether rateable values in Scotland and in England and Wales are now harmonised and, if not, which hereditaments do not have harmonised rateable values.
Answer
A harmonised approach to determining rateable values has been adopted between Scotland, England and Wales. Assessors have confirmed that there are no specific classes of property where harmonisation is considered to be an issue.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates since 8 December 1999 it has had discussions with the Confederation of British Industry regarding a small business rates relief scheme.
Answer
The Confederation of British Industry, CBI Scotland, is represented on a partnership working group which includes representatives from various business organisations and was established to consider aspects of the revaluation of non-domestic rates and the rating system generally. The working group has met twice since December 1999.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether implementing a small business rates relief scheme would give rise to additional costs for local authorities and what the nature and level of any such additional costs would be.
Answer
The costs of administering any small business rates relief scheme will be taken into account in considering how best to proceed. We are considering the position on rate relief for small businesses and will announce before Christmas what conclusions have been drawn and how we intend to proceed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Federation of Small Businesses' proposal for a small business rates relief scheme has been discussed at any meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee and, if so, on what dates.
Answer
The Joint Ministerial Committee has not discussed this matter.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has informed non-domestic ratepayers or businesses, in information leaflets or by any other method, of the variation in the rate poundage between Scotland and England and between Scotland and Wales.
Answer
The Executive published a paper on 17 January explaining the calculations underlying the Scottish non-domestic rate poundage for 2000-01. This included an explanation of the reasons for the differences in rate poundage north and south of the Border.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a small business rates relief scheme; if so, whether the scheme introduced will be that advocated by (a) the Federation of Small Businesses, (b) the Forum of Private Business or (c) the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in Modernising Local Government Finance: A Green Paper and, if its scheme differs from all of these, whether it will outline its proposals.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11050.
