Meeting of the Parliament 21 February 2017
Jackie Baillie will be well aware that the Government is proposing an above-inflation increase to the national health service as a consequence of our draft budget, which is more than the Labour Party committed to during the Scottish Parliament elections. I have made the point about how transitional rates relief does not feel like the appropriate measure. By putting in place a cap, we are achieving the right balance, because it supports businesses without punishing others.
The member makes a fair point about trying to prevent job losses. That is why the range of actions that we have taken are appropriate. I launched our business rates policy in Paisley, and the business that I visited then will fall into the category in which it pays no rates at all as a consequence of the expansion of the small business bonus. It plans to employ new workers and apprentices, which is very welcome.
I am more than happy to cover the timescales. As Parliament knows—[Interruption.] The Tories do not want to hear the answer, because if they were in power there would be no support at all. We can see the chaos that is going on south of the border, which the Chancellor of the Exchequer is now trying to fix.
In Scotland, we have presented a very worthwhile package of measures. We take the budget from year to year—it is a one-year budget. However, the revaluation process generally lasts for five years, and we await the Ken Barclay review to inform further decisions. The cap of 12.5 per cent to which I referred in my statement applies in the current financial year, and we will consider any further issues around methodology, revaluation and other matters when we receive Ken Barclay’s report. It is right that we do that so that we are better informed and have the evidence to enable us to determine the right way forward for the next financial year and future financial years.