Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 21 February 2017
21 Feb 2017 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Business and the Economy (Support)
I make the point that the parties that engaged constructively in the negotiation process have ensured that local authorities have an extra £160 million at their disposal.
If there was a transitional rates relief scheme, many businesses, including in the north-east, that would expect their rates bill to go down would instead see it sustained at an artificially high level. We are not doing that. We are putting in place a cap to support certain sectors and the north-east in particular, which I would have thought Liam Kerr would welcome.
He asked what other measures are in place. There is the small business bonus scheme and the reduction in the business rates poundage for every business in the country. I have drawn attention to the local rates relief schemes, which can work around the other schemes to ensure that we cover other sectors, individual areas or individuals where that might be appropriate.
I say again that some councils across the political spectrum have engaged constructively in the process, which I welcome. However, it is shocking that the most noise has come from the Conservatives, who have opposed us the most in what we have been doing to help businesses.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
NPA
The next item of business is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution, Derek Mackay, on support for business and the economy. Th...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution (Derek Mackay)
SNP
I am pleased to make a statement to Parliament today on the support that the Scottish Government is providing to business and our economy. As everyone acro...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
There is a lot of interest in this item. If questions and answers can be kept as succinct as possible, we will be able to make progress.
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his statement. For weeks, the cabinet secretary has been denying that there is an issue with business rat...
Derek Mackay
SNP
I raised in the draft budget the early actions that this Government would take on business rates as the evidence from the revaluation was unfolding. I think ...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I think that the cabinet secretary would want to know that Alex Salmond was the “revolting” MP. I welcome the cabinet secretary’s statement and the complete...
Derek Mackay
SNP
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 b...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I have been very generous with the amount of time that I have given to the first speakers for questions and replies. We have very little time left, so I ask ...
Murdo Fraser
Con
But will we get an answer?
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Yes, we might well get an answer, if members just ask a question.
Gillian Martin (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP)
SNP
On behalf of the businesses in Aberdeenshire that I represent, I welcome the cabinet secretary’s announcement. It is yet another example of the Scottish Gove...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I suggest to members that, when I tell them to cut the preamble and get to the question, they should follow my advice, please.
Derek Mackay
SNP
Gillian Martin makes a fair and helpful point in drawing attention to the fact that a number of the 32 local authorities propose to take action through local...
Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
Last week, just over 10,000 businesses in Aberdeen city and shire were facing crippling business rate increases. Today’s decision, according to the finance s...
Derek Mackay
SNP
I make the point that the parties that engaged constructively in the negotiation process have ensured that local authorities have an extra £160 million at th...
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
SNP
If the budget is passed on Thursday, a large number of businesses in my constituency will pay no rates at all next year, due to the expansion of the small bu...
Derek Mackay
SNP
Ben Macpherson is right to say that there are many businesses that should be aware of the eligibility criteria for relief. I think that it would be the right...
James Kelly (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
This is the third time that the cabinet secretary has been asked this. What other areas of the budget is he raiding in order to support the measures that he ...
Derek Mackay
SNP
I have attended the Finance and Constitution Committee and the Local Government and Communities Committee in order to try to take people through the non-dome...
Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Green)
Green
I have four brief questions. One: does the cabinet secretary agree that we need more scrutiny in general of the non-domestic rating regime? Two: will he lay ...
Derek Mackay
SNP
On the scrutiny of non-domestic rates, the Government is working in partnership with the Finance and Constitution Committee and other experts in the field to...
Mairi Evans (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
SNP
The cabinet secretary mentioned the Barclay review. Can he confirm that that review will take a root-and-branch look at the rates system and that, if it reco...
Derek Mackay
SNP
I have discussed the issues with Ken Barclay, and he is looking specifically at those and other issues. I confirm that the Government will act as swiftly as ...
Dean Lockhart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for confirming that he has announced a temporary one-year sticking-plaster solution, in classic Scottish National Party style. ...
Derek Mackay
SNP
I think that I welcome Dean Lockhart’s welcome of what I have proposed this afternoon. I said that I will outline further information on the details of the r...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
I thank the minister for an advance copy of the statement. The last time that the Government bungled rates revaluation, we recommended a cap of 12.5 per ce...
Derek Mackay
SNP
I have previously explained to Willie Rennie that the issue of non-domestic rates is most certainly complex. I can give further information on the profiling ...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the fact that 972 businesses in Moray and Aberdeenshire will benefit from today’s announcement, adding to the 9,608 premises that will pay no more ...
Derek Mackay
SNP
No, I have no proposals to introduce a charge, as has happened in England. Obviously appeals boards will have to look at capacity issues to ensure that they ...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests as a company director with retail interests in Edinburgh. After a number of questions, we ...