Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 02 February 2011
02 Feb 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Non-Domestic Rates (Levying) (Scotland) (No 3) Regulations 2010
We hear the loyal SNP back benchers, but the point is that, because the Government could not be bothered to do a business and regulatory impact assessment, we do not know the accurate figures.
The Government said that it was not proportionate to do a business and regulatory impact assessment and that a £30 million tax on one sector did not merit one. That is interesting, because it is worth looking at when it is proportionate to do a BRIA and what regulations merit one.
Sitting at the front of the Scottish Parliament information centre last week were the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2011. Those regulations have minimal impact on business but were deemed worthy of a full BRIA. However, it was deemed not proportionate to have an impact assessment for something that would cost the business community £30 million.
If that is the case, what is the point in having any regulatory impact assessment? Mr Swinney set up the regulatory review group in the first place. It has done sterling work. Why on earth were the regulations not subject to a business and regulatory impact assessment?
The regulations deserve to fail because they fail the SNP’s own test: they will not ensure
“that Scotland is the most attractive place for doing business in Europe”.
They hit town centres, penalise investment and job creation and put Scotland at a competitive disadvantage. For all those reasons, they deserve to fail.
16:47
The Government said that it was not proportionate to do a business and regulatory impact assessment and that a £30 million tax on one sector did not merit one. That is interesting, because it is worth looking at when it is proportionate to do a BRIA and what regulations merit one.
Sitting at the front of the Scottish Parliament information centre last week were the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2011. Those regulations have minimal impact on business but were deemed worthy of a full BRIA. However, it was deemed not proportionate to have an impact assessment for something that would cost the business community £30 million.
If that is the case, what is the point in having any regulatory impact assessment? Mr Swinney set up the regulatory review group in the first place. It has done sterling work. Why on earth were the regulations not subject to a business and regulatory impact assessment?
The regulations deserve to fail because they fail the SNP’s own test: they will not ensure
“that Scotland is the most attractive place for doing business in Europe”.
They hit town centres, penalise investment and job creation and put Scotland at a competitive disadvantage. For all those reasons, they deserve to fail.
16:47
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on Parliamentary Bureau motion S3M-7841, in the name of Mike Rumbles, on the Non-Domestic Rates (Levying) (Scotland) (N...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Before I call members to speak, I point out that time is limited, so we had better stick to the speaking time limits. I call Jeremy Purvis, who has seven min...
Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD)
LD
This is the third time that we have brought to Parliament concerns about the rates that businesses in Scotland pay. In advance of today, we have consistently...
Jeremy Purvis
LD
I hear SNP members shouting “Jobs, jobs.” I will come back to jobs in a moment. Perhaps those members are referring to the 8,000 jobs that the Scottish Retai...
Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con)
Con
The Scottish Government’s proposals are nothing more than an ill-judged raid on retail at a time when it least needs it. At the beginning of the process, bac...
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind)
Ind
As another Lothians member, I am intrigued as to how much it is estimated the 12 stores in Princes Street will lose. Does the member have those figures to hand?
Gavin Brown
Con
From the most accurate figures that I have seen, which involved adding up the stores that we knew about—in which we were assisted by the Edinburgh Chamber of...
Margo MacDonald
Ind
Each?
Gavin Brown
Con
That is the total for Princes Street. It might be slightly more or less, but that is the ballpark figure. That is additional taxation, on top of the rates th...
The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism (Jim Mather)
SNP
To what extent does the UK Government consult on rises in VAT and other changes that it makes?
Gavin Brown
Con
I took that intervention for a specific reason and the minister was unable to tell us what dialogue took place. There was nothing—not even a bit of brainstor...
Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Nonsense.
Gavin Brown
Con
We hear the loyal SNP back benchers, but the point is that, because the Government could not be bothered to do a business and regulatory impact assessment, w...
Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab)
Lab
In last week’s debate on the budget, I said that rising unemployment was the signal failure of nearly four years of SNP Government. When John Swinney deliver...
Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
The member mentioned Princes Street. Has he seen Princes Street in Port Glasgow, which has been decimated by the huge Tesco at the bottom of the street?
Andy Kerr
Lab
I am not sure about that part of the country, but I know that the new Sainsbury’s in Strathaven has enhanced the retail offer and the shops are surviving and...
Andy Kerr
Lab
Labour is not in a position to support this unacceptable policy, which was created by an SNP Government in crisis. As we have seen from leaked documents from...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Order.
Andy Kerr
Lab
John Hannett is the leader of the workers on whom the SNP’s tax will have the greatest impact. He said:“The proposed levy is at such a high rate that it is l...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
Greens can support two policy objectives that might be addressed in small part: revenue raising to offset the worst of the Tory cuts in Scotland, of which I ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney)
SNP
As I explained to Parliament when I set out the rationale for the draft budget for 2011-12, we have had to face tough decisions. The United Kingdom Governmen...
Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)
LD
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
John Swinney
SNP
I give way to Mr McNeil first.
Duncan McNeil
Lab
How much of the £30 million tax take will go to small businesses?
John Swinney
SNP
Mr McNeil fails to understand the nature of the budget process. Interruption.
The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson)
NPA
Order.
John Swinney
SNP
If we want to provide a balanced budget to the Parliament, we must be able to afford all the priorities in it. The budget contains support for the small busi...
Gavin Brown
Con
Why was a business and regulatory impact assessment not undertaken? Did the cabinet secretary intervene personally to block that?
John Swinney
SNP
I made it clear that there was no need for such an impact assessment because the proposal will affect 0.1 per cent of the business property base in Scotland,...