Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-04598, in the name of Derek Mackay, on the Local Government Finance (Unoccupied Properties etc) (Scotland...

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney) SNP

For the purposes of rule 9.11 of the standing orders, I advise the Parliament that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Local Government F...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

Thank you very much, cabinet secretary.We now begin the debate. I call Margaret Burgess to speak to and move the motion in the name of Derek Mackay.16:17

The Minister for Housing and Welfare (Margaret Burgess) SNP

I am pleased to open the stage 3 debate on the Local Government Finance (Unoccupied Properties etc) (Scotland) Bill. I thank the Local Government and Regener...

Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

Will the minister consider, under secondary legislation, changing that period of time—for small businesses only—from three months to six months? It is a shor...

Margaret Burgess SNP

Many of those businesses would be exempt from business rates in any case, but the Minister for Local Government and Planning has said that he will review the...

Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

I thank those who gave evidence to the committees that dealt with the bill, the organisations that lobbied us, and the committee clerks.From the outset, Labo...

The Minister for Local Government and Planning (Derek Mackay) SNP

The figures are not true, of course—but even the figure that the Labour Party has conjured up excludes £2.3 billion of non-domestic rates from the local gove...

Sarah Boyack Lab

The evidence that was presented to the committee and MSPs. There are not only demolitions in the industrial sector; there are demolitions in the commercial s...

Derek Mackay SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Sarah Boyack Lab

No. I have answered the minister’s question. He asked about the evidence, and I have told him what it is.We have been told—by town centre managers, I think—t...

John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Sarah Boyack Lab

No. I want to get on and address the minister’s other point about estimates.Glasgow City Council estimates that, on its own, it will take more than £1 millio...

Derek Mackay SNP

Sorry. Can the member say that again?

Sarah Boyack Lab

I will repeat it for the minister’s benefit. The information that was submitted to me by Glasgow City Council is that it alone will have to pay more than £1 ...

Derek Mackay SNP

I am happy that the member will take my intervention. Perhaps she would like to have another go at citing exactly which evidence she was talking about when s...

Sarah Boyack Lab

I gave the minister the source: I said that it related to town centre managers. I am sure that that was the reference that we got. I will certainly check the...

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

I cannot pretend that it gives me any pleasure to speak in this stage 3 debate on the Local Government Finance (Unoccupied Properties etc) (Scotland) Bill, w...

Derek Mackay SNP

In light of what the member has just said, does she have a view on the United Kingdom Government’s intervention on listed properties, which will be exempt fr...

Margaret Mitchell Con

The UK Government proposals that the minister is talking about are not part of the bill; they are not relevant. What the UK Government is doing is looking at...

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

We now move to the open debate. I remind members that speeches are four minutes. If everybody keeps to their four minutes, it will ensure that everyone who h...

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I come to this debate as a relatively new member of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee. I was not a member of the committee when the Local Gover...

The Presiding Officer NPA

You need to start to bring your remarks to a close.

John Wilson SNP

Thank you, Presiding Officer. In many ways, the traditional town centre has been losing out as a result of wider societal change, and the challenge is for it...

Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I want to express my concerns on the challenging process and the questionable content of the bill.As a member of the Local Government and Regeneration Commit...

George Adam (Paisley) (SNP) SNP

I am extremely pleased to speak in this debate. I do so not in a cold or academic way, because the town that I represent, and in which I was born, has alread...

Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD) LD

The member mentioned that he consulted two children. Did he actually consult any businesses in Paisley regarding empty properties?

George Adam SNP

Ironically, anyone who had listened earlier would know that our problem in Paisley is trying to retain people because of previous Administrations in Westmins...

Derek Mackay SNP

Does the member welcome the fact that we consulted businesses on this issue, including the business improvement district steering group, which supports our d...

George Adam SNP

Yes.We have talked about Mr Hume’s contributions to the debate. We must remember that some organisations take a purely business perspective and do not consid...