Meeting of the Parliament 11 December 2013
I refer Mr McDonald to the growth rates that were announced just last week—enormous increases in projected growth for this year, next year and the years that follow; enormous increases for projected employment; decreases for unemployment; and decreases for borrowing as a whole. From a macroeconomic point of view, the economy is moving entirely in the right direction. The UK Government’s specific policy aimed just at retail and food and drink ought to be matched up here so that retailers up here get a fairer deal.
In our view, as a minority Government this Government started well when it came to helping the high street and the business sector. In its initial budget, it brought in the small business bonus, accelerated by the demands from this party. In 2009, it brought in the town centre regeneration fund—again, something that we had pushed for and which was in our 2007 manifesto.
However, since the Government became a majority Government, things have moved backwards. As we discussed, this Government brought in the retail levy. It brought in huge increases to taxes on empty properties—that was not in its manifesto and not subject to consultation. We see an increasing share paid by business. It was paying £2 billion a year in rates and that is set to rise in 2015-16 to £2.8 billion. We hear the Government complaining incessantly about the powers that it does not have while refusing to use the powers that it does have.
Let us have some more action from the Scottish Government. Let us use the powers that we do have and respond specifically to the announcements in the autumn statement last week.
I move,
That the Parliament welcomes the measures to promote economic growth in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement 2013; notes that growth projections for the next two years have been revised upward by the Office for Budget Responsibility and that the UK is now growing faster than almost any other major industrialised economy; believes that the Autumn Statement’s measures, including a freeze in fuel duty, the scrapping of employer national insurance contributions for 1.5 million young people, a 2% cap on the business rates increase and granting a special discount of £1,000 to retail premises with a rateable value of £50,000 or below will have a positive effect on the economy; recognises that these measures come on the back of a number of other recent policies implemented by the UK Government, including the cut in corporation tax to the lowest level in the G20; notes with concern a number of measures brought about by the Scottish Government during the current parliamentary session, including the public health supplement and the increase in rates on businesses with empty properties, and calls on the Scottish Government to help the Scottish economy by scrapping the public health supplement, reversing the decision to charge empty properties at 90% of business rates, ensuring that the poundage for business rates does not rise above the level set by the UK Government and implementing a relief scheme for retail properties with a rateable value of up to £50,000.