Meeting of the Parliament 25 April 2017
In giving further detailed evidence to the Finance and Constitution Committee and others, the Government has made it clear that we will need to work harder in other areas of the environment and in transport, recognising the policy’s impact on emissions, in aiming to achieve our very ambitious climate change targets.
Supporting information will be published for the SEA consultation on the Scottish Government’s approach.
I turn to exemptions and the Highlands and Islands issue, which is very important to many people.
Although there is a case for considering exemptions alongside tax bands and tax rate amounts—an exemption being a zero rate, in effect—the Scottish Government has listened carefully to stakeholders, the Finance and Constitution Committee and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, and we will lodge amendments at stage 2 that provide for passenger and aircraft exemptions.
I bring to members’ attention an important policy and legal matter concerning the introduction of an ADT exemption for passengers who fly from Highlands and Islands airports. A similar exemption has applied under APD since 2001. The Scottish Government strongly supports retaining a like-for-like exemption under ADT, and is interested in suggestions that have been made during stage 1 for enhancing the exemption. As ADT is a new tax devolved under the Scotland Act 2016, the Scottish Parliament is legislating for the first time on the matter. After careful consideration, the Scottish Government’s view is that such an exemption has to be notified to and assessed by the European Commission under state-aid rules before it is implemented in compliance with European Union law. The Scottish Government will work closely with the UK Government to resolve that matter. As the EU member state, the UK is responsible for notifying the exemption to the European Commission. I have spoken to the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Treasury about the matter, and I am exploring alternative solutions. I will, of course, ensure that Parliament and stakeholders are kept regularly updated on the issue.
In conclusion, taken together, the provisions in the bill provide the basis for a tax that is well understood by taxpayers and is simple and efficient to collect and manage. The secondary legislation powers in the bill, which are, in most circumstances, subject to the affirmative procedure, provide sufficient legislative flexibility to make future changes to the tax in order to support key Government policies or reflect changing market conditions, or to make changes in light of Revenue Scotland’s operational experience of collecting and managing the tax.
There is general support from stakeholders and support in the chamber for the principles of the bill and the establishment of a tax to replace APD in Scotland. I appreciate that, underneath that support, there is a range of views on whether the tax should be reduced and, indeed, how that tax reduction should be applied to maximise the economic benefit for Scotland.
The Government remains of the view that our approach of reducing the overall burden of the tax by 50 per cent by the end of the current session and then abolishing the tax when resources allow will deliver strong economic benefits for Scotland. I look forward to debating those and other issues this afternoon.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Air Departure Tax (Scotland) Bill.