- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the climate change levy will have a negative effect on the Borders economy because of its impact on agriculture, textiles and electronics.
Answer
As a UK taxation measure the climate change levy is a reserved matter. Taking the levy package as a whole, the UK Government expects the manufacturing sector to recover in reductions in National Insurance contributions, tax allowances and additional support for energy efficiency measures broadly as much as it will pay in climate change levy.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government pressing for an exemption for the hydro-electric industry in Scotland in relation to the climate change levy in line with other renewable forms of power like wind-power.
Answer
Businesses will be able to claim exemption from climate change levy in respect of consumption of electricity from qualifying renewable sources. There have been discussions with Her Majesty's Government about a range of issues including the treatment of electricity from large hydro electricity stations (those rated at more than 10MW) and these are continuing.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it is currently providing to Scottish businesses and local authorities with regard to the climate change levy due to be implemented on 1 April 2001; what form this information takes; when it was made available, and what has been the take-up of such information.
Answer
The climate change levy is a UK taxation measure, and the principal sources of information are DETR and HM Treasury, which have publicised it through a consultation document and communications with UK trade associations.
In Scotland, information has been made available to businesses over the Internet, including the website of our Scottish Energy Efficiency Office (SEEO). In addition, the SEEO is currently engaged in a series of regional and sectoral events to explain to businesses how the levy will affect them and what they can do to mitigate its impact; several such presentations have already been made.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the effect of the climate change levy on businesses, in particular small- to medium-si'ed enterprises in rural areas, will be neutral.
Answer
As a UK taxation measure the climate change levy is a reserved matter. Taking the levy package as a whole, the UK Government expects the manufacturing and services sectors to recover in reductions in National Insurance contributions, tax allowances and additional support for energy efficiency measures broadly as much as they will pay in climate change levy. Very small businesses will pay no levy at all because they will be regarded as domestic energy consumers.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government asking why the climate change levy is being imposed on businesses in regions such as the south of Scotland, given the lack of any emissions problem in that area and that the UK is meeting its greenhouse gas emissions target under the Kyoto principles.
Answer
As a UK taxation measure, the climate change levy is a reserved matter. The UK Government has sought to design the levy in a way that maximises its environmental effectiveness whilst protecting the competitiveness of UK firms.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it has made for grant assistance to businesses to enable them to make the capital investment required to enable them to meet the energy saving targets that must be set to qualify for an 80% rebate of the climate change levy.
Answer
As a UK taxation measure the climate change levy is a reserved matter. There are no plans to introduce a grant scheme. DETR is currently negotiating a series of agreements with various business sectoral organisations under which an 80% rebate on the levy will be available in exchange for the sector as a whole agreeing to meet stringent energy efficiency targets. Businesses will also benefit from other incentives including tax allowances against investment in energy efficient technology, reductions in National Insurance contributions and the availability of free advice on improving energy efficiency.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposed climate change levy will affect tomato growers in the Clyde Valley and whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government pressing for affected growers to receive 100% relief from this tax in line with their main European competitors in the Netherlands.
Answer
As a UK taxation measure the climate change levy is a reserved matter. The UK Government is not able to say with precision what the effects of the levy on individual sectors will be since this will depend on many factors, including take-up of incentives to improve energy efficiency. The Government intends to offer a temporary 50% discount to the horticulture industry as well as include thermal screens, which are used in glasshouses, in the list of technologies eligible for enhanced capital allowances.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 19 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many paediatric patients currently being treated at Edinburgh Sick Children's Hospital's cardiac unit are referrals from health board areas in the West of Scotland.
Answer
During the 18-month period from April 1998 to September 1999, there were two patient referrals from a health board area in the West of Scotland to the Edinburgh Sick Children's Hospital. During the same 18-month period however, there were four referrals to Yorkhill Hospital from the Lothian Health Board area.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 15 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had regarding the impact of the proposed climate change levy in Scotland.
Answer
The Climate Change Levy is a reserved matter. The Scottish Executive is engaged in an ongoing dialogue with the private and public sectors and has conveyed concerns, expressed by these sectors about the levy's impact in Scotland, to HM Government.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how the term "emergency service" is defined and which services are currently classified as emergency services.
Answer
There is no general statutory definition of the term "emergency service". However, The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 made under the Road Traffic Act 1988 specify those vehicles designated as "emergency vehicles" which are empowered to be fitted with a blue warning beacon. In this regard, in addition to fire, ambulance and police vehicles, the regulations also cover specified vehicles used by the Forestry Commission, the Ministry of Defence, HM Coastguard, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Coal Authority, and the Blood Transfusion Service.
