- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 5 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government how much landfill tax has been recovered from illegally deposited waste by Revenue Scotland in each year since 2014.
Answer
As this matter relates to Revenue Scotland in its role as the tax authority responsible for the collection and management of the fully devolved taxes, I have asked the Chief Executive of Revenue Scotland to write to you directly.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27751 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 March 2020, whether the funding for Creative Communities is still £900,000 for the period October 2020 to June 2021.
Answer
The Scottish Government has provided total funding of £900,000 to the Creative Communities Programme to cover the period to July 2021.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government how much of its £48 million business support fund was paid out in the first seven days after applications opened on 20 October 2020.
Answer
Data is being collated and is going through validation processes and will be published in due course.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance was issued to local authorities regarding the payment of the business support grants that opened for application on 20 October 2020.
Answer
Guidance was provided online on the Scottish Government website and in grant letters.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government when its proposed fund to top-up payments from the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme will open for applications, and when the first payments will be made.
Answer
The Scottish Government furlough support fund is providing businesses with grants of £1,650 per premise to help meet the cost of furloughing staff by providing support towards the 20% employer’s contribution that businesses are required to pay under the October arrangements for the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme (JRS).
This fund is open to businesses in the local authority areas that had to close due to increased restrictions across Scotland and covers the period from 9 th October to 31 st October. The JRS has been extended across the UK for a further month, in November, and will only require employers to meet National Insurance and Pension contributions – usually around 5% of overall staff costs.
This fund will be delivered through local authorities from 30 October. Businesses that had to close who are looking for a contribution towards JRS payments for 9-31 Oct can apply to their councils. Businesses who have already applied for the Covid-19 Restrictions Fund will be contacted by their local authority to check if they are eligible for furlough support.
The scheme will close to new applications on 30 November.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government when its £11 million fund for business support opened; how much has been paid out so far, and when the first payments were made.
Answer
On 27 October we announced that the first tranche of payments through this fund would be made available to nightclubs and soft play centres which have been closed since March.
No payments have yet been made through this fund as we are working in partnership with local authorities to develop a mechanism which negates the need for an application process.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what specific risk factors were identified that led to casinos being entirely disassociated from hospitality businesses in the COVID-19 Strategic Framework where currently they are permitted to remain open alongside hospitality businesses outside of the Central Belt.
Answer
Casinos are subject to hospitality rules if situated in areas at levels where they can open, levels 0 and 1, and the industry COVID guidance is linked to the Scottish Government guidance on hospitality. Within the Strategic Framework approach they are treated as leisure and entertainment. This is because the settings and circumstances of engagement in leisure and entertainment activities are different to those for the broader hospitality sector.
The overall package of measures within each level is designed to suppress the virus as far as possible whilst minimising broader harms. We know how difficult the measures are for businesses and we are seeking to finely balance the needs of the economy with the absolute need to supress the virus. We are doing everything we can with the limited powers we have to help businesses, offering support which now exceeds £2.3 billion, as well as closure grants for those affected by the current measures.
We will keep the protective measures in all levels under review to ensure that they remain necessary and proportionate to address the ongoing public health emergency.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm that applications to the Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund from companies in the creative supply chain are being given equal consideration for funding as culture organisations and venues.
Answer
All eligible applications to the Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund will be given equal consideration by Creative Scotland. Supply chain businesses that work in support of cultural activity were able to apply to the fund.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide additional funding support to the personal beauty industry, in light of the current close contact retail regulations that effectively prevent many treatments.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32389 on 27 October 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government when (a) it and (b) its agencies last met representatives of the Indian film industry regarding the filming of productions in Scotland.
Answer
a)The Scottish Government has not met with members of the Indian film industry regarding filming of productions in Scotland; however, I met with Poonam Gupta OBE, Chief Executive of PG Paper, on 21 October 2020. Ms Gupta met with me on behalf of a producer from the Indian film industry.
b)The information requested on behalf of Scottish Government agencies is not held centrally.