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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-24464

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has modelled any impact of its reported decision to end the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, and any effect that it will have on job-related training.

The decision to halt the Flexible Workforce Development Fund was not taken lightly but in an extremely challenging budget environment. It is too early to tell the impact of this decision on the overall job-related training across Scotland. It is hoped that many of the employers who have benefitted from FWDF since 2017 will continue to recognise the value of upskilling their workforce to support economic growth.

Employers have a key role to play in workforce development. We will continue to encourage employers to build on the strong partnerships they have developed and work with their local colleges and universities to ensure training offers align to labour market needs.

Question reference: S6W-24500

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what assessment it has made of any potential implications of the introduction of such a levy for retailers' investment plans.

Question reference: S6W-24496

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, for how long such a levy would apply.

Question reference: S6W-24499

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what alternative levies or taxes it considered as a means of generating additional revenue.

The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement for large retailers in advance of the next Budget. As set out in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget publication, the Scottish Government has however committed to introduce or explore six new taxes. These comprise three national taxes: Scottish Aggregates Tax, Air Departure Tax, and a Building Safety Levy; and three local taxes: Visitor Levy, Cruise Liner Levy, and a Local Carbon Land Tax.

Question reference: S6W-24497

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, how much revenue it expects to generate from such a levy.

Question reference: S6W-24498

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what its position is on whether the introduction of such a levy is consistent with (a) the principles set out in its Framework for Tax and (b) its pledge to maintain a competitive rates regime.

The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement for large retailers in advance of the next Budget. The exploratory work will be carried out in compliance with the Framework for Tax, including engagement with all relevant stakeholders.

The Scottish Government is committed to keeping all Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) policy reforms under review to ensure that the NDR system delivers the most competitive environment to do business whilst also supporting our communities. The Basic Property Rate will be frozen in 2024-25 for the second year in a row, maintaining the lowest such rate in the UK for the sixth year in a row. Over 95% of properties in Scotland - those with a rateable value up to and including £100,000 - will continue to liable for a lower non-domestic rate than anywhere else in the UK in 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-24446

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether it undertook any analysis of the previous iteration of the supplement, which was in place from 2012 to 2015.

Question reference: S6W-24444

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether this supplement will come on top of, or instead of, any higher property rate that may be levied on a retail property.

Question reference: S6W-24445

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with its economic development agencies, including Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International, regarding the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, prior to the announcement in its Budget for 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-24181

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the £66.9 million investment in offshore wind, announced in its Budget 2024-25, will be delivered; what the investment priorities will be, and what the (a) timeline and (b) process will be for releasing the funds.

We are initiating our commitment of up to £500 million to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland with investment of £67 million in 2024-2025.

This commercial and grant investment will stimulate and support private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of our world-leading offshore wind sector.

We have worked with public sector partners to develop a framework which will achieve strategic alignment of public sector investment in offshore renewables supply chain and infrastructure development.

This very much aligns with the approach taken by the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) in developing the Strategic Investment Model (SIM) to move from project-led to sector level investment that better supports growth in port and supply chain capacity and capability.

We will continue to collaborate with public sector partners and engage with industry and other partners as we finalise our approach and we will provide an update in due course.

Our strategic investment will support market certainty, create new jobs, embed innovation, and boost skills to foster a competitive economy, underscoring our determination to maximise the economic benefits from Scotland’s offshore wind potential.