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Following the 2017 revaluation the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) thresholds were significantly increased from £10,000 to £15,000 rateable value and a transitional scheme was introduced.

Both schemes are significantly more generous than their equivalents elsewhere in the UK with the SBBS offering 100% relief for properties with a rateable value under £15,000 and a transitional scheme which is fully funded from by the Scottish Government budget, unlike the transitional relief offered by the UK Government which increases bills for some businesses to fund the scheme.

Because of the generous nature of both reliefs, in designing both the SBBS and transitional schemes a balance had to be struck between affordability and helping the maximum number of small businesses.

The following table shows the number of properties that saw their rateable value increase or decrease between bands of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) relief that were potentially covered by the transitional relief scheme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14683 on 6 March 2018. 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 .

The Joint Programme Board, as the appropriate body to manage the programme, has made progress in a number of key areas in the past eight months. This includes agreement that officers and staff will retain their current terms and conditions, including access to their current pension schemes. The Joint Programme Board has been advised that operational aspects of the integration will not be ready for April 2019 as planned; Ministers have therefore agreed that a re-planning exercise should take place in the coming months to ensure all aspects have a clear delivery plan in place. After that the Board will agree what the most appropriate integration date should be.

The Virgin Trains East Coast franchise is the responsibility of the UK Government’s Department for Transport, who let and manage that contract. Any penalties or bans relating to the contract are a matter for the UK Government, not the Scottish Government.

Our priority as a Government is to ensure there is no slide in the provision or quality of services, and that the interests of Scottish passengers are addressed. Both the Secretary of State for Transport and the Managing Director of Virgin Trains East Coast have given us reassurances that day-to-day operations will be unaffected.

I spoke to the Secretary of State on 7 February 2018 for reassurance that there will be no slide in the provision or quality of services, and that the interests of Scottish passengers are addressed. I then followed up that communication with a letter on 8 February 2018. Virgin Trains East Coast issued on 5 February 2018 a notification to stakeholders about the impending termination of the franchise and affirmed a continuing commitment, for the reminder of their contract, to the customers and the communities that they serve. My officials, in the light of the notification, wrote to the Managing Director, Virgin Trains East Coast on 13 February 2018 requesting advance notification of any changes to services affecting Scotland.