That the Parliament acknowledges the outstanding contribution made across Scotland by the third sector; recognises the importance of multi-year funding to the sector in order to allow it to maximise its contribution; notes the Joint Statement on the Relationship at Local Level between Government and the Third Sector, which states that "as a general rule funders will aim to take a three-year approach to both grant and contract funding"; is concerned by reports that this three-year approach does not happen as widely as it could; calls on local authorities, NHS boards and the wider public sector to take a three-year approach as a general rule, and further calls on the Scottish Government to encourage the application of the joint statement on the ground and to review how widely the three-year approach currently happens in practice.
Current Status:
That the Parliament acknowledges the outstanding contribution made across Scotland by the third sector; recognises the importance of multi-year funding to the sector in order to allow it to maximise its contribution; notes the Joint Statement on the Relationship at Local Level between Government and the Third Sector, which states that "as a general rule funders will aim to take a three-year approach to both grant and contract funding"; is concerned by reports that this three-year approach does not happen as widely as it could; calls on local authorities, NHS boards and the wider public sector to take a three-year approach as a general rule, and further calls on the Scottish Government to encourage the application of the joint statement on the ground and to review how widely the three-year approach currently happens in practice.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 01/05/2013
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As an amendment to motion S4M-06225 in the name of John Swinney (Universal Services), leave out from "confirms" to end and insert "notes that many of the measures contained in the UK Government budget on 20 March 2013 have been welcomed across Scotland; is disappointed that the Scottish Government has failed to engage seriously in the debate on universal services, particularly in its refusal to publish longer-term forecasts for spending on universal services, and calls on the Scottish Government again to publish, as soon as possible, the most accurate available forecasts for spending on universal services in Scotland for each of the next 10 years."
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-06225 in the name of John Swinney (Universal Services), leave out from "confirms" to end and insert "notes that many of the measures contained in the UK Government budget on 20 March 2013 have been welcomed across Scotland; is disappointed that the Scottish Government has failed to engage seriously in the debate on universal services, particularly in its refusal to publish longer-term forecasts for spending on universal services, and calls on the Scottish Government again to publish, as soon as possible, the most accurate available forecasts for spending on universal services in Scotland for each of the next 10 years."
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16/04/2013
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As an amendment to motion S4M-06016 in the name of John Swinney (Scotland's Financial Strength), leave out from "welcomes" to end and insert "believes that analysing Scotland’s financial capability has to be conducted with a longer-term focus than a single year of GERS figures; notes that the £10.573 billion from North Sea revenue in 2011-12 was one of the highest figures on record and is higher than most predictions for future years, including the projections published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in March 2013; notes that oil revenues are historically volatile; believes there is a strong likelihood that financial markets could assess risk less favourably in a separate Scotland and raise the cost of borrowing; notes that public spending per head is higher in Scotland than the United Kingdom average and believes the demographic issues faced by Scotland are more challenging than the United Kingdom as a whole."
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-06016 in the name of John Swinney (Scotland's Financial Strength), leave out from "welcomes" to end and insert "believes that analysing Scotland’s financial capability has to be conducted with a longer-term focus than a single year of GERS figures; notes that the £10.573 billion from North Sea revenue in 2011-12 was one of the highest figures on record and is higher than most predictions for future years, including the projections published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in March 2013; notes that oil revenues are historically volatile; believes there is a strong likelihood that financial markets could assess risk less favourably in a separate Scotland and raise the cost of borrowing; notes that public spending per head is higher in Scotland than the United Kingdom average and believes the demographic issues faced by Scotland are more challenging than the United Kingdom as a whole."
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21/03/2013
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That the Parliament notes the Scottish Government’s claim that every £100 million spent on capital investment supports around 1,400 jobs; is therefore extremely disappointed with the result so far of the non-profit distribution (NPD) pipeline, which delivered nothing on the ground in 2011–12 and is projected to deliver only £20 million on the ground in 2012-13, compared with the £353 million projected in the 2011 spending review; is wholly unconvinced by the reasons given for delay thus far by the Scottish Government; calls on the Scottish Government to publish immediately the complete high-level overview for 2011-12, to explain in detail why the delivery of the NPD pipeline has been weak in 2012-13 and why the current projection for 2013-14 is far lower than was predicted in the 2011 spending review, and further calls on the Scottish Government to give an assurance that the current projections for 2012-13 and 2013-14 will be either met or exceeded.
Current Status:
That the Parliament notes the Scottish Government’s claim that every £100 million spent on capital investment supports around 1,400 jobs; is therefore extremely disappointed with the result so far of the non-profit distribution (NPD) pipeline, which delivered nothing on the ground in 2011–12 and is projected to deliver only £20 million on the ground in 2012-13, compared with the £353 million projected in the 2011 spending review; is wholly unconvinced by the reasons given for delay thus far by the Scottish Government; calls on the Scottish Government to publish immediately the complete high-level overview for 2011-12, to explain in detail why the delivery of the NPD pipeline has been weak in 2012-13 and why the current projection for 2013-14 is far lower than was predicted in the 2011 spending review, and further calls on the Scottish Government to give an assurance that the current projections for 2012-13 and 2013-14 will be either met or exceeded.
Supported by: Jamie McGrigor, Nanette Milne, Liz Smith, Alex Johnstone, David McLetchie, Murdo Fraser, Margaret Mitchell, Annabel Goldie
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20/02/2013
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As an amendment to motion S4M-04778 in the name of Alex Neil (Universal Benefits), leave out from first "recognises" to end and insert "believes that a fully informed and measured debate on the subject of universal services is necessary; notes the conclusions of the Independent Budget Review and the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services; believes that the combination of continued financial pressure and demographic change will cause immense challenges for public services, and calls on the Scottish Government to publish, by the end of 2012, the most accurate possible forecasts for spending on universal services in Scotland for each of the next 10 years."
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-04778 in the name of Alex Neil (Universal Benefits), leave out from first "recognises" to end and insert "believes that a fully informed and measured debate on the subject of universal services is necessary; notes the conclusions of the Independent Budget Review and the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services; believes that the combination of continued financial pressure and demographic change will cause immense challenges for public services, and calls on the Scottish Government to publish, by the end of 2012, the most accurate possible forecasts for spending on universal services in Scotland for each of the next 10 years."
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13/11/2012
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As an amendment to motion S4M-04365 in the name of Angela Constance (Employability), insert at end ", and calls on the Scottish Government to explain in greater detail the reasoning for allocating employability funding in the manner that it has as well as the alternatives that were considered and to outline clearly what evaluation mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of respective interventions."
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-04365 in the name of Angela Constance (Employability), insert at end ", and calls on the Scottish Government to explain in greater detail the reasoning for allocating employability funding in the manner that it has as well as the alternatives that were considered and to outline clearly what evaluation mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of respective interventions."
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 04/10/2012
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As an amendment to motion S4M-04340 in the name of Johann Lamont (Scotland's Future) leave out from first "cuts" to end and insert “demographic and social pressures are increasing; agrees with the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services that "Contentious issues such as the continuation of universal entitlements must be considered openly and transparently, rather than in the current polarised terms"; calls on all members to consider how to fully fund and sustain high quality public services in Scotland that best support the needs of Scots now and in the future, and calls on the Scottish Government to publish, by the end of 2012, the most accurate possible forecasts for spending on universal services in Scotland for each of the next 10 years."
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-04340 in the name of Johann Lamont (Scotland's Future) leave out from first "cuts" to end and insert “demographic and social pressures are increasing; agrees with the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services that "Contentious issues such as the continuation of universal entitlements must be considered openly and transparently, rather than in the current polarised terms"; calls on all members to consider how to fully fund and sustain high quality public services in Scotland that best support the needs of Scots now and in the future, and calls on the Scottish Government to publish, by the end of 2012, the most accurate possible forecasts for spending on universal services in Scotland for each of the next 10 years."
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 03/10/2012
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That the Parliament is concerned by the Scottish Government’s plans to substantially reduce empty property relief for non-domestic rates through the proposals in the Local Government Finance (Unoccupied Properties etc.) (Scotland) Bill; is deeply concerned that the Scottish Government has introduced this proposal with no formal consultation and without making a business and regulatory impact assessment; notes the Finance Committee’s report on the Bill's financial memorandum, which concluded that, “the Committee finds it surprising that the [Financial Memorandum] makes no attempt to estimate the number of commercial properties that will be brought back into use as a result of the Bill’s empty property relief proposals”; believes that reducing the tax relief for empty properties will have a detrimental effect on business and the economy; notes that there will be significant costs to the public sector, and therefore calls on the Scottish Government to abandon its proposed changes to empty property relief for non-domestic rates.
Current Status:
That the Parliament is concerned by the Scottish Government’s plans to substantially reduce empty property relief for non-domestic rates through the proposals in the Local Government Finance (Unoccupied Properties etc.) (Scotland) Bill; is deeply concerned that the Scottish Government has introduced this proposal with no formal consultation and without making a business and regulatory impact assessment; notes the Finance Committee’s report on the Bill's financial memorandum, which concluded that, “the Committee finds it surprising that the [Financial Memorandum] makes no attempt to estimate the number of commercial properties that will be brought back into use as a result of the Bill’s empty property relief proposals”; believes that reducing the tax relief for empty properties will have a detrimental effect on business and the economy; notes that there will be significant costs to the public sector, and therefore calls on the Scottish Government to abandon its proposed changes to empty property relief for non-domestic rates.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21/06/2012
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As an amendment to motion S4M-03078 in the name of John Swinney (The Implications for the Scottish Economy of the Current Eurozone Situation), leave out from “to the eurozone” to end and insert “and immediate and long-term stability to the eurozone; is concerned that the Scottish Government is being complacent and has failed to demonstrate analysis and action over the developing crisis in the eurozone; calls on the Scottish Government to undertake a coherent and complete analysis of how the eurozone crisis may affect the Scottish private and public sectors, and calls on the Scottish Government to articulate, as a matter of urgency, how it intends to respond.”
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-03078 in the name of John Swinney (The Implications for the Scottish Economy of the Current Eurozone Situation), leave out from “to the eurozone” to end and insert “and immediate and long-term stability to the eurozone; is concerned that the Scottish Government is being complacent and has failed to demonstrate analysis and action over the developing crisis in the eurozone; calls on the Scottish Government to undertake a coherent and complete analysis of how the eurozone crisis may affect the Scottish private and public sectors, and calls on the Scottish Government to articulate, as a matter of urgency, how it intends to respond.”
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30/05/2012
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As an amendment to motion S4M-02808 in the name of John Swinney (Scottish Government Growth Strategy), leave out from "supports" to end and insert “believes that the Scottish Government’s actions do not back up its claim to be prioritising long-term sustainable economic growth for Scotland; regrets the Scottish Government’s decision to cut college funding at a time of high youth unemployment; regrets the Scottish Government’s decision to cut spending on housing at a time when construction faces a very difficult time; believes that introducing a £95 million raid on Scottish retailers at a time when retail in Scotland is struggling is mistaken; calls on the Scottish Government to rethink its proposal to reduce substantially empty property rates relief, which will act as another brake on growth; welcomes measures taken by the UK Government, including the additional cut in corporation tax, which will mean that, by April 2014, the UK will have a 22% corporation tax rate; welcomes the £20 billion National Loans Guarantee Scheme to get cheaper loans to businesses; welcomes the £1 billion youth contract, which will provide 40,000 work places in Scotland, and welcomes the recent announcement to locate the corporate headquarters of the Green Investment Bank in Edinburgh.”
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-02808 in the name of John Swinney (Scottish Government Growth Strategy), leave out from "supports" to end and insert “believes that the Scottish Government’s actions do not back up its claim to be prioritising long-term sustainable economic growth for Scotland; regrets the Scottish Government’s decision to cut college funding at a time of high youth unemployment; regrets the Scottish Government’s decision to cut spending on housing at a time when construction faces a very difficult time; believes that introducing a £95 million raid on Scottish retailers at a time when retail in Scotland is struggling is mistaken; calls on the Scottish Government to rethink its proposal to reduce substantially empty property rates relief, which will act as another brake on growth; welcomes measures taken by the UK Government, including the additional cut in corporation tax, which will mean that, by April 2014, the UK will have a 22% corporation tax rate; welcomes the £20 billion National Loans Guarantee Scheme to get cheaper loans to businesses; welcomes the £1 billion youth contract, which will provide 40,000 work places in Scotland, and welcomes the recent announcement to locate the corporate headquarters of the Green Investment Bank in Edinburgh.”
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10/05/2012
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