Pubs will see rates capped
Last year I attended the Safe Drive, Stay Alive Roadshow at the MacRobert Arts Centre.
Established in 2008 in a bid to cut the number of injuries and deaths on the area’s roads, the roadshow, aimed at potential young drivers, explores the circumstances that can lead to a road traffic collision and the consequences that follow.
I, along with the rest of the audience found it an extremely hard hitting experience which, backed by statistics showing reduced road deaths and injuries, clearly had the desired impact. I was extremely concerned to learn that the initiative may be at risk due to funding issues and my office has been in touch with organisers to offer practical support to ensure the continuation of the event.
I was delighted to vote in favour of the Scottish Government’s Budget which will deliver more than £900 million of additional investment in our public services, our people and our communities. The budget delivers on the SNP’s programme for government. It supports businesses and our economy; invests in frontline health and police budgets; expands expenditure on local authority services; invests in a new social security system; provides free tuition; expands early years provision; tackles the attainment gap; improves energy efficiency; increases house building; and supports public services that are free at the point of use, including prescriptions, eye tests and personal care.
In my view this budget delivers the best deal for taxpayers and public services in the whole of the United Kingdom.
Businesses across Scotland are undergoing their first Business Rates revaluation since 2010 which is conducted by independent assessors appointed by local government. As the process progressed, it became clear that there were some sectors and regions where the increase in rateable values was out of kilter with the wider picture of the revaluation. I am therefore pleased the Scottish Government has taken decisive action nationally to tackle the impact. In particular, I am pleased that hospitality businesses, such as hotels and pubs, across Scotland will see rises capped at no more than 12.5 per cent which takes into account the valuation methodology which sets them apart from other sectors.
These additional measures come on the back of significant support for business already set out in the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2017-18 which included raising the threshold for those who qualify for 100 per cent relief under the Small Business Bonus - meaning 100,000 properties will pay no rates at all under the scheme next year and around 9000 properties will be up to £7000 a year better off than their equivalents in England.
In order to reduce the impact of rates bills overall, the Scottish Government have also reduced the rate at which the tax is paid – by 3.7 per cent.
These changes mean that seven out of ten business properties will pay the same rates or less than this year - with more than half paying nothing at all.