Questions on amendment to Motion S5M-20716: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for the following information in relation to the amendment by Kate Forbes to motion S5M-20716 debated on 5 February 2020:

1. What advice the minister received from civil servants regarding the figure of £1.5 billion.
2. Please detail the estimates drawn up by officials and publish any advice, correspondence, memos or otherwise pertaining to production of costing estimates for this figure of £1.5 billion.
3. Did officials draw up estimates for the motion?
4. On what basis did officials draw up these estimates?

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under sections s.29(1)(a) (policy formulation), s.30(b)(i) (free and frank provision of advice or exchange of views) s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained in the Annex A to this letter.

In response to each of your four points above:

1. Please see the information in Annex B.
2. Please see the information in Annex B.
3. Yes.
4. The resource cost estimates are as per the table below

A reduction in the Large Business Supplement for non-domestic rates to the same rate payable south of the border	£60m
An investment of all health Barnett consequentials in the Scottish NHS	£635m
A scheme for the refund of hospital parking charges	*
A £15.4 million national drug rehabilitation bed fund and strategy	*
The delivery of NRAC funding parity	*
An increase in core funding for local government at least in line with inflation	£665m
A protection of revenue funding for higher education and a 2% real-terms increase in capital funding	£19m
An additional £50 million for the police to spend on protecting 750 officer roles	£50m
An additional £10 million for the expansion of the Ending Homelessness Together Fund	£10m
TOTAL	£1,439m

* assumed as included within the NHS consequentials

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI/02000015228 - Annex A

File type

1 page PDF

File size

60.2 kB

FOI/02000015228 - Annex B

File type

5 page PDF

File size

151.0 kB