Question S5W-05858: Tobacco Duty Incomes

28 Jan 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what volumes of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco were sold in Scotland, which together generate the tobacco duty incomes set out in the GERS report, in each of the last five years.

Answered by Derek Mackay (12/01/2017):Information on the volumes of cigarettes or hand-rolling tobacco sold in Scotland is not collected by the Scottish Government, and is not used in estimating tobacco duty in Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland (GERS), which uses data on household expenditure on tobacco to apportion a share of UK wide revenue from tobacco duty to Scotland.

A review of sales estimates, which includes estimates of the volume of cigarettes sold in Scotland from 2008 to 2013, was published in November 2015 by NHS Health Scotland and is available at the link below:

http://www.healthscotland.com/uploads/documents/26537-Validity%20and%20reliability%20of%20cigarette%20sales%20data.pdf

Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 12/01/2017

Video Blog: Meeting with SEPA and local Anglers

23 Jan 2016

 

John discusses his recent meeting with SEPA and local Anglers and gives some information on the ongoing dispute.

John Mason MSP asks about post-study work visa

18 Jan 2016

 

  • 6. John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP):

    To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding the possible reintroduction of the post-study work visa. (S4F-03177)

  • The First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon):

    Since the publication of the Smith commission report, the Government has remained committed to working with our UK counterparts to ensure that a post-study work route is reintroduced in Scotland. That has been raised with the UK Government at a number of meetings at ministerial and official level.

    We are therefore deeply disappointed—and I have to say that I am rather angry—that without any real consultation the Secretary of State for Scotland recently indicated that the UK Government has no intention of reintroducing the post-study work visa for Scotland. I understand that the UK Minister for Security and Immigration intends to meet the cross-party post-study-work steering group and I expect and hope that the United Kingdom Government will take the concerns of the Scottish Government and the united voices of Scottish stakeholders fully on board. I believe that there is consensus in Parliament and out there in Scotland that the post-study work visa should be reintroduced. It is time that the UK Government got on and did it.

  • John Mason:

    I thank the First Minister for that answer. Does she agree that not only do the students themselves benefit from being able to work after their studies but the Scottish economy and Scottish society benefit from having those people living here?

  • The First Minister:

    I whole-heartedly agree with that. If we are going to invest in educating the best and the brightest people from all over the world, surely it makes sense to try to encourage them, once they graduate from university, to make a contribution to our economy—to give something back to economic and social life here in Scotland.

    Of course, we know that people who come to Scotland from all parts of the world make a real and rich contribution to our society, just as Scots who go from here to other parts of the world do there. The UK Government’s actions on this issue are short-sighted and wrong-headed and I urge it to change its mind. If there is any credence whatsoever to what we keep hearing about a respect agenda, the UK Government will recognise the consensus on the issue and do something about it.

– See more at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10323#sthash.Y52o6ZyG.dpuf

 

S4M-15335: Post Study Work Visa

14 Jan 2016

That the Parliament deplores the decision taken by the UK Government that there will be no return of the post-study work visa for overseas students in Scotland; considers that such a visa would allow students who have studied in Scotland to remain and work there for a period of time, benefitting themselves and the Scottish economy; believes that there is widespread support in Scotland for the post-study work visa; understands that this decision was taken before the UK Parliament’s Scottish Affairs Committee had completed its inquiry into the visa system; considers that such a system could attract more students to study at Scotland’s universities in the future, and believes that the UK Government should drop its opposition to such a change in the rules.