Scottish Government Debate: Reforming Local Taxation

Derek Mackay S5M-01580 That the Parliament notes the opportunity for change created by the December 2015 report of the Commission on Local Tax Reform; recognises the initial changes to council tax proposed by the Scottish Government, and supports continued discussion by all parties, with local government and wider society, of measures to improve progressivity and local financial accountability over the current parliamentary session. Murdo Fraser S5M-01580.1 As an amendment to motion S5M-01580 in the name of Derek Mackay (Reforming Local Taxation), leave out from "recognises" to end and insert "but regrets that the Scottish Government’s proposals for Council Tax reform undermine the principle of local accountability and autonomy and fail to address a number of issues identified by the commission; notes the opportunities to remedy this over the current parliamentary session, and commits to further discussions by all parties to seek to establish an enduring system of local government finance." Jackie Baillie S5M-01580.2 As an amendment to motion S5M-01580 in the name of Derek Mackay (Reforming Local Taxation), insert at end “further notes the SNP manifesto commitments to scrap the Council Tax in both 2007 and 2011 and that the Scottish Government has failed to deliver on those pledges; recognises that its current proposals for reform “fall short of making the Council Tax a ‘proportionate’ tax” as noted by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe); acknowledges that, in her report, the Scottish Government’s poverty adviser said that the “Council Tax is widely viewed as no longer fit for purpose” and to “be bold on local taxation”; recognises the level of cuts to funding that local authorities have faced in recent years and the consequent impact on the services that local people rely on; commits the Scottish Government to bring forward reform that is more progressive than the current proposals as well as using the powers of the Parliament to invest in Scotland's economy and its people.” Andy Wightman S5M-01580.3 As an amendment to motion S5M-01580 in the name of Derek Mackay (Reforming Local Taxation), insert at end "regrets the Scottish Government’s current lack of ambition in the reform of local taxation; endorses the conclusions and recommendations of the Commission, in particular that the present Council Tax system must end, that the new system should offer greater flexibility to local government and strengthen local democracy, that the system of local taxation has to include recurrent taxation on domestic property and that liabilities should be linked to up-to-date property values, and considers that the proposals outlined in the Scottish Green Party’s Fair Funding for Public Services paper and its alternative Council Tax statutory instrument represent a fair and progressive way forward for local government finance."