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Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme was developed in line with the ‘polluter pays’ principle, and just like similar schemes around the world, is being delivered and funded by industry. The Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 enable any public or private organisation to apply to be approved by the Scottish Ministers as a scheme administrator.

Only Circularity Scotland has applied to be a scheme administrator. Their application was considered in line with the regulations.

Any other eligible application received will be considered by the Scottish Ministers.

Policing is and will continue to be a priority for the Scottish Government. Scotland has a higher number of officers than at any time during the last administration – and more per head of population than England and Wales (30 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland, compared to 24 officers per 10,000 population in England and Wales).

The recruitment and deployment of officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable. However, I note the new operating model based on 16,600 officers, which has been set out by the Chief Constable. It is important the Chief Constable has the flexibility to develop his workforce in a way that responds to the challenges he faces by ensuring the right workforce mix.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role that pollinators play in agriculture and horticulture as well as supporting our biodiversity, and that Nature Networks are key to helping pollinators thrive. Enabling land managers to support biodiversity is central to delivering the vision and outcomes set out in our final draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, published in December 2022. The Strategy highlights the need to improve ecological connectivity across Scotland in order to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

We welcome the publication of NatureScot’s Pollinator Strategy 2022 Progress Report, which shows a range of positive work underway across Scotland to deliver the aims of the Pollinator Strategy. The report highlights the strength of partnership working in Scotland and that delivery of the Strategy relies on the shared vision of many partners including NGOs, local authorities, community groups, the scientific community and individuals.

An increasing range of pollinator-friendly projects were reported across Scotland, including the Irvine to Girvan Nectar Network and Pollinators Along the Tweed.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15869 on 24 March 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Scottish Government did not specifically invite Circularity Scotland Ltd to respond to the Access to Information Rights in Scotland consultation, however it was open to anyone to respond to via the Scottish Government consultation hub. The Scottish Government has, as is standard practice, shared information on this consultation widely to ensure anyone or any organisation who wishes to response is aware of how to do so.

The Scottish Government are in the process of competitively tendering for parts of the Bute House repair schedule and therefore the full cost of the planned repairs has yet to be determined.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

We are clear that any level of violence is unacceptable but believe that we already have legislation in place to tackle violent crime. By any measure, the overall trend has improved but there are still areas of concern. In 2023-24, in addition to the police budget, we will also be providing our partners with over £2m to support ongoing and innovative violence prevention activity across Scotland. To strengthen our approach, we will publish the first ever national Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland, which will set out our vision, aims and actions to prevent violence and reduce its harms.

The Contracts for Difference scheme is a UK Government mechanism.

Information about all Contracts for Difference strike prices is available in the public domain here: Contracts for Difference - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .

Circularity Scotland provides services to drinks producers and retailers to help them comply with their obligations under the Deposit Return Scheme Regulations.

By helping these companies do so, they will ensure the benefits of Scotland’s DRS will be achieved.