Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-16130

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that local authorities are properly resourced to provide waste management services and address littering.

Local authorities remain responsible for and are best placed to make decisions regarding the provision of waste and recycling services and measures to address littering on the basis of local needs and priorities.

The Scottish Government has provided an additional £793 million to local government in 2023-24, which is a real terms increase of £376 million or 3 per cent, however, it is for locally elected representatives to manage the allocation of resources and the level of services that are delivered to their local communities.

£36 million of public money is spent every year removing litter from the Scottish environment. We are supporting local authorities to prepare for the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme, which will mean that local authorities will have less waste to handle, as well as reducing litter and associated clean-up costs, which is good for residents and council budgets.

We are also making one of the biggest investments in a generation to modernise recycling in Scotland through the £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund. Over £53 million has now been awarded to 17 local authorities to increase the quantity and quality of recycling across Scotland.

We will be publishing a new National Litter & Flytipping Strategy this year. This will set how we plan to work with partners to develop more effective litter prevention and enforcement measures.

Question reference: S6W-16132

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to announce an updated timescale for the introduction of its National Litter and Flytipping Strategy, and, if so, what the updated timescale is.

Question reference: S6W-16133

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of reductions to local authority budgets on levels of littering across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has provided an additional £793 million to local government in 2023-24, which is a real terms increase of £376 million or 3 per cent, however, it is for locally elected representatives to manage the allocation of resources and the level of services that are delivered to their local communities, taking account of local needs and priorities. The Scottish Government has not made an assessment of any association between local authority budgets and levels of littering across Scotland.

£36 million of public money is spent every year removing litter from the Scottish environment. We are supporting local authorities to prepare for the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme, which will mean that local authorities will have less waste to handle, as well as reducing litter and associated clean-up costs, which is good for residents and council budgets.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to keep land clear of litter and refuse. To fulfil this duty, local authorities should have a robust monitoring regime in place to ensure that land is maintained to an appropriate standard and if this standard is not met, that restoration will be carried out within appropriate response times. In 2018, the Scottish Government published an updated Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse to support local authorities in undertaking their duties under the Environmental Protection Act (1990).

The forthcoming National Litter and Flytipping Strategy will support ongoing work on the Litter Monitoring System, which is designed to facilitate data capture in order to assist local authorities in the planning, delivery and evaluation of litter prevention measures.

Question reference: S6W-16131

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards the introduction of its National Litter and Flytipping Strategy.

The Scottish Government consulted on proposals for a new draft National Litter and Flytipping Strategy in early 2022.

Following publication of a consultation analysis report in July 2022, the Scottish Government has been working in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Keep Scotland Beautiful and other stakeholders to finalise the strategy and initial action plan.

We will be publishing the National Litter & Flytipping Strategy in the coming months. This will set how we plan to work with partners to develop more effective litter and flytipping prevention and enforcement measures.

Question reference: S6W-16688

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish a Cabinet-level ministerial position focused on housing and tackling homelessness.

There is already a Cabinet-level ministerial position focused on housing and tackling homelessness: the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice.

In addition, the appointment of a dedicated minister for housing demonstrates the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to delivering good, safe, secure and warm homes. The Minister for Housing will work alongside the new Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice to achieve ambitions set out in the Housing to 2040 strategy and in our Ending Homelessness Together action plan.

Question reference: S6W-16158

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its Public Sector Pay Strategy 2023-24, whether Skills Development Scotland guidance is now to be updated to reflect that all employers should pay the real Living Wage, including in relation to apprentices (a) aged 19 and under and (b) in their first year.

The Public Sector Pay Strategy 2023-24 applies to staff in the Scottish Government and its associated departments, agencies, non-departmental public bodies and public corporations.

All organisations covered by our Pay Strategy are required to pay at least the real Living Wage rate to all their staff, including apprentices. Apprentices are employees and as such benefit from the same rights and protections offered to other employees through their employment. Skills Development Scotland will continue to encourage all employers outside our Public Sector Pay Strategy to pay apprentices at least the real Living Wage rate, including those aged 19 and under and those in their first year.

Question reference: S6W-16587

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16093 by Jenny Gilruth on 28 March 2023, whether it, Transport Scotland, CalMac or CMAL made the final decision on chartering MV Alfred for the Clyde and Hebrides network.

The charter, and preceding discussions, for the MV Alfred from Pentland Ferries for use in Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract were a matter for the operator CalMac Ferries Limited.

In line with the Contract for the Provision of Ferry Services Between the Scottish Ministers and Calmac Ferries Limited, the confirmation of funding and agreement to proceed were provided by the Scottish Ministers prior to CalMac Ferries Limited deciding to sign the charter.

Question reference: S6W-16589

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12941 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on any potential implications for CalMac’s seafarer recruitment programme of the former Deputy First Minister's statement on Ferguson Marine on 16 March 2023.

Question reference: S6O-02121

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that there were 224 eviction cases involving tenants lodged with the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland in the month to 15 March.

Question reference: S6W-16023

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with (a) commercial landlords, (b) local authorities and (c) community groups regarding developing a strategy to ensure that premises rented by M&Co Trading Limited are put to productive use once they default back to their owners.

The Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth met with the appointed administrators for M&Co on 19 January 2023 and offered his support, including via Government engagement with Scottish Enterprise. He also met with Katy Clark and Neil Bibby MSPs, and offered to support engagement with local authorities if it would be helpful once there was clarity about when stores will close.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with local authorities, commercial and community partners via its Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP) Forum and its Retail Industry Leadership Group (ILG). The TCAP Forum established jointly with COSLA brings together stakeholder expertise across the public, third and private sector to help to progress key actions. The sector-led Retail ILG has been established to drive, and support delivery of the actions set out in the Retail Strategy for Scotland. Both the Action Plan and Strategy aim to put town centres at the heart of decision making.

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