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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-19620

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide support for any businesses, including contractors and suppliers of Circularity Scotland, that are experiencing financial loss as a result of the company going into administration.

The imposition of unworkable conditions, including the removal of glass, at the 11th hour by the UK government meant that we had no choice but to delay Scotland’s Deposit Return scheme.

Administrators (Interpath) were appointed on 21 June, and are currently working through the details of the administration process for CSL. The administration process includes the ability for creditors to submit claims for any monies owed to them from CSL.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the delivery of a successful DRS and some investments made to date can be utilised in the future. We will continue to engage with and support industry, and stakeholders to work together, to ensure the scheme is a success when launched.

Question reference: S6W-19781

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it is taking to address any green skills shortages, in light of reported concerns that not doing so will undermine Scotland’s and the UK’s progress towards a green economy.

Nearly every sector of the economy, from finance to chemistry to engineering, has a vital role to play as we transition to a net zero economy. This is why green skills are central to the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

In addition to supporting the growth of green skills through targeted initiatives such the Green Jobs Fund and funding colleges to roll-out training on green technologies such as electric vehicles, the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan, published in 2020, is making sure that Scotland has the evidence-base needed to understand and respond to the scale and shape of the skills and labour needs of the emerging net zero economy. The Scottish Government intends to publish an updated plan by the end of this year.

Question reference: S6W-19563

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it was first informed by Circularity Scotland that it had financial challenges.

Circularity Scotland informed the Scottish Government in March 2023 that a substantial delay to the scheme would pose significant financial challenges for them. This issue was highlighted to the UK Government via a letter to the Prime Minister which urged the UK Government to agree to an exclusion from the Internal Market Act for the deposit return scheme.

Copies of the correspondence between the Scottish Government and UK Government have been published as part of an EIR and can be found on the Scottish Government website .

Question reference: S6W-19621

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many businesses may be affected by Circularity Scotland going into administration.

As part of deposit return scheme governance, the Scottish Government meets regularly with businesses stakeholder across the producer, wholesaler, retailer and hospitality sectors. Many of these businesses have told us that, because of the 11th hour decision by the UK Government to impose vague and unworkable conditions which undermined our deposit return scheme and made progress impossible, their businesses have been impacted - both operationally and financially.

Question reference: S6W-19560

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it was first informed that Circularity Scotland was going into administration.

The Scottish Government was first informed that Circularity Scotland was likely to go into administration late on 19 June 2023 and was formally told that they were appointing administrators on 20 June 2023. The administrators confirmed they had been appointed on their website on 21 June 2023.

We had told the UK Government that Circularity Scotland were likely to go into administration should they not provide a full exclusion to the Internal Market Act for the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland to allow it to go ahead as planned on 1 March 2024.

Question reference: S6W-19622

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met with the administrators appointed to oversee Circularity Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-19222

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential implications for its Deposit Return Scheme, whether it has carried out contingency planning for a situation where Circularity Scotland would cease trading.

The Scottish Government assesses and monitors a range of risks relating to the delivery of the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland and takes appropriate action.

Circularity Scotland is now in administration and the Scottish Government is considering the next steps in accordance with the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020.

We remain committed to the delivery of the Deposit Return Scheme but as stated in Parliament on 7 th June, this will not now launch until October 2025 at the earliest due to the UK Governments 11 th hour intervention through their decision on the Internal Market Act exclusion.

Question reference: S6W-19220

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much expenditure Circularity Scotland incurred during the financial year 2022-23.

Circularity Scotland Limited is a private not for profit company set up by industry. As an independent private company, it is not required to report to the Scottish Government. Therefore the Scottish Government does not hold any information on expenditure incurred by Circularity Scotland during the financial year 2022-2023. Circularity Scotland is currently in administration. More information on this can be found at: Interpath Administrators appointed to Circularity Scotland Ltd (interpathadvisory.com) .

Question reference: S6W-19219

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much expenditure Circularity Scotland incurred for day-to-day expenditure in (a) May and (b) April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-19221

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential implications for its Deposit Return Scheme, whether it has undertaken any planning for a situation where Circularity Scotland would have a year-end deficit.

Circularity Scotland Limited is a private not for profit company set up by industry. As an independent private company, it is not required to report to the Scottish Government and is responsible for its own financial planning. Therefore the Scottish Government has not undertaken any planning in relation to Circularity Scotland’s financing.

Circularity Scotland is currently in administration. More information on this can be found at: : Interpath Administrators appointed to Circularity Scotland Ltd (interpathadvisory.com)