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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-18431

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many stakeholders it has met with, to date, to discuss barcodes for products within scope of the Deposit Return Scheme.

In line with the DRS governance structure, officials meet regularly with a range of stakeholders from multiple sectors to discuss operational issues including barcodes for DRS articles.

There are no barcode requirements with Scotland’s DRS Regulations. Producers must provide SEPA with relevant information that supports the identification of scheme articles, which may include barcodes.

Decisions over barcodes rest with drinks producers and the scheme administrator, and will depend on a range of factors.

Question reference: S6W-18427

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received legal advice on the position of paying compensation in the event that the Deposit Return Scheme is cancelled.

Question reference: S6W-18428

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the First Minister and the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity last met to discuss the Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-18378

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with GS1 UK.

Question reference: S6W-18376

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14626 by Lorna Slater on 28 February 2023, whether the guidance on the use of barcode stickers has been (a) produced and (b) published.

As stated in the response to S6W-14626, Circularity Scotland set out the requirement to use a GS1 compliant barcode in 2021 and this has not changed – it is an international standard. The ability to use a UK-wide EAN barcode within Scotland’s DRS was confirmed by SEPA in Summer 2022. Guidance on the use of barcode stickers, to support smaller producers who don’t currently use them on their products will be published in due course by Circularity Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-18382

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the (a) Welsh Government and (b) Northern Ireland Executive to discuss the Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-18299

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (IMG EFRA) on 17 April 2023, whether it has provided the additional information requested by the UK Government regarding the impact of the Deposit Return Scheme on businesses, and, if so, (a) on what date it did so and (b) what additional information it provided.

Throughout the development of DRS the Scottish Government and partners have developed and published a range of evidence on the benefits and impacts of the scheme.

The Scottish Government also provided all information which was required to make a decision on the IMA exclusion as part of the Common Framework Procedure.

The Scottish Government has responded promptly to any requests for further information from the UK Government to help with their decision on an IMA exclusion. In particular, on 18 and 28 April and 12 May, we provided further information on costs for businesses and consumers; on 18 May, we provided further information on the environmental and economic case for the inclusion of glass; and on 19 May, we provided further information on stakeholder views.

Question reference: S6O-02324

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Pakistan, following the severe flooding that the country experienced in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-17925

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Coeliac Awareness Week, which runs from 15 to 21 May 2023, what steps it is taking to tackle under-diagnosis of coeliac disease, in light of reports that more than 30,000 people in Scotland with the condition are undiagnosed.

Question reference: S6W-17926

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Coeliac Awareness Week, which runs from 15 to 21 May 2023, what steps it is taking to reduce the time that it takes to receive a diagnosis for coeliac disease, in light of reports that it can currently take 13 years.