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We listened closely to small retailers in designing Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Under the DRS Regulations, return-point operators including small retailers will be able to claim a reasonable handling fee from the DRS scheme administrator for each container returned. This fee must cover costs including the rental value of space used to collect or store scheme packaging and will ensure small retailers are not out of pocket for operating a return point.

Retailers will also be able to refuse returns where the quantity of material is disproportionately greater than the volume of containers they would usually sell as part of a single transaction.

We are confident that these protections will ensure that small retailers can successfully operate a return point. Nevertheless, the DRS Regulations do allow a retailer to apply to the Scottish Ministers for an exemption from the obligation to operate a return point where they meet certain criteria. Further information is available at: https://depositreturnscheme.zerowastescotland.org.uk/ .

As we set out in our recent Programme for Government, we are committed to delivering the recommendations of the independent Grouse Moor Management Group review (the ‘Werritty Review’) as a matter of urgency.

This will include tighter regulation, including licensing, and oversight of muirburn, and a ban on burning on peatland (expect in very limited cases as part of an approved habitat restoration programme).

We will also undertake a review of the current definition of peatland, taking expert advice on whether it should be revised and a stricter definition imposed.

The timing of the legislation will depend on the future legislative programme for the Parliament, which will be set out in due course.

Paragraphs 13.30-13.35 of our 2020 islands communities impact assessment (ICIA) sets out details on licensing related costs. The ICIA notes that, although operators in island communities may face higher costs in implementing measures to comply with the basic safety standards required by the licensing scheme (compared to mainland operators), these basic standards are required under existing legislation or best practice. Therefore, these are costs that responsible operators will already be incurring.

In addition, further detail on licence fees and compliance costs has been set out in our consultation draft Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), published on 25 June 2021, which can be found at: Short-term lets - licensing scheme and planning control area legislation: draft business and regulatory impact assessment (BRIA) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We will publish updated versions of all previously published impact assessments, including an islands communities impact assessment, ahead of the Licensing Order coming into force.

We are removing the overprovision powers from the Licensing Order. Having considered representation made through the 2021 consultation, the Scottish Government is of the view that the powers given to local authorities to establish control areas are sufficient to manage high concentrations of short-term lets, where local authorities wish to do so.

We have not set a date for publishing the Remote, Rural and Island Housing Action Plan. Work is at an early stage of development and we want to engage with a wide range of stakeholders in the development of the plan to ensure it delivers for remote, rural and island communities.

We have heard evidence of noise and antisocial behaviour issues in rural and island areas relating to short-term lets through: correspondence, consultation responses and meetings with affected residents.

Party mansions have not been formally defined, but the term is commonly used to refer to a large house used to accommodate large numbers of guests, often for stag and hen parties.

Scottish Government recognises the important role of prompt defibrillation in improving outcomes from Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA).

We are a key partner in Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS). The partnership published an updated OHCA strategy in March 2021. This sets out actions to improve outcomes from OHCA, including actions to improve the accessibility of defibrillators and increase defibrillation rates across Scotland. SALFS work in collaboration with local community groups, including those in rural and island communities, to ensure the implementation of the strategy addresses local needs.

The purchasing and placement of defibrillators is the responsibility of individual businesses, local authorities, organisations or community groups. For any groups or organisations interested in providing access to a defibrillator, the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) have details of providers and organisations that may offer funding towards the purchase of a defibrillator.

We are working closely as part of the SALFS partnership to build the evidence base required to make strategic decisions about the placement of defibrillators, to encourage their registration with Scottish Ambulance Service and to increase public confidence and knowledge around defibrillation. We believe that these actions will help us to increase bystander usage of defibrillators from 8 to 20% over the lifetime of the strategy.

The NHS Scotland COVID Status app was released on
‎ 30 September. The App allows users to display their vaccination status for international travel and to gain entry to late night venues and large events within Scotland. To date it has been downloaded over 600,000 times.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The average number of hours per week that convicted prisoners spend on purposeful activity a) across the prison estate and (b) in each penal establishment in each year since 2016-17 is as follows: -