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The following table provides spend figures by financial year for Trunk Road Operating Company expenditure, including structural maintenance, minor improvements, routine maintenance, strategic road safety, bridges and structures and winter service.

According to our most recent statistics dated 27 August, the Low Carbon Transport Loan has paid out £10.8 million since the start of the 2019-20 financial year, which has allowed consumers, businesses and taxi drivers to purchase 340 vehicles this year.

We have just announced a further £17M of funding to the loan fund as part of this year’s Programme for Government. The full year loan fund budget is now set at £37.8 million. This funding will further incentivise drivers to experience the benefits of electric vehicles without the typically high upfront cost attached to the cost of purchase creating a barrier.

We intend to introduce used electric vehicles and range extended models into the eligibility criteria for the loan fund in the coming months, which will further support a wider range of people to purchase a ULEV.

The linkspan was repaired and returned to CalMac on afternoon of Thursday 22 August 2019 normal operations when resumed on the Gourock Dunoon Ferry Service.

The Gourock passenger steps were installed in 2015 at a cost of £2,300,000.

They were built as a "like for like" replacement of the Old Kilcreggan Steps. Due to their condition, repairs to the Old Kilcreggan Steps was not possible. The steps were designed to accommodate all passenger ferries operating to / from Gourock, whilst maintaining vessel and passenger access to all other berths at the port.

It is accepted that the steps are not compliant with the Equalities Act at all tidal levels. However, they are essentially a backup to the linkspan should this be unavailable. The linkspan is the main berth for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry services, and is Equalities Act compliant.

Whilst accessibility is not ideal when using the Gourock passenger steps at all states of tide, CalMac staff are available to assist passengers with reduced mobility, or passengers with large luggage or prams to access and egress the vessels via the steps.

CalMac also have a passenger assistance process. available via the CalMac Contact Centre, to enable passengers on the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service to request taxis if the option of CalMac staff assistance is not sufficient. That allows passengers to travel via Western Ferries.

The Government expects all material collected through the proposed deposit return scheme to be recycled.

Packaging design choices are a matter for producers and there are a number of factors which influence their decisions. The costs associated with different materials already vary and the DRS producer fee will only be one element of total costs of using any given material. Producers using packaging which sits outside the scope of the deposit return scheme will incur costs under extended producer responsibility obligations, with these costs likely to increase significantly in the period ahead. Our understanding is that the choice of material is also often associated with branding and positioning in the market. Against this background, Ministers have taken an approach which seeks to avoid the preferred scheme design favouring any particular material.

The introduction of a deposit return scheme will significantly increase the quantity and quality of glass recyclate, creating an aggregated and high-quality feedstock for reprocessing. We are committed to working with industry to maximise the economic opportunities associated with this.

Whilst recognising there is limited scope to draw direct comparisons, the Scottish Government has considered a broad range of evidence from established schemes which collect glass. It is clear that there are a wide range of factors which can impact packaging design choices and Ministers have been careful to avoid the preferred scheme design favouring any particular material.

Consumers will be reimbursed deposits in the form of a cash payment should they wish.

The Scottish Government’s deposit return scheme design, published on 8 May, was informed by extensive engagement with a wide range of partners. Scottish Ministers intend to bring forward the secondary legislation to establish that scheme in the near future, providing a further opportunity for stakeholders to share their views on the proposals. In the meantime, the Scottish Government, working in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, is continuing to work closely with stakeholders on plans for implementation of the scheme.