Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 675 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-14619

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that drink producers and retailers are considering reducing product ranges in Scotland due to Circularity Scotland’s reported failure to provide necessary information to producers ahead of the registration deadline, and concerns about inadvertently not being able to follow any rules that they have yet to be informed about.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14338 on 8 February 2023.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers .

Furthermore, any producer with questions or concerns about registration should contact Circularity Scotland for advice and guidance.

Question reference: S6W-14626

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that guidance on what would be considered a GS1 compliant barcode within the Deposit Return Scheme has not yet been published; what discussions it has had with (a) Circularity Scotland and (b) SEPA regarding this, and when it expects this guidance to be published.

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 shortly by the Scheme Administrator.

Question reference: S6W-14621

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether specific funding has been allocated to SEPA to allow it to prosecute any retailers in breach of Deposit Return Scheme regulations.

Question reference: S6O-01947

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the outcome of its investigation into the provision of reconviction statistics for the 2019-20 offender cohort.

Question reference: S6W-14712

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support will be made available to provide planners with additional resources to assess the environmental impacts of developments, including making assessments of the impact of these on biodiversity.

The Scottish Government recognises the challenges facing the planning system, in particular planning authorities. Appropriate resourcing is a key challenge for delivery of NPF4 and we are committed to working collaboratively with our partners to make progress with this, including through our work with the High Level Group on Planning Performance. NPF4 Policy 3 (c) is underpinned by NatureScot’s Developing With Nature guidance published on 13 February 2023. We have also committed to developing guidance on Policy 3 more generally. Through ongoing work to bring forward the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, we are exploring opportunities to enhance ecological expertise that is needed locally to implement nature positive approaches. We have commissioned research to explore options for developing approaches to measuring biodiversity at the ‘site’ scale in Scotland. This research will involve a programme of engagement with stakeholders as it progresses.

Question reference: S6W-14624

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what oversight mechanisms it has in place to monitor the decisions made by Circularity Scotland in respect of the Deposit Return Scheme.

Scotland’s deposit return scheme is being delivered and funded by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland. This model is in line with standard practice in other schemes across Europe. The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 set out the obligations of a scheme administrator including that they must provide any information requested by the Scottish Ministers or SEPA for the purposes of monitoring compliance with the requirements in regulations. Scottish Ministers and Scottish Government officials continue to work with Circularity Scotland ahead of the launch in August.

Question reference: S6W-14709

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with stakeholders to write the guidance documents that will accompany the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), specifically those relating to national developments on peatland and wild land areas, and, if so, how stakeholders can participate in this process.

Our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Delivery Programme, published November 2022, provides an overview of actions to be taken to support delivery, including the preparation of guidance documents.

Our Onshore Wind Policy Statement, published December 2022, also sets out our commitment to convening an expert group, including representatives from industry, agencies and academia, to provide advice to the Scottish Government on how guidance could be developed to support both our peatland and onshore wind aims.

Question reference: S6W-14577

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the anticipated impact on (a) public health, particularly in relation to cases of Lyme disease and (b) biodiversity and the wider environment, of its decision to cease funding for chemical or mechanised control of bracken through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme.

To maximise the benefits of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) in mitigating climate change, the 2023 round will target support for agri-environment, organics and slurry storage applications. This approach will focus on enabling options within the scheme, offering support to as wide a number of beneficiaries as possible. As a result, some elements have been suspended including public funding for the mechanised and chemical control of bracken.

Manual bracken control continues to be offered, and this is often the preferred treatment method on species rich grassland and other habitats offering high biodiversity value.

Those with existing AECS contracts or new contracts, following the 2022 AECS awards announced on 19 January 2023, which contain bracken control through chemical and mechanical means will continue to be supported.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that Lyme disease remains a focus for our work. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders and clinicians through both the Awareness Raising and Health Professionals Education Sub-Groups.

Question reference: S6W-14291

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the suitability of available skills training pathways to enable reverse vending machine maintenance and repair services to employ suitably qualified (a) engineers and (b) technicians, including (i) formal education and (ii) apprenticeships routes.

The Deposit Return Scheme is an industry-led scheme, delivered by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd. The Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations were laid in 2020 and businesses have now had three years to prepare for the launch of the scheme. It is not the role of Government to carry out such assessments.

There are many companies providing these services in Scotland, and an assessment is not considered to be necessary or appropriate for Government to carry out.

Question reference: S6W-14293

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13162 by Lorna Slater on 20 December 2022, whether it will provide a list of the industry stakeholders, including trade associations and businesses, that the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity has met with to discuss the implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme, and when such meetings took place.