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We recognise that the physical impact of living with kidney disease can have a significant impact on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. Living with an incurable, long-term condition can be deeply distressing. The Scottish Government’s new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, due for publication shortly, will set out a long-term vision, and a set of outcomes, for the mental health and wellbeing of the population.

One of the key outcomes for the Strategy is to ensure people with mental health conditions, including those with co-existing physical health conditions, experience improved quality and length of life. In order to achieve this, we will work with partners to develop actions that will see improved provision of services, including talking therapies, and support to people with long-term physical health conditions for their mental health and wellbeing.

In addition to this, the National Education Scotland and Scottish Government developed The Matrix: A Guide for Delivering Evidence-based Psychological Therapies in Scotland to support NHS Boards in planning the range, volume and quality of psychological therapies required to meet Scottish Government commitments. The Matrix is due to be refreshed in 2023 but already includes a section specifically on chronic kidney disease and includes a recommendation for talking therapies for those with moderate to severe mental health problems.

The Scottish Government is committed to reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to ensure they drive the energy efficiency improvements we need and to incentivise zero direct emissions heating. In 2021, we consulted on the introduction of a new domestic EPC metric based on a dwelling’s energy use. Following feedback received through consultation, we have undertaken further work to develop options for EPC metrics, and wider reforms. We intend to publish a consultation on our final proposals for EPC reform this summer.

Responsibility for developing the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy sits within the remit of the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity.

The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition has not met with any organisations regarding the consultation on a national Litter and Flytipping Strategy.

Scottish Government have recently appointed professional experts to prepare a scope for future surveys. Final security checks are currently being completed and thereafter it is anticipated that the 6 week programme to develop a scope will be completed by September 2023.

In the 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy, the Scottish Government committed to reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to ensure they drive the energy efficiency improvements we need and to incentivise zero direct emissions heating. The need for this work was recently reemphasised by the Climate Change Committee. The team working on the development of the proposed new energy efficiency ratings system comprises of staff at the following Scottish Government Pay Grades:

1 x C2

1 x C1

2 x B3

1 x B2

This team is overseen by a member of staff at Senior Civil Service grade SCS1. Staff are not working solely on EPC metric development and have other responsibilities.

Following an open procurement exercise, in June 2022 the Building Research Establishment (BRE) was commissioned by the Scottish Government to develop potential options for new EPC metrics; model the Scottish housing stock against these new metrics, propose a system to map the new metrics to a 1-100 and A-G scale, and identify the improvement measures needed to retrofit dwellings to achieve high EPC ratings in the new metrics.

This work was concluded in March 2023 and we intend to publish BRE’s report alongside our forthcoming EPC reform consultation. The fee was £93,768.

During the consultation process for the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy, the Scottish Government convened the inaugural meeting of the Flytipping Forum, of which Police Scotland is a member and the purpose of which is to support co-ordinated action to tackle flytipping.

The National Litter and Flytipping Strategy has been co-designed in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Furthermore, during the development of the Strategy, the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, chaired by Police Scotland, has been regularly engaged on the strategy’s progress and provided the opportunity to feedback on consultation proposals.

The Strategy will soon be published, following on from which the Flytipping Forum will be convened to discuss the strategy’s content and priority actions.

During the consultation process for the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy, I attended the inaugural meeting of the Flytipping Forum, the purpose of which is to enable ongoing engagement between policy makers and stakeholders to support co-ordinated action to tackle flytipping. Membership of the Forum includes Scottish Land and Estates, National Farmers Union Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Police Scotland as well as local authority representation through a combination of CoSLA, SOLACE and further relevant networks.

I have been carefully considering responses to the consultation, and continue to engage on litter and flytipping issues as part of my engagement with local authorities, third sector organisations, community groups, and industry bodies. The Strategy will soon be published , following on from which the Flytipping Forum will be reconvened to discuss its implementation.

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

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Prison Service.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on how much money has been raised from fixed penalties issued for the offence of littering or flytipping.

This detailed information can be obtained by contacting individual issuing authorities.