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Transport Scotland has made funding available to all local authorities in Scotland to develop public electric vehicle charging strategy and expansion plans. These plans will help to identify future public charging needs (at both a local and regional level), investment requirements and a suitable model for operation of public charge points in the future. The duties of a local authority related to operating public charge points will depend on the operational model they choose to adopt.

Through our Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, Transport Scotland will continue to provide funding that supports local authorities in establishing partnerships with the private sector that will enable new operating models to be established and continued private sector investment in Scotland’s public electric vehicle charging networks.

The Scottish Government use SEPA’s ‘Waste from All Sources’ data as a baseline for recycling rates in Scotland.

This includes statistical measures to support targets specified in Scottish waste policies. Those most relevant to recycling are:

• Recycled construction and demolition waste
• Recycled waste from all sources

The most recent Scottish ‘Waste from All Sources’ data is from 2021 and was published in March this year.

Through grant funding the Scottish Government has invested over £65 million since 2011 to support the installation of charge points operating on the ChargePlace Scotland network.

The total value of the contracts to operate the ‘back-office’ service to manage the network since its inception is £6,136,820.

The contract for operating services to the Northern Isles lies with Serco NorthLink Ferries (SNF). The responsibility and expertise for operational decisions rightly sits with them. As has been the case in previous years, SNF, is currently forecasting requirements in advance of this year’s livestock sales season. Working with key stakeholders, including those in the farming and aquaculture sectors, the operator expects to manage capacity by introducing the peak freight timetable earlier than usual and by fully utilising available capacity on the freight and passenger vessels to manage traffic during this busy period.

Fares on the Northern Isles Ferry Services network have been frozen until the end of September 2023 to help combat the ongoing cost of living crisis facing communities across Scotland.

I appreciate the need to get bookings released so that businesses and individuals can plan ahead, and aim to confirm all fares and open bookings beyond 30 September as soon as possible.

HSE, as the UK regulator for pesticides, is responsible for assessing emergency authorisation applications on behalf of governments across the UK, including for the Scottish Government. Recognising the importance of a timely response, the Scottish Government considered and promptly responded to HSE's recommendation on the application for the use of Asulox during the 2023 season. HSE will issue their decision to the applicant once all other UK governments have responded.

The Scottish Government recognises the role that Asulox has played in recent years in the control of bracken in Scotland. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders and NatureScot to consider options for sustainable bracken management.

There has been no decision to privatise charge points on the ChargePlace Scotland network.

Our draft Vision is clear that the public charging network will need to grow at scale and pace and that it will be impractical for the public sector to deliver this alone. As part of the transition to a public charging network that is largely financed and operated by the private sector, we will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholder including owners of charge points on the ChargePlace Scotland network.

The majority of ChargePlace Scotland charging assets are owned by Local Authorities. Transport Scotland is supporting Local Authorities to develop public electric vehicle charging strategies and expansion plans. These plans will help to identify future public charging needs, investment requirements and operating models for existing and new local authority owned public charging points.

As Circularity Scotland (CSL) is a private company, the Scottish government does not have a record of all their meetings and engagements. However, as an industry led company, CSL has regular engagement with its members and businesses involved with DRS. CSL has also attended many stakeholder meetings with the Scottish Government, including the system wide assurance group, sector engagement with retail, hospitality and producer bodies, and most recently on 7 June with the Minister, First Minister and more than 80 business representatives.

Officials met with representatives from British Glass on 2 May to discuss the Deposit Return Scheme. Officials were clear in that meeting that Ministers strongly believe in the inclusion of glass in the DRS, due to the environmental and economic benefits this would bring and in line with the shared understanding across the UK at the time the Scottish regulations were approved. Officials will continue to engage with British Glass at appropriate times in the future, in line with wider stakeholder engagement.

From the cohort of ScotGEM students who graduated in academic year 2021-22, 10 accepted a Foundation Priority Place post within NHS Dumfries and Galloway. Of those expected to graduate later this summer one ScotGEM student, subject to qualification, has so far accepted a Foundation Priority Place post in NHS Dumfries and Galloway.