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The Cabinet Secretary for The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform announced in Parliament on 8 May 2019 that Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) would be a privately operated scheme, in line with international best practice. This approach was then approved by a parliamentary vote on 13 May 2020.

These regulations enabled any public or private organisation to apply to be approved by the Scottish Ministers as a scheme administrator.

Only Circularity Scotland has applied to be a scheme administrator. Their application was considered in line with the regulations.

Any other eligible application received will be considered by the Scottish Ministers.

I refer the member to my answer to question S6W-12732 on 14 December 2022. 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 .

The Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Addendum for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme were updated when the amending Regulations were introduced in December 2021. Any further changes to the Deposit Return Scheme Regulations will have the appropriate impact assessment work carried out during the drafting process in the same way.

Social Security Scotland directly employed 3,976 staff (headcount) as at December 2022. There were 3,566 directly employed staff who work in Social Security Scotland's central buildings in Dundee and Glasgow.

Social Security Scotland has adopted hybrid working in its central buildings. All colleagues based in Dundee and Glasgow are expected to spend part of their working week in an office.

Over the last year, the Managed Service Network for children and young people with cancer (MSN), reviewed the Psychology, Physiotherapy and Dietetic Resource. As a result, we agreed to make the existing provision of psychological service permanent to provide certainty and ensure young people have access to psychological support.

In addition, the Scottish Cancer Network, alongside the MSN, is currently undertaking a broader workforce mapping exercise and have established a short life working group to support this. The MSN’s review will be considered by the short life working group. This group, who will complete their mapping exercise this year, will specifically look at how we can upskill our current workforce as well as looking at wider service needs within this population group.

The Scottish Government does not seek to replicate the work of the Cass Review. However, as we have previously stated, the interim findings of that Review continue to be closely considered by both Scottish Government and NHS Scotland, alongside broader national and international evidence. As part of this, officials and senior clinicians from the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland have also met with Dr Cass and members of the Cass Review team to discuss respective approaches.

Our Strategic Action Framework for NHS gender identity service improvement includes a commitment to support the establishment of nationally commissioned Young Person’s Gender Identity Service. Discussions and scoping with NHS National Services Scotland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to consider current and future national provision, are ongoing.

No direct funding has been provided from the Scottish Government to community organisations, third sector organisations and educational facilities with the explicit aim of promoting an understanding of Scotland’s role within the British Empire.

Following the motion passed by the Scottish Parliament showing solidarity with anti-racism in June 2020, funding was provided to Museums Galleries Scotland for the Empire, Slavery and Scotland's Museums project, which was run by an independent steering group, and included a national consultation on attitudes to museums and racism. The Scottish Government provided £100,000 in 2020-2021, with a further £142,000 in 2021-2022 to complete the project and begin follow up work.

We will fulfil our commitment to introduce the Visitor Levy Bill in the current Parliamentary Year.

As at the end of the day 31 March 2023, there were 36,131 cardholders under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme in South Lanarkshire.

This data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO supports the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data. The figure includes travel products collected from the Transport Scot Pass Collect mobile app.

Details of the responsibilities of the Minister for Independence can be found on the Scottish Government’s website at: Minister for Independence - gov.scot ( www.gov.scot ) .