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The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Provision of school libraries, which deliver a wide range of benefits and access to learning materials and resources for pupils, is a matter for local decision making in each local authority area.

We support the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) to deliver the School Library Improvement Fund and support Vibrant Libraries, Thriving Schools – A National Strategy for School Libraries in Scotland 2018-23 .

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. All return point operators – including public bodies – should register with the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd , in order for their logistics partner, Biffa, to organise an appropriate collection schedule. Return point operator registration opened on 1 March.

I met the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to discuss building safety on 24 May 2022 at the first meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Housing, Communities and Local Government. I anticipate that building safety will also be discussed at the next meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group. Details of that meeting are currently being scheduled in Ministerial diaries.

Whilst organisations are encouraged to apply in advance, registered charities and community amateur sports clubs (CASCs) have until 31 March 2023 to apply for the water and sewerage charges exemption scheme for the 2022-23 financial year. If exemption is granted, it will be backdated to 1 April 2022 - provided the criteria of the scheme were met at that time - and any charges will be refunded. The organisation’s income must be below £300,000 to qualify. Exemption will not be granted if:

• The organisation holds a permanent alcohol licence to sell alcohol at the premises
• the premises is a charity shop or other premises used for the purposes of retailing new or second hand merchandise
• the premises operates as a café which is open to the public and operated on a regular basis to generate income
• the organisation is a local council or an Arms-Length External Organisation (ALEO) which can be used by councils to deliver services

The Scottish Government is investing £79.5 million, an increase of almost 60% from 2022-23, to deliver climate action through an updated climate change plan and Scottish adaptation programme, a public engagement strategy and community action.

The Scottish Government will provide £50 million in capital and financial transactions to support the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray to accelerate the development of a transformed and decarbonised economy in the region. This increase from 2022-23 is part of the Scottish Government's commitment to spend £500 million over ten years.

The Scottish Government will also continue to influence positive and progressive international climate action investing at least £6m in the Climate Justice Fund.

In Scotland, wildfowling on the foreshore is a public right. While the Parliament could potentially legislate on wildfowling, the Scottish Government does not have any current plans to bring forward legislation to prevent wildfowling on the foreshore.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) classifies the overall condition of Scotland’s surface water environment (rivers, lochs, transitional waters, and coastal areas) at 64% in good or better condition. This is compared to England where its Environment Agency classifies only 16% of its surface water environment in good condition. For river and lochs, only, SEPA classifies that 84% are in good or better condition for water quality, 89% for flows and levels (hydrology), 89% for physical condition (morphology) and 88% for access for fish migration.

Scottish Government expenditure is allocated across portfolios to various sectors, including the third sector, to improve a wide range of outcomes. Spending is not all specifically classified as to whether or not it is allocated to third-sector organisations to deliver services. Consequently the figures requested are not available.

Under the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection) (Scotland) Act 1981 a spouse can ask the court for an exclusion order to remove the other spouse from the matrimonial home. Civil partners have a corresponding right under the Civil Partnership Act 2004. A cohabitant can also seek an exclusion order where the court has granted them occupancy rights.

The court can make an exclusion order if it appears to the court that the making of the order is necessary for the protection of the applicant or any child of the family from any conduct or threatened or reasonably apprehended conduct which is or would be injurious to the physical or mental health of the applicant or child.

These orders are temporary. For example, an order will end if the family home is sold or the couple divorce.

There are other civil remedies available to those at risk of domestic abuse. These include an interdict which can prohibit or restrain specified behaviour. By virtue of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2011 a breach of a domestic abuse interdict with a power of arrest attached is a criminal offence. Another potential civil remedy is a non-harassment order under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, breach of which is again a criminal offence.

The Scottish Law Commission are considering carrying out a review of civil remedies in relation to domestic abuse in phase 2 of its work on aspects of family law .

The member is welcome to write to me raising specific points about exclusion orders or other civil protection measures.

The Scottish Parliament approved the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations in 2020. The Regulations are wholly within devolved competence.

The Scottish Government has been following the agreed process to seek the exclusion of the DRS regulations from the Internal Market Act. This has been the subject of discussion with the UK Government beginning in 2021 when we sought a broad exclusion under the Resources and Waste common framework when an exclusion was agreed covering Scotland’s single use plastic regulations. We will continue to press the UK Government for a decision as soon as possible to give businesses the clarity they need.