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We are considering measures to address concerns that have been raised by industry, including representatives of the food delivery industry, regarding the obligation to provide a takeback service for scheme articles sold online under Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

As part of this work, the Scottish Government has engaged with a range of stakeholders, including representatives of Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats on 20 October 2022. The same organisations previously met with the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity on 6 October 2022. Representatives of the food delivery industry also attended an online takeback workshop hosted by the Scottish Government on 17 February 2022.

Empty drink containers (scheme packaging) are waste and, therefore, subject to regulatory control. Any business that operates a takeback service should ensure that they, or their service provider, are authorised to carry and transport waste and are registered as a waste carrier.

A business only needs to hold one waste carriers licence – there is no need for each employee to register separately unless they are self-employed individuals. Further information and guidance on registering as a waste carrier is available from SEPA.https://www.sepa.org.uk/regulations/waste/waste-carriers-and-brokers/ .

The Scottish Government does not provide training in this regard.

Under the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020, consumers are only entitled to have their deposit redeemed if they present a container that is identifiable as a scheme article, intact, empty, and not soiled.

Retailers and other return-point operators are required to retain scheme articles they have been accepted for collection by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd (CSL) or their agent. Once collected the containers are the responsibility of CSL.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12239 on‎ 1 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/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government received representations regarding Reverse Vending Machine relief from the Scottish Retail Consortium and a supermarket retailer.

We report every six months to Parliament on the delivery of major capital projects and programmes and publish an annual report on the progress of our five-year Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) which outlines the progress made in relation to the IIP’s three key themes. The annual progress report also outlines key delivery achievements as well as information relating to major capital projects and their associated climate change targets, strategic outcomes and the contribution they have made to economic development. Our six-monthly programme update also includes the contribution key major infrastructure programmes are making to economic development. Projects are evaluated in line with The Green Book guidance which looks across five defined cases relating to Strategic, Economic, Commercial, Financial and Management rather than by way of a singular return on investment measure.

The six-monthly major capital project and programme updates and the annual IIP progress report can be found at the Scottish Government website by way of the following link Infrastructure Investment Plan (www.gov.scot)

Eligibility for non-domestic rates reliefs is set out in legislation and it is for local authorities to administer reliefs to eligible properties in accordance with that legislation. As such, the Scottish Government does not set aside allocations for individual non-domestic rates reliefs, but rather decisions on non-domestic rates reliefs, for example Reverse Vending Machine relief, are taken as part of the annual budget process, using Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) forecasts of the total revenues raised net of relief costs.

Oil and gas exploration and production, including licensing, remains reserved to UK Government. Our position on oil & gas licensing is clear , unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is not consistent with our climate obligations and meeting the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees. Nor is it the right solution to the real cost of living crisis families are facing, when to reduce energy costs we need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. This means investing more in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

In Scotland, we are encouraging the expansion of renewable energy, as reflected in the lease options awarded to ScotWind sites earlier this year. The 20 ScotWind projects which have secured lease options now total up to 27.6 GW with initial supply chain commitments indicating an average of £1.4bn investment pledged in Scotland per project. This equates to £28 billion of potential investment across the 20 projects. In addition, ScotWind will deliver over £750m in revenues to the public purse for these initial awards alone and several billion pounds more in rental revenues when projects become operational, which will be invested for the benefit of the people of Scotland.

We are also supporting a just transition for our energy sector, Scottish households, and businesses. Instead of licensing more fossil fuel extraction, the UK Government should follow our approach and encourage investment in renewables. This further illustrates the case for Scottish independence to manage offshore energy within Scotland’s waters.

The consultation has been published today and is be available on the Scottish Government’s Consultation Hub, Citizen Space ( https://consult.gov.scot/college-policy/trade-union-nominees/ ). It builds on the work of The Good College Governance Task Group, which made a set of recommendations to improve college governance in Scotland. One of these recommendations was to add trade union nominees to the boards of college institutions and the consultation will seek views of a set of proposals to implement this. This work marks the beginning of a wider programme of improvements in governance across the tertiary education and skills sector. The closing date is‎ 27 January 2023.

The next non-domestic property revaluation will take effect on‎ 1 April 2023. The draft valuation roll was published on 30 November and draft valuation notices will be issued by Assessors from then. Final valuation notices in respect of 1 April 2023 will be issued from that date.

We accepted the independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates recommendation to move to three yearly revaluations and a one-year tone date to ensure that property values more closely align with current market conditions. The 2023 revaluation will therefore be based on rental values as at 1 April 2022.

The functions of Valuation Appeal Committees are scheduled to transfer to the Scottish Tribunals on 1 April 2023 in the new Local Taxation Chamber. The Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Act 2020 provides the framework for a two-stage non-domestic rating appeals system which is also scheduled for introduction on 1 April 2023. Subordinate legislation covering the detail of the changes to appeals process is due to be laid before the Parliament in December.

These changes will deliver greater transparency and fairness in the non-domestic rates system.