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The existing Scottish Household Recycling Charter has been designed to cover and encourage reuse. As set out in the Programme for Government, we are committed to evaluate the Household Recycling Charter with COSLA, and review its Code of Practice to ensure it reflects current best practice and makes it easier for households to recycle and reuse

Work to develop a waste route map to 2025 and beyond is also considering how to further support reuse given its importance within the waste hierarchy.

The Scottish Government provides annual funding to the Energy Saving Trust to administer the Low Carbon Transport Loan on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Transport Scotland officials also work closely with Energy Saving Trust to consider the most appropriate structure and approach required to administer the loan.

To manage the demands of the scheme, officials have regular meetings with Energy Saving Trust and service level agreements are also in place to ensure the effective delivery of the loan scheme.

The PIN was issued in February 2021 to preserve the Scottish Government’s ability to award a temporary measures agreement from March 2022 should it be necessary at that stage to continue emergency measures type support. As the scale and pace of recovery from the impact of the pandemic remains uncertain, the need for such an award, and the duration of any award, is being kept under review.

The Emergency Measures Agreement, which temporarily varied the terms of the franchise agreement with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Ltd, will expire on 28 February 2022.

A prior information notice (a technical measure that stems from the relevant procurement regulation) was issued in February 2021 to preserve the Scottish Government’s ability to award a temporary measures agreement from March 2022 should it be necessary at that stage to continue emergency measures type support. As the scale and pace of recovery from the impact of the pandemic remains uncertain, the need for such an award, and the duration of any award, is being kept under review.

Any such analysis would depend on the written proposals submitted by Serco Caledonian Sleepers Ltd, in the event it elected to exercise the contractual rebasing option after 1 April 2022.

VoiceAbility will begin providing advocacy services for those who require support to access Social Security Scotland assistance from 31 January 2022. VoiceAbility will continue to build capacity in the service after that date to ensure the service scales up proportionally as more benefits become available.

As set out in the Scottish Landfill Tax (Qualifying Materials) Order 2016, sub-soils qualify at the lower rate of Scottish Landfill Tax. However, top-soil, soil containing hazardous materials or soil from contaminated land will always be chargeable at the standard rate of Scottish Landfill Tax. The Qualifying Materials Order was introduced following consultation with industry and other stakeholders.

The Scottish Landfill Tax legislation approved by the Scottish Parliament gives Revenue Scotland the authority to set out a direction that material can be regarded as qualifying material if it qualifies as such but for the presence of a small amount of non-qualifying materials. Revenue Scotland’s current guidance in this area was developed following detailed consideration and a specific consultation, involving SEPA, was held on the treatment of soils.

Birds of Conservation Concern, often referred to as the UK Red List for Birds, is published by the British Trust for Ornithology. The report, which reviews the status of all regularly occurring birds in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, is compiled by a coalition of bird conservation and monitoring organisations from across the UK, including RSPB.

All bird species in Scotland are protected through the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Schedule 2 of the 1981 Act sets out the quarry species, i.e. those species that may be killed or taken outside of the closed season.

There are a range of reasons that may be responsible for a decline in a species’ population or a contraction of the species’ range leading to them being listed as a species of conservation concern. Where there is evidence that quarry species status is causing or exacerbating conservation concerns we will take steps to remove the species from Schedule 2 in accordance with the procedure set out in section 26(3) of the 1981 Act.

The Scottish Ambulance Service does not record data on use of community first responder schemes (CFRs) by health board area but is fully aware of the volunteer resources available throughout the country to support operational delivery.

CFRs are highly valued by the Service and are a dedicated, motivated and valuable asset to the communities they serve. CFRs form an integral part of the Service’s response, particularly with instances of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests. They do. however, work to a clinically assured scope of practice, which is supported by appropriate training to complement, but not replace, the emergency ambulance response in particular circumstances.

During times of crisis and major events, such as storm Arwen, CFR volunteers, as members of local communities, may provide assistance to the relief efforts but they would do so as individuals and not as representatives of the ambulance service.

The current Emergency Measures Agreement has been extended until the 28 February 2022. A prior information notice (a technical measure that stems from the relevant procurement regulation) was issued in February 2021 to preserve the Scottish Government’s ability to award a temporary measures agreement from March 2022 should it be necessary at that stage to continue emergency measures type support.

In advance of the expiry of the current Emergency Measures Agreement, the Scottish Government will consider the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the context of the Sleeper franchise and review the need for any temporary measures agreement.