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Tackling poverty and inequality is a key priority for this government. We know that holiday periods can present challenges for families, which is why we have provided local authorities with £21.75 million of funding for alternative holiday food provision for families eligible for free school meals. This support is available to those families on the basis of low income, regardless of the age of their children and is being provided directly to families in the form of vouchers or cash payments. In addition to this, we have invested a further £10 million into a targeted summer holiday programme for 2022, designed to reach those school age children and their families who can benefit most from access to free holiday childcare, activities and nutritious food.

The recent independent review of the role of incineration found that while there may be a temporary under-capacity of residual waste treatment in Scotland in 2025, when the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste comes into force, there is a risk of long-term overcapacity beginning from 2026 or 2027, if all or most of the incineration capacity in the pipeline is built.

The review noted that export is a feasible short-term option for the treatment of residual waste in order to bridge the expected capacity gap. Scottish Government will continue to work with local authorities and commercial operators to ensure they have solutions in place to manage their residual waste in 2025 and beyond, taking account of the recommendations of the independent review and ongoing assessment of residual waste requirements and available capacity.

On 30 May 2022 we published our consultation on Delivering Scotland’s circular economy – a Route Map to 2025 and beyond. The Route Map sets out system-wide interventions to help deliver Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy, significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services. The consultation is available here: Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: A Route Map to 2025 and beyond - Scottish Government - Citizen Space .

The accompanying technical annex summarises available evidence on factors driving the current national recycling performance, and the rationale for proposed Route Map actions. Key factors include infrastructure modernisation, specific geographical challenges contributing to local performance rate variation, technical or economic options for reuse or recycling of products, and the incentives and guidance in place to support recycling participation across our economy and society.

Since July 2021 we have met representatives of small brewers on the following occasions: 5 August 2021, 7 September 2021, and 28 October 2021. This is in addition to small brewers’ representatives participating in wider Scottish Government engagement such as the DRS System-Wide Assurance Group.

Island Communities Impact Assessments (ICIAs) and all other relevant impact assessments will be undertaken, as appropriate, as and when individual policies and programmes set out in the Shared Policy programme come forward for implementation.

The total number of deaths by suicide recorded by National Records of Scotland (NRS) from 2007 to 2020 are detailed in the following table. Finalised statistics for deaths by suicide in 2021 are not yet available. NRS plan to publish these on 2 August 2022.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to introduce a Scottish carers card. Local authorities and integration authorities are responsible for carer support under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, and commission Third Sector organisations to provide much of that support on their behalf. This includes information and advice about a range topics, including carers rights and income maximisation. Much of this support is delivered through local carer centres and would include signposting to any local carer discount cards or schemes in place, for both adult and young carers.

To specifically support young carers, the Scottish Government works with Young Scot to provide tailored discounts and opportunities through the Young Carers Package. This package is available to all young carers aged 11 to 18 years of age, and the Scottish Government encourages the promotion of this scheme as widely as possible. Young carers can claim vouchers, tickets to events, prizes and discounts to help support their health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Mental Health Law Review, chaired by Lord John Scott QC, is ongoing. The principal aim of the Review is to improve the rights and protections of those who may be subject to the existing provisions of mental health, incapacity or adult support and protection legislation as a consequence of having a mental disorder. The Review’s final report and recommendations are due to be completed in September 2022.

The Independent review of the Mental Health Act for those with learning disability or autism (Rome Review) recommended that those with learning disability and autism should no longer be included within the definition of ‘mental disorder’ under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 but not that they should be removed entirely from the protections under that Act.

To fully explore the impact of this recommendation in the context of wider mental health law, the ongoing Scottish Mental Health Law Review, chaired by Lord John Scott QC, has absorbed consideration of this issue into its wider work. The Review’s final report and recommendations are due to be completed in September 2022.

The Scottish Government has committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill. This Bill will ensure that the rights of autistic people, people with learning disabilities and people with neurodevelopmental differences are respected and protected. To help make sure the new legislation is championed when it is implemented we intend to create a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner through the new law.

The ongoing Scottish Mental Health Law Review is reviewing our mental health and incapacity legislation in light of developments in international human rights, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and will consider where improvements could be made. The Review’s final report and recommendations are due to be completed in September 2022.