Seòmar agus comataidhean

During the development phase of Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), Zero Waste Scotland developed a dedicated DRS microsite ( https://depositreturnscheme.zerowastescotland.org.uk/ ) and targeted communications with a range of sectors involved in the scheme.

As recommended in the independent Gateway Review ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/deposit-return-scheme-gateway-review-report-june-2021/ ), Zero Waste Scotland is now leading on the development of a co-ordinated engagement and communications strategy in liaison with Circularity Scotland Ltd, SEPA and the Scottish Government.

Once again, I want to thank our health and care staff for their magnificent work to date. The last few months have been enormously difficult and our health and care services are continuing to deal with a challenging combination of issues.

As we are now moving out of what has been a challenging winter period, the system remains under significant pressure. The number of new Covid-19 cases are at a high and continue to increase as well as currently having a record high number of Covid patients in hospital. Therefore, we must continue with a measured and consistent approach to the recovery and renewal of the vital service that we all rely upon. This will require balancing the capacity of the NHS and the wellbeing of our workforce to respond to increasing demands of emergency and urgent care, whilst reducing the backlog of planned care.

As we move through the next phase of the Strategic Framework, we will continue to support our NHS Boards to deliver against commitments in the NHS Recovery Plan and associated Delivery Plans to enable our NHS to plan and prepare the future delivery of health and social care services to our communities. We are confident that we have continued to build on lessons learned and that NHS Boards will be able to respond appropriately to any further challenges which lie ahead.

However, with that in mind, I have decided that the NHS will remain on emergency footing until at least 30 April 2022.

Following the roundtable meeting I chaired on 4 November, a further roundtable was convened on 8 December 2021 to discuss the prevalence of spiking crimes and to agree what action should be taken. It was agreed that the key immediate and ongoing activity should focus on ensuring consistent messaging and prevention activity, including training, with the Violence Reduction Unit supporting partners to roll out bystander training for night time industry staff, to both raise awareness and help keep people safe.

Police Scotland have reported a downward trend in recorded spiking incidents since November last year, with no corroborated evidence to support claims of needle spiking. We continue to work with partners and representatives across the sectors to strengthen the response to spiking, and ensure that women feel safe and are supported to report suspected incidents.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of reported incidents of door-to-door scams. Some information is available from a 2018-19 study into police recorded fraud in Scotland, the findings of which were presented within the Recorded crime in Scotland 2018-19 National Statistics .

This study suggested that ‘fraudulent selling’ accounts for approximately 12% of fraud crimes, equivalent to 1,160 crimes. This typically relates to where a victim has paid for a service or product (either in person or through the internet) that the perpetrator has no intention of providing. This could include through online transactions, or payments to bogus workmen. Further analysis of this group suggests that an estimated 270 crimes of recorded fraud (or 3% of all fraud) involved a perpetrator knocking on the victim’s door, taking money and not providing a service.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing and evidencing housing need and demand, and setting out through local housing strategies and local development plans the housing requirements for their area. The Scottish Government continues to collaborate with a wide range of housing delivery partners to ensure the delivery of more high quality homes to meet the need of communities across Scotland.

There are already significant safeguards in place around deaths in police custody in Scotland. Police Scotland must refer deaths in custody to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and a fatal accident inquiry must be held, unless the Lord Advocate is satisfied that the circumstances have already been clearly established in other proceedings.

In her review of Police Complaints Handling, Dame Elish Angiolini made specific recommendations relating to deaths in custody. We continue to work with partners to implement these and will consult on those recommendations which are likely to require legislation this year.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) undertake regular inspections of police custody facilities in Scotland.

Furthermore, the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) has a statutory duty to maintain and manage an Independent Custody Visiting Scheme (ICVS) to monitor the welfare of people detained in police custody facilities throughout Scotland.

The 2021 Country and Regional Analysis (produced by HM Treasury) includes analysis of expenditure on public services in Scotland and comparisons with other parts of the UK as a whole. In 2020-21 public order and safety spending in Scotland was £3.1bn. On a per capita basis, spending in Scotland was 11% higher than in England and 7% higher than in Wales, as shown in the following table:

Public Order & Safety Expenditure (per capita)

In February 2021 the Scottish Government proposed combining the Warm Home Discount (WHD) and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) together as a single, flexible fuel poverty scheme in Scotland. This was among our formal asks of the UK Government when we consulted about our Heat in Buildings Strategy.

In May the UK Government wrote to Scottish Ministers noting our proposal for a single scheme and their intention to use their reserved powers, as their planned reforms in England and Wales would require a separate scheme for Scotland. The UK Government proposed apportionment of funding for a separate Scottish WHD scheme based upon national shares of electricity and gas meter points.

Scottish Ministers replied in June highlighting our concerns about this approach and formally proposing a new single scheme. In July the UK Government requested further details from us and officials provided information about the legislative, administrative and targeting options being considered by Scottish Ministers.

In October, we asked for a response based upon this information and noting that a continuation of the current scheme could only be approved by the Secretary of State. Scottish Ministers wrote again in December seeking a decision or confirmation that the UK Government would extend the current scheme. In January 2022 UK Ministers gave their preferred option as being a continued GB scheme for ECO. They did not provide an indication as to whether any of our proposals would be agreed or not.

Despite having been asked three times, the UK Government has been unable or unwilling to provide a straight answer to our proposal of a single scheme.

Scottish Ministers cannot exercise relevant powers without the agreement of the Secretary of State. Therefore on 8 February we requested urgent confirmation that the UK Government would extend the current WHD scheme in Scotland to provide certainty for vulnerable households and energy suppliers.

Despite having asked how the current WHD scheme will be extended in Scotland on three occasions, we have still not received a response from the UK Government.

I refer the member to my answer to question S6W-07097 on 23 March 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 .

Microfibre shedding from synthetic textiles is a complex problem which adds to microplastic pollution in our environment. Fibres are shed at every stage of the product’s lifespan, from manufacture, through use, laundering and end of life.

Considerable research is being undertaken by industry to better understand this problem. Filters on washing machines will not necessarily reduce this form of pollution as it requires users to clean the filters. As a result the collected material ends up in landfill or washed down sinks, as evidenced through people emptying tumble dryer filters.

We will take an evidence-based approach on this issue, and are taking action on other forms of microplastic pollution, with a ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products, and significant ongoing work with the plastics industry to tackle plastic pellet pollution. We are able to take action on matters relating to environmental protection, and while trade and industry are reserved to the UK Government we continue to work for progress in these areas.