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Through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) delivered by Local Energy Scotland on the Scottish Government’s behalf, £14.48 million has been invested since 2011 to support 197 community, locally owned and shared ownership onshore wind projects. The applicant data recorded for the scheme does not allow a straightforward assessment of applicants' organisational structure. However, based on their experience working to support the community energy sector, Local Energy Scotland estimate that the number of projects owned by a bona-fide cooperative is likely to be a very small percentage of the total.

Through the Energy Investment Fund (EIF), delivered by Scottish Enterprise, on the Scottish Government’s behalf £23.1 million has been invested in community, locally owned and shared ownership of onshore wind projects. No cooperatively owned onshore wind projects have been supported through EIF. The Fund closed on the 31 March 2022.

There has been no investment through CARES or EIF in cooperatively owned offshore wind energy projects.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information broken down by referral type.

Crown Estate Scotland manage leasing of the Scottish seabed, and we will ask their Chief Executive to write to you directly with this information.

This information is not held centrally for onshore wind projects however the Scottish Government continue to be encouraged by the onshore and offshore wind industries' commitment to developing on Scottish land and in Scottish waters and are aware of some developers establishing headquarters and/or additional offices located in Scotland.

Scottish Renewables, as the renewable industry representative body in Scotland, hold a directory of their members, which may be useful in collating this information. The Scottish Government would also suggest that further detail could be obtained by contacting Scottish Renewables directly.

(a) Scotland has budgeted £429 million in total for Discretionary Housing Payments since DHPs were devolved in 2017 to the 2022-23 financial year. This is broken down into £349 million for mitigation of the bedroom tax and £80.4 million for mitigating the impact of other welfare reforms.

SG funding for DHPs 2017-18 to 2022-23

We have not funded research on vermiculture in the current Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Strategic Research Programme (2022-7), nor in its previous programme, (2015-22).

In the previous programme however Scottish Government did fund research on green manure and municipal waste compost as part of a programme to monitor soil and plant nutrients, sustainable soil, and water management, as well as in research projects on alternative approaches to sustainable land management.

The Scottish Government’s Farm Advisory Service (FAS) is available to help support farmers, crofters and land-managers realise their potential through quality, innovative, and largely free advice, and we would encourage businesses to get in touch.

The Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture was published on 2 March 2022. The vision outlines our aim to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

We see opportunities to include more nitrogen-fixing crops in our pasture and arable rotations to reduce our requirements for nitrogen fertilisers and we will be considering how to encourage wider use of nitrogen-fixing crops as we continue to develop the National Test Programme. We would urge all farmers to take up the Programme’s support for soil sampling and analysis under the first phase of Track 1, ‘Preparing for Sustainable Farming,’ which aims to help farmers and crofters to prepare their farms to meet the conditions of future agriculture policy and support and is open to all. Further information on PSF is available on the Scottish Government website , including comprehensive guidance for those seeking to get involved.

In line with the waste hierarchy, the Scottish Government’s focus is on measures to promote reusable alternatives. For example, in 2019, Zero Waste Scotland launched its “Trial Period” behaviour change campaign to raise awareness of the benefits and encourage uptake of reusable alternatives to menstrual products. Further information on the campaign can be found here: Trial Period | Zero Waste Scotland .

As part of Scotland’s Baby Boxes initiative, a voucher is included in all boxes to encourage new parents to try reusable nappies. The voucher can be used for a free reusable nappy and a pack of liners.

In terms of recycling absorbent hygiene products, the Scottish Government’s £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund is open. The Fund aims to accelerate progress towards 2025 waste and recycling targets by strengthening and improving local authority recycling infrastructure resulting in improvements to the quality and quantity of material collected. This fund provides scope for local authorities to improve collection of problematic materials, including absorbent hygiene products.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a moratorium on windfarm development.

To achieve a net zero, nature-positive Scotland, our planning system must be rebalanced so that climate change and nature recovery are the primary guiding principles for all our plans and all our decisions. Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out new Universal Policies that should apply to all planning decisions to help us tackle the climate and nature crises and ensure Scotland adapts to thrive within the planet’s sustainable limits. It also includes green energy policies which support renewable energy development other than in National Parks and National Scenic Areas, subject to an assessment of their impacts on a case by case basis.

Our draft NPF4 was laid in the Scottish Parliament on 10 November, and at the same time published for consultation which closed on 31 March 2022. We are pleased with the very wide interest shown in NPF4 from across society, befitting a document of its importance to our future. The Scottish Government is now taking some time to carefully consider the broad range of views shared with us before finalising NPF4 for Scottish Parliament approval.

Additionally, the Onshore Wind Policy Statement consultation was launched on 28 October 2021, which includes our ambition that an additional 8-12 GW of onshore wind be installed by 2030, in line with the Climate Change Committees' recommendations. The consultation considered other key themes such as barriers to deployment, positive environmental impacts, community benefits and shared ownership, circular economy and supply chain opportunities. The consultation closed on 31 January 2022, and a full policy statement is expected to be published during later this year with consultation analysis also to be published in due course.

However, the Scottish Government recognises the need to strike a balance between maximising deployment to reach net-zero targets, while considering concerns over factors such as peatland, landscape impacts, local economy and tourism, and ‘capacity saturation’. Support for maximising onshore wind deployment does not come at any cost, and the planning system exists to ensure that development sites are optimised and offer net benefit wherever possible.

The Scottish Government is providing a £150 cost of living award to all those receiving a reduction under the Council Tax Reduction scheme, regardless of their council tax band, as well as to all households living in properties in Bands A - D, which means this help will reach 1.85 million households.

Local authorities have also been provided with funds from which to make the £150 award payment to the estimated 38,000 low income households which are exempt from council tax, including those accessing housing support services or living in temporary accommodation.

In addition to the £150 cost of living award, £10 million is being allocated to continue the Fuel Insecurity Fund, which supports people struggling with their energy bills to the point that they are at risk of self-rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely. The Fuel Insecurity Fund is delivered through third sector partner organisations, particularly the Fuel Bank Foundation and Advice Direct Scotland. It includes provision for households on any tariff type and using any type of fuel.

The Scottish Government do not have information on the total number of single parents that have accessed further education courses at Scottish colleges.

Shipping safety is a matter that is reserved to the UK Government. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for maritime safety regulation and implementation. In October 2021, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency conducted a consultation on Electric Vehicles Onboard Passenger Ro-Ro Ferries. The results of this consultation were published in March 2022, along with Marine Guidance Note 653, covering aspects relating to fire safety elements, electrical hazard risks, the increased risk from carriage of damaged electric vehicles (accident recovery) and the safe charging of electric vehicles aboard Ro-Pax vessels.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to fund seafarers’ training or the purchase and retrofit of equipment in relation to the possibility of lithium-ion battery fires on board ferries.