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As the answer to question S6W-06722 set out, we consider that any switching away from glass containers as a result of our Deposit Return Scheme would not be extensive given the range of factors affecting formatting decisions.

Across the 4 year period to 2020-21, Scotland has seen an annual average of 15.6 affordable homes delivered per 10,000 population. This is 62% more than the 9.6 homes per 10,000 in England, and 71% more than the 9.1 homes per 10,000 in Wales. Over the same time frame the annual supply of social rented housing per head of population in Scotland has averaged 10.8 homes per 10,000 population, over nine times the 1.1 homes per 10,000 population in England.

Comparator figures for the current financial year 2021-22 are not available yet. The Scottish figures for 2021-22 will be published in June this year but the other UK financial year figures might not be published until later in the year, and as some of these are financial year rather than quarterly, it is not possible to calculate within-year comparisons.

I can confirm that at present 48 schools have registered for access to ESAS materials and resources. While some of these schools are very active and have undertaken many ESAS activities, others are planning to begin the work next academic year and so are not yet “active” ESAS schools.

During the ESAS design and pilot stages (2016-2020), the University of Glasgow carried out formative evaluation research with staff and students. This type of evaluation seeks to test acceptability and feasibility with a view to improving the intervention. The research team also used ‘systems thinking’ to map sexual harassment within school systems (drivers, occurrence of, and responses to); understand ‘what counts’ as sexual harassment). Learning from the formative stage can be found at: https://www.equallysafeatschool.org.uk/research/ .

Alongside the roll out of ESAS, the research team has designed a ‘real-world’ evaluation study (2022-2024) that will aim to 1] assess whether the ESAS intervention improves ‘whole-school’ culture in relation to preventing and addressing gender-based violence; and 2] to understand what works, how, for whom and under what circumstances. We plan to follow up 30 schools, randomised to immediate start and delayed start (one year later). Schools will have option to opt into the evaluation. Students and school staff will have the opportunity of providing direct feedback on ESAS activities in various ways including during group interviews.

In line with the duty set out in section 24(4) of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, the Scottish Ministers have laid two six-monthly progress reports before the Scottish Parliament on establishing a pilot of mandatory meetings on alternatives to court.

The first such report was laid in April 2021 and covered the period from 1 October 2020 to 1 April 2021 - Children (Scotland) Act 2020 - alternatives to court and funding of alternative dispute resolution pilots: report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The second such report was laid in November 2021 and covered the period from 1 April to 30 September 2021 - Pilot of mandatory meetings on alternatives to court - Children (Scotland) Act 2020 - section 23(1) and section 24(1): second report on the Scottish Ministers’ duties - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The next progress report on the pilot scheme is due to cover the period from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 and will be laid before the Parliament in due course.

We have convened a Scottish Government-led implementation and monitoring group to oversee the delivery of the recommendations within the report . This group will have its third meeting in May 2022. Members have agreed a work plan covering a two year period and identified where responsibilities for recommendations lie.

Progress has been made against a number of the 27 recommendations:

• We established a governance and engagement advisory board in September 2021 to support the development and implementation of the new Human Rights Bill and included a representative with gender expertise.
• To help ensure our homelessness strategy meets the needs of diverse groups of women, we refreshed the membership of our Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group in 2020/21 to include members with gender expertise and have provided gender competency training to policy makers in the Scottish Government’s homelessness unit.
• A number of local authorities, including East Lothian and Dundee, are developing Housing First for women experiencing domestic abuse in partnership with women’s organisations.
• We are preparing draft statutory guidance for landlords on the new provisions in the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act and we intend to invite input from stakeholders with gender expertise.
• The temporary accommodation standards working group is currently developing recommendations that are gender responsive and will take account of the different needs and priorities of all those who require temporary accommodation.
• We published guidance on the application of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order in January 2021 to help guide local authorities in their duties to assist people who are threatened with or who are experiencing homelessness, including victims-survivors of domestic abuse.
• We aim to have a proposal for Universal Credit split payments policy implementation by early summer 2022, which will be sent to the Department for Work and Pensions to action.

The OECD provides data on the percentages of populations with tertiary education in OECD countries. Latest data for 2020 show the percentage of the 25-64 year old population in Scotland with tertiary level education is 55.7%. This compares to 43.4% for Wales and 49.4% for the UK as a whole. Data for England on its own is not available though it is for the English Regions, which is set out in the following table.

Percentage of 25-64 year olds with tertiary level education, 2020

The Scottish Procurement & Property Directorate publish Scottish Procurement Policy Notes (SPPN) to provide advice to public bodies on procurement policy. SPPN 3/2021 which was then superseded by SPPN 6/2021 to reflect two new criteria set out the actions for public bodies to apply Fair Work First criteria in regulated procurements.

Scottish Government officials have been in contact with the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) who have a statutory duty to give the Scottish Ministers such information as they may require relating to the availability and accessibility of legal services in Scotland. I am aware of correspondence from individuals who are having difficulty securing representation in civil matters. SLAB are thoroughly investigating the issues that have been reported, are continually monitoring the situation and are preparing to report back to Scottish Government officials in due course. The Law Society of Scotland have also been made aware of the situation and we will continue to engage with them on these matters.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government .

We have drawn extensively on international evidence in the design for our Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Where there has been a movement away from glass in other countries, this is usually attributable to a range of factors e.g. a movement towards increased use of refillables. Evidence suggests that where product or format switching has occurred in other countries with DRS, it is rare that this can only be attributed to DRS. As the answer to question S6W-06722 sets out, we do not consider that there will be extensive switching away from glass due to our DRS.