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The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

Our primary focus is on reducing waste and increasing the proportion of waste we reuse and recycle. As set out by the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport in May 2021 and in the shared policy programme agreed between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party, we will review the role incineration plays in Scotland’s waste hierarchy, including the need for new incineration capacity. To that end, we will appoint an independent chair to oversee the review, with a view to having a chair in place in October. And will update Parliament with a statement.

We intend that the review will prioritise consideration of national capacity requirements for incineration, given the Scottish Government’s ambitious targets for waste reduction. The review will also have scope to consider how emissions from existing incinerators can be reduced and residual heat may be reused; and consider the societal impacts of residual waste treatment, including health and community impacts. The independent chair will determine the detailed shape of the review.

The timeline for the review will be agreed with the independent chair. However, we are aware that the outcomes of this review will be important to inform ongoing discussions around local authority planning decisions and wider investment decisions. Therefore, we aim to begin to invite evidence for the review in November and to review available evidence between December 2021 and March 2022. We will publish the review as soon as possible once the review has been completed.

In line with our Programme for Government commitment, the paper outlining the principles and commitments that underpin our care and support for people with long COVID has been published today, 30 September 2021. This is available on the Scottish Government website at www.gov.scot/isbn/9781802013559 .

The information requested is not collected and held centrally

Following publication of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), Initial Appraisal: Case for Change Reports in February 2021. The following fixed links were included for consideration as part of the appraisal process for Phase 2 of the review:

• New rail connection to/from Cowal linking to the West Highland Line or rail network in Inverclyde or North Ayrshire, including fixed link or ferry crossings
• New rail connection to/from Kintyre linking to Cowal, including fixed link or ferry crossing
• From South Ronaldsay (Orkney Islands) to Gills Bay (Scottish Mainland)
• Sound of Harris
• Sound of Barra
• From Western Isles to the Scottish Mainland
• Between Mull and Scottish mainland
• A tunnel between Benbecula and Skye

From 1 April 2022, ScotRail Trains Ltd will be responsible for engaging with the trades unions.

It isn’t standard practice for Scottish Government to provide specific funding for maintenance of electric vehicle charging stations, and as such we do not hold such information. Units funded through Scottish Government schemes would have a 3/5 year warranty/maintenance pack included within the initial quote to install the unit, after this initial 3/5 year period it is the responsibility of the owner/host to maintain the unit and pay for any work that may be required to keep the unit fully operational.

By law, you must wear a face covering on trains and inside railway stations in Scotland.

ScotRail has clearly communicated this message to customers via prominent signage and announcements on trains and within stations, social media messaging and joint media releases with the British Transport Police (BTP) and Network Rail Scotland.

Enforcement of the wearing of face coverings on the railway rests with the BTP. BTP officers continue to conduct join initiatives with ScotRail and deploy to non-compliance hotspots.

The Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS) provided support to purchase new ultra low emission buses. The scheme was open to bus operators, local authorities and companies leasing buses to authorities/bus operators who run local registered bus services in Scotland. The bids included information about the buses that would be acquired, including the manufacturer, but whether the manufacturer was domestic or otherwise was not factored into the assessment of the bids. Scotland is bound by World Trade Organisation (WTO) subsidy control rules and the WTO’s principle of National Treatment prohibits discrimination between imported and domestically produced goods, however of the 272 buses purchased under this scheme 207 have been ordered from Alexander Dennis Ltd, the bus manufacturing company based in Larbert, Scotland.

The Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme has now been replaced by the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB). Bidders are strongly encouraged to put in place arrangements with partners or collaborators, to minimise the level of subsidy being requested. Bids from domestic manufacturers, or involving domestic manufacturers, will be assessed on the same basis as bids from other eligible parties. Scotland is bound by World Trade Organisation (WTO) subsidy control rules and the WTO’s principle of National Treatment prohibits discrimination between imported and domestically produced goods.