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Officials did not have any meetings with operators of overseas deposit return schemes (DRS) in the time period specified.

Evidence from other international schemes has played an important role in our decision-making regarding Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and operators of other schemes provided advice to Zero Waste Scotland during the policy-design process. During our review of the implementation date for DRS, Deloitte LLP has provided expertise and independent assurance relating to the process of establishing a scheme administrator, including drawing on its experience as an advisor to other operators and the wider global DRS network.

Domestic CCTV, such as video doorbells, is covered in legislation by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Data protection is a matter reserved to the UK Government; the Scottish Government therefore do not have powers to make laws in this area.

ScotRail’s May 2022 timetable, benefiting from careful consideration of the consultation feedback, is significantly better than the May 2021 timetable, with 150 more services per day. The aim is to build weekday passenger capacity to more than 590,000 seats, ensuring ScotRail Trains Ltd operate a more sustainable and more robust financial footing.

I have received a response from Chloe Smith, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, to my letter of 5 January 2022 on the delivery of the roll-out of the extension of Scottish Child Payment to 6-15 year olds. That response confirms the Department for Work and Pensions’ commitment to “an agreed approach to the provision of the data which supports [the Scottish Government’s] proposed delivery timeline”.

That timeline is that the extension of Scottish Child Payment to 6-15 year olds will begin from the end of 2022.

The strong preference of the Scottish Government has consistently been to extend the existing interfaces, which are currently in place to support delivery of the Scottish Child Payment for under 6s, but the DWP’s position is that we should build to align with their new strategic solution. This carries a higher degree of risk to our delivery timeline, as the DWP’s new strategic solution is still in the design phase, but we have an agreed joint plan in place to monitor and track that risk.

Our officials continue to work closely to ensure the implementation of the required technical approach and Ministers will meet in due course to review progress.

The ‘technical solution’ referred to will not impact on our commitment to doubling Scottish Child Payment. This increase, forecast to benefit 111,000 children under age 6 this year, is included within the annual uprating regulations that will come into effect on 1 April.

Separately we have committed to extending Scottish Child Payment to 220,000 older children - aged 6-15 - by the end of this year when it is expected around 430,000 children living in low income households could be eligible. Our initial analysis suggests that this payment when fully rolled out, could lift 40,000 children out of poverty, reducing overall child poverty by an estimated 4 percentage points in 2023-24.

In order to extend Scottish Child Payments to 6-15 year olds it is essential that the UK Government provide us with the data we need in order to establish eligibility for the Payment.

The strong preference of the Scottish Government has consistently been to extend the existing interfaces, which are currently in place to support delivery of the Scottish Child Payment for under 6s. The DWP’s position is that, in contrast to delivery of Child Disability payment and Adult Disability Payment where the ongoing use of existing interfaces has been authorised, the extension of Scottish Child Payment to under 16s should be built to align with their new strategic solution. This carries a higher degree of risk to our delivery timeline, as the DWP’s new strategic solution is still in the design phase, but we have joint mechanisms in place to monitor and track that risk.

I refer the member to the question S6W-05691 on 9 February 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05691 on 9 February 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 .

Legal aid applications are prepared by an applicant’s solicitor, who provides all the details of the case to the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB). Solicitors have professional duties not only to their client, but to SLAB and to the court; therefore it would not be professionally appropriate for a solicitor to submit an application for legal aid if they were of the view that a client’s case was “spurious”.

Legal aid is granted only if the applicant meets the strict eligibility criteria set out in legislation, which apply to all civil cases, including family law matters. This includes the merits of a case. Applicants need to demonstrate that they have a sound legal basis for their case, and that it is reasonable for legal aid to be made available. When looking at the reasonableness test, The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) considers a range of factors including whether the application is premature and whether there are reasonable prospects of success. If the criteria are not met then legal aid will be refused.

Opponents will generally be notified when an application for legal aid is submitted and have the opportunity to make representations to SLAB prior to legal aid being granted. Opponents can also provide any additional information which may affect the merits of the case during its lifetime after legal aid has been granted and does not require legal representation.

We expect the expert panel to be assembled in the coming months and to consist of a broad range of stakeholders. There are a diverse range of issues to be considered including biomass availability, competing demands, technology readiness, environmental and sustainability issues. Representation and format for the panel are yet to be agreed.

Payments to Abellio ScotRail Ltd. during the current transitional period are currently covered by the Emergency Measures Agreement, which includes provisions concerning financial transparency and to ensure value for money.