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That was in 2019.

I am also quite concerned by your response to the question that the convener has just asked. Let me ask you a direct question. Does the Government have any data on, or has it investigated, the impact of adding up to 40p per container on consumer purchasing behaviours? By that, I mean the types and formats of the products that they buy and the like. Have you or have you not modelled the scheme’s impact on consumer behaviour?

I am very grateful.

My final question in this area is about the fact that many small independent businesses have suggested that the scheme will have a disproportionate impact on them. Some have suggested that the viability of their businesses might be at risk when the scheme comes in. Were those concerns factored into the Scottish Government’s initial impact assessments so that it knew about them, or are they new to the Government?

I am concerned about both. The point that I am making is that many small businesses—producers and retailers—have suggested that they are at risk from the DRS. Were those risks known about and factored in by the Scottish Government when it was putting the scheme together, or have the concerns come as a surprise to the Government, following publication of details of the scheme?

I know what you are doing, minister. I am asking you a direct question. Did you know that small retailers would be disproportionately impacted and that their businesses would be threatened, or did the Scottish Government not know that?

The worry seems to be that there could be a degree of complacency.

Colin Galbraith, you said earlier that the world looks to Scotland and that we show the world what we are doing. I found that quite surprising, given that Scotland failed to meet the Aichi targets that were mentioned earlier. I think that we met nine of the 20 targets and the ones that were met were not quite the key ones—that is perhaps just my personal view. On that note, the GBF talks about increasing the ambition on finance for biodiversity, and target 19 talks about scaling up finance for biodiversity. We have just had a budget. Colin Galbraith, has that target been met?

Thank you. I will make this the last question for just now. Daniela Diz, are there any priorities or targets that the committee needs to be particularly aware of and that we need to say are key targets that we need to prioritise? Are there any targets that will be particularly difficult to achieve that the committee needs to focus on?

Good morning. Dr Mitchell, you talked about implementation of the COP15 outcomes and translating those into SMART targets—that is, targets that are specific, achievable, time bound and so on. You also talked about funding and monitoring. Do the new biodiversity strategy and delivery plan align to the GBF targets and the items that you have spoken about? How translatable are the targets from COP15 into domestic Scottish policy?

My next question is for Deborah Long. We have only seven years, and Dr Mitchell has said that more must be done and that we need to get the plan together. Have we really got time?

I am very grateful. Unless anyone else wants to respond to that question, I will hand back to the convener.

I was interested in Mark Ruskell’s questions, in response to which you said that there will be an examination of how the scheme is operating. Can you reassure me that that will also examine the uptake and usage of the scheme in rural areas, as distinct from urban areas, and particularly in areas where bus provision is more patchy and/or where there is rural poverty, so that we can ensure that the scheme is operating fairly and equitably across the whole country?