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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-08158

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) any potential benefits of introducing a digital deposit return scheme, through which consumers could recycle drinks containers via kerbside collections using unique barcodes to reclaim deposits, and (b) the potential for incorporating a digital element into existing proposals for its Deposit Return Scheme.

We would anticipate that industry will make extensive use of digital technology in delivering our Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), for example by developing an IT system to track payments made and received, adopting state-of-the-art reverse vending technology to prevent fraud, and using digital media to communicate with the public regarding DRS.

We are aware of the so-called ‘digital DRS’ as a proposed approach to delivering deposit return whereby consumers redeem deposits on scheme articles by scanning them with a smartphone before placing them in their kerbside recycling. We considered this approach during the policy-development process for DRS and the strong feedback from both industry and environmental NGOs was that the technology is not sufficiently mature for implementation on the timetable for our DRS.

We, and Circularity Scotland Ltd as scheme administrator, are monitoring developments including trials of ‘digital DRS’ in Wales. However, we are focussed on delivering a return-to-retail DRS, in line with international best practice, that will make it as easy to return a bottle or can as it was to buy it.

Question reference: S6W-08160

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will amend Scotland's Household Recycling Charter to include a mandatory carton recycling target.

Scotland's Household Recycling Charter currently lists acceptance of cartons within recycling services as an essential requirement of a consistent collection model.

Though the Scottish Government currently has no plans for a specific mandatory carton recycling target, as part of our Programme for Government commitments, we are reviewing Scotland’s Household Recycling Charter’s Code of Practice. The Charter and Code of Practice are designed to make it easier for people to recycle the right things, and the review will help develop a future model of recycling collections, aligning with Scotland’s new deposit return scheme to drive further consistency.

In May we will publish our consultations for a circular economy bill and waste route map, which will set out further proposals to facilitate Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy, and meet our waste, recycling and emissions targets.

Question reference: S6W-08159

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to use the delay in the introduction of its Deposit Return Scheme to include additional materials, such as cartons, in the initial roll-out of the scheme.

Question reference: S6O-01063

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its latest engagement has been with the UK Government regarding programmes to deliver a replacement for EU structural funding.

Question reference: S6O-01029

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults.

In October 2021 I launched the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, providing an initial £15 million to support small scale, community mental health and wellbeing activities. In light of the very positive response to the Fund, and the number of high quality bids received, in February I provided an additional £6 million for this work in financial year 2021-22.

Since the launch of the Fund, the Scottish Government has worked with the 32 Third Sector Interface organisations across Scotland to support hundreds of grass roots, community groups to deliver programmes for adults which tackle priority issues such as suicide prevention, social isolation and loneliness.

Projects are being funded across the whole of Scotland, supporting activities involving sport, nature, the arts and community cafes. There is a clear focus on people who are more vulnerable and in need, including those facing social isolation, refugees, the LGBTQ+ community, and carers.

Officials are currently collating learning from year one of the Fund, which will be used to inform a further £15 million investment in the coming year.

Question reference: S6O-00995

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on its Covid Recovery Strategy of the reported cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6W-07989

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 April 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of the Joint Business Plan for Unlocking Investment in Scotland’s Energy Sector.

The Scottish Government, in collaboration with the Scottish Energy Task Force, have committed to developing and publishing a Joint Business Plan for Unlocking Investment in Scotland’s Energy Sector.

This work is vital to identifying and overcoming many of the short-term barriers to decarbonisation and development of the energy system in Scotland, and enabling a green recovery from Covid-19.

I am pleased to say that the Joint Business Plan has now been published and is available here: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781804350119 .

Question reference: S6W-07772

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 March 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will be published.

The Scottish Government committed to publishing a refresh of the 2017 Energy Strategy. In parliament in June 2021, the Minister for Environment and Land Reform announced that a draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) would be published in Spring 2022. This will now be published in Autumn 2022.

We are working to deliver the ESJTP in the context of a fast-moving energy landscape. The revised timeline will allow time for robust evidence and analysis to be produced and take account of ongoing projects, which are progressing at pace in response to the rapidly evolving global energy environment. The UK Government is due to produce an energy security strategy, which has been postponed, and we will also need to take this into consideration for Scotland’s Energy Strategy.

Securing a just transition for our energy sector is a non-negotiable aspect of our journey to net zero and the timeline will enable an extensive stakeholder engagement programme, ensuring we create a Just Transition Plan that is truly collaborative in its approach and design. The extended timescale will also allow stakeholders more time to engage in the process.

Question reference: S6W-07773

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 March 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when works will be complete to allow the new link road to open to traffic on the A92/A96 Haudagain Improvement project.

The construction of the A92/A96 Haudagain Improvement project is well advanced.

In December 2021 my predecessor announced a revised anticipated date for completion of works allowing roads to open to traffic by the end of March 2022. This revised completion date was based on the latest information reported by the Contractor at the time and was subject to no further disruption occurring due to events such as adverse weather and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Contractor has reported impacts to programme critical work since then due to adverse weather, including a number of high profile named Storms all having an impact on the works (Storm Malik, Storm Corrie, Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice) in addition to cold temperatures causing ground frosts that have prevented programme critical road surfacing works being progressed. This has been compounded by ongoing disruption to the workforce as a result of COVID-19, with over 40% of the on-site workforce having to isolate due to COVID-19 earlier this month, and continued supply chain issues.

In light of the above, I can advise that based on the latest information from the Contractor I now anticipate that the works will be complete to allow the new link road to open to traffic by mid-May 2022 at the latest, although the Contractor is hoping to achieve an earlier date if possible, subject to no further disruption occurring due to adverse weather or the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transport Scotland will continue to engage with the Contractor to ensure that any risks to programme are mitigated where possible and to explore all opportunities to better this anticipated completion date.

Question reference: S6O-00872

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on the Scottish budget, in light of reports that UK Government funding consequentials relating to the cost of living may not be provided in addition to provisional allocations.