- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32552 by Joe Fitzpatrick on 10 November 2020, whether it will provide the information requested regarding when it last met representatives of (a) community and (b) national football authorities.
Answer
As I stated in my answer to S5W-32552 the Scottish Government are in regular contact with the footballing authorities to discuss a range of issue.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32948 by Fiona Hyslop on 13 November 2020, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding the date that the 2020-21 Scottish Enterprise R&D budget was approved.
Answer
The R&D budget was set at the Scottish Enterprise Board meeting held on 28 February 2020.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 24 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-32259 and SW5- 32008 by Fiona Hyslop on 20 October 2020 and Maree Todd on 6 October 2020 respectively, whether private tuition of school pupils can be delivered in private homes at each level of its COVID-19 Strategic Framework.
Answer
In light of the publication of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Scotland's Strategic Framework on 23 October 2020, the Coronavirus (COVID-19): organised activities for children guidance for organised activities and services for children, including babies and toddlers, was updated on 12 November 2020. The guidance is not an instruction for all services and activities to open up at this time, since this will be based on the requirements that need to be met, relevant to each individual delivery setting. Private providers should read this guidance in conjunction with guidance for small businesses: Coronavirus (COVID-19): small and micro businesses guidance .
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32198 by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 October 2020, what alternative methodologies have been used in the absence of granular and sector data collection to monitor progress toward its target of reducing food waste by 33%.
Answer
While our capacity to measure and monitor on a granular and sector specific level develops, we have identified some alternative interim measurement methodologies. For household data, we have utilised waste compositional data from 5 local authorities in Scotland from a wider UK waste compositional study conducted by WRAP. This has been analysed alongside information from Waste Data Flow, the national database that holds data on waste collected by local authorities.
For specific sectors, we have scaled to geographical areas based on economic and demographic metrics from UK level data. For example, we were able, due to the high level of participation in the Courtauld commitment, to calculate the ratio of local units in Scotland to the total local units in the UK in 2018 and this was applied to the total UK retail and wholesale food waste from 2018 to derive the Scottish component.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken since 2014 to encourage businesses to collaborate when commissioning waste collection services, and how many such partnerships have been formed each year.
Answer
Since 2014, Zero Waste Scotland, SEPA & local authorities
have engaged with several thousand businesses regarding
compliance with the Waste (Scotland) regulations 2012 and
wider resource efficiency measures. Where appropriate, this
engagement included advice on sharing waste collection
services. Data on the number and nature of business
collaborations is not available.
Additionally, through Resource Efficient Scotland, guidance
was provided to businesses to improve waste management
practices. This includes detailed information on the collaborative
commissioning of waste collection services. Support was
provided to Business Improvement Districts as part of this piece of work.https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/sites/default/files/
ImprovingWasteManagementGuideBusinessGroups%20RES.pdf
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) locations, (b) costs and (c) reductions in litter frequency/volume have been of the tailored local messaging pilot projects to influence behaviour in motivating people not to litter, as set out in Zero Waste: Towards a Litter-free Scotland: A Strategic Approach To Higher Quality Local Environments.
Answer
A contextual messaging toolkit has been developed based on behavioural insights research Public Perceptions and Concerns Around Litter carried published in 2015. The litter toolkit cost £120,000 and helps to provide effective context-specific and local communication messages.
A grant fund was available to organisations to bid in to use the toolkit in situ, a total of 9 organisations received funding across Falkirk, Edinburgh, Highland, North Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Argyll and Bute. A total of £43,000 was awarded to the 9 funding recipients. We do not hold longitudinal data that would allow us to accurately represent what the reduction in litter frequency/volume has been as a result of the local messaging.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund have been (a) received and (b) approved since it opened in August 2020, and when the first payments will be made.
Answer
The Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund was opened for applications on 21 August 2020 with the closing date for applications on 18 December 2020, with funding awards being made in January 2021. As of 9 November 2020, there have been no applications submitted or approved, but please note that we would not expect there to be in receipt of a substantive number of applications at this stage with over a month left for organisations to apply.
We have received considerable interest in the fund, with over 50 enquiries from Registered Social Landlords, Local Authorities and Energy Supply Companies.
Information webinars and application support continue to be provided throughout the application window and we anticipate receiving a high number of applications for low carbon social housing projects.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the pilot action to address littering and fly-tipping in remote rural locations, as set out in Zero Waste: Towards a Litter-free Scotland: A Strategic Approach To Higher Quality Local Environments.
Answer
A number of relevant projects in remote areas have been funded through the following funds:
- Litter and Flytipping Community Action Fund 2014-2015
- Flytipping Small Grants Scheme 2011-2013
- Recycle on The Go Infrastructure Fund
In addition, Zero Waste Scotland are the lead for flytipping on the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, which includes inputting to regional partnerships against rural crime (PARCs) that focus on flytipping prevention.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted since 2014 regarding public attitudes to littering.
Answer
Zero Waste Scotland published a qualitative report in 2015 that sought to understand both perceptions of litter and attitudes towards litter to help inform and shape key behavioural interventions. Additionally, a short survey of public attitudes and behaviours in relation to litter and flytipping was commissioned in 2016 and the annual Scottish Household Survey provides a snapshot of public attitudes to littering in local areas.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what pilot schemes have been introduced to address accidental/wind-blown litter in each year since 2014.
Answer
Zero Waste Scotland has provided additional guidance through communications, Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse engagement and litter prevention action plans to help support stakeholders to minimise the impact of litter escaping from bins or vehicles.