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The exact percentages requested are not available.

Our Food Waste Reduction Action Plan sets out measures that will drive delivery against our target to reduce food waste by 33% by 2025. The 2013 baseline for this target is estimated to be 987,890 tonnes from all sources.

A waste composition study carried out in 2015 estimated that 23% of the residual household bin was food waste, the equivalent of 330,000 tonnes. Compared with a similar study in 2009, this represented a 21% reduction in the amount of household food waste sent for incineration or landfill.

A detailed breakdown of waste and waste destinations is not available for commercial waste. However, the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, which came into force on 1 January 2014, mean that almost all businesses are required to have separate food waste collections and this will ensure the continued removal of food waste from the commercial residual waste stream. Since their introduction there has been a 40% increase in food waste recycling.

The two primary methods used to treat food waste are anaerobic digestion (AD) and in vessel composting (IVC), SEPA analysis of the AD and IVC sites in Scotland indicate that there is up to 200,000 tonnes of spare capacity to treat food waste at existing facilities.

To be approved by Scottish Ministers, any prospective scheme administrator(s) for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme must demonstrate how they intend to comply with member producers’ obligations on their behalf and that they are likely to subsist for at least five years.

While we anticipate that any prospective scheme administrator(s) will wish to take the opportunity to demonstrate how they will deliver wider benefits through the operation of the scheme, the decision whether to approve or refuse an application will be based on the criteria set out in the DRS Regulations.

The application form for a prospective scheme administrator(s) of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme, published on 22 June 2020, provides an opportunity for an applicant to demonstrate how they will deliver wider benefits through the operation of the scheme, although the decision whether to approve or refuse an application will be based on the criteria set out in the DRS Regulations.

The application form is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/deposit-return-scheme-
scheme-administration-form-and-template/ .

The response to question S5W-31163 made clear that we have no current plans to put in place a solution for returning containers via a smartphone or app as part of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme. It would, however, be open to any scheme administrator(s) and/or return-point operators to consider the use of a digital solution (for example allowing consumers to choose to have their deposits reimbursed through an app) to support consumers in returning containers via a return point.

The Scottish Growth Scheme became operational in summer 2017. The following table provides details on how many (a) micro-finance, (b) debt/loan and (c) equity investments have been made in each year broken down by their value. The information requested is not available by local authority area.

The specific information requested about amateur dramatic and theatre groups is not held centrally. The Scottish Government is supporting charities, community groups and voluntary organisations, where they deliver activities in Scottish communities, with emergency funding from the Third Sector Resilience Fund.

The programme is still operational and continues to support SMEs. Up to the end of August £4,846,021 of funds have been allocated with 100 businesses having accessed this funding to increase their digital capability.

Scottish Government business pillar engagements are led by Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation. The Minister’s T&I Overseas Visits focus on the 15 priority markets, as outlined in A Trading Nation ; Scottish Government’s plan for improving Scotland’s export performance . The visits he undertook in 2019 – 2020, along with the number of meetings are summarised below:

The information requested is not held centrally.

It is not appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on the status of an on-going commercial matter. An update will be provided when negotiations and commercial matters are finalised in relation to any new office accommodation for Social Security Scotland.