Seòmar agus comataidhean

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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 1442 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-06423

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05517 by Lorna Slater on 24 January 2022, whether the 27% figure was calculated without accounting for landfill releasing less biogenic CO2 than incineration, and what its position is on this matter.

Question reference: S6O-00804

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote the welfare of dogs.

Question reference: S6W-06177

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05700 by Lorna Slater on 26 January 2022, whether it will confirm, regardless of whether there was a revised launch date or not, whether the minister was aware that there would be a delay to the Deposit Return Scheme (a) on, (b) prior or (c) after 17 November 2021.

Question reference: S6W-06123

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05593 by Lorna Slater on 24 January 2022, whether it will confirm whether it holds details of estimated preparedness times for any individual businesses in Scotland, and, if so, whether it will provide that information.

As part of the review into the implementation date for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) we carried out intensive scrutiny of Circularity Scotland Ltd’s (CSL) implementation programme, including through the Gateway Review and Assurance of Action Plan, as well as engagement from Scottish Ministers and officials. I am therefore confident that CSL will be prepared to deliver its obligations by 16 August 2023.

The Gateway Review interviewed a range of other stakeholders and, although it gave a preparedness estimate of 12-24 months for individual stakeholders, did not give a breakdown of preparedness estimates for individual businesses. While businesses interviewed separately by SG tended to endorse this finding, we do not hold exact preparedness times for these individual businesses.

Question reference: S6W-06073

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05595 by Lorna Slater on 25 January 2022 and without seeking information on Circularity Scotland Ltd’s procurement decisions, whether it will confirm the date on which the minister was made aware that procurement documents indicating a 2023 launch date for the deposit return scheme had been issued.

Question reference: S6W-06074

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment was carried out to ascertain the suitability of digital technologies for inclusion in the deposit return scheme; which technologies were assessed; what assessment method was used, and who carried out each assessment, and when.

Decisions regarding the use of technology to operate Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) are for industry to take in line with the principle of producer responsibility.

We would anticipate that industry will make extensive use of digital technology in delivering the scheme, 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-05932

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 9 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government with which external organisations (not including Zero Waste Scotland) did the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity meet, including virtually and in person, to discuss the deposit return scheme, broken down by (a) the number of meetings that were held with each organisation and (b) when the meetings took place, between 1 September 2021 and 14 December 2021.

Question reference: S6W-05931

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 9 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times civil servants met, including virtually and in person, operators of deposit return schemes, broken down by (a) when the meetings took place and (b) which operators were involved, between 16 March 2020 and 14 December 2021.

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.

Question reference: S6W-05821

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the chair of the review into the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland has met with members of the waste industry and/or their representatives since 1 September 2021.

Dr Colin Church was appointed as independent Chair of the review into the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland in November 2021.

As independent Chair, it is for Dr Church to determine and manage the process of the review. I am, therefore, unable to respond on his behalf regarding the number of meetings he has held with certain organisations.

However, Dr Church has assured me he wishes to hear from all interested stakeholders during the review and I would encourage anyone interested to respond to the Call for Evidence which is open until 21 February.

Question reference: S6W-05820

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 3 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the chair of the review into the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland plans to meet with members of the waste industry and/or their representatives before the deadline for the call for evidence on 21 February 2022.

As independent Chair, it is for Dr Church to determine and manage the process of the review. I am, therefore, unable to respond on his behalf regarding the number of meetings he will hold with waste industry representatives.