Fergus Ewing

15 Dec 2022 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the programme for the additional A9 road safety measures, as referred to by the Minister for Transport in the debate on Essential Road Improvements on 2 November 2022.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: This year’s safety performance of the A9 has been a concern for everyone and our thoughts remain with those affected by these tragic accidents. I can advise today that this Government is taking forward a package of safety measures, valued at £5M, to help add…

21 Nov 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to support a GP-led COVID-19 and flu vaccination programme in NHS Highland, in light of reports that it would cost several million pounds less than the model proposed by the NHS board.

9 Nov 2022 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made on the A9 Dualling Killiecrankie to Glen Garry scheme, following the public local inquiry that was held to consider objections received.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Following careful consideration of the Reporter’s findings, conclusions and recommendations, I have determined that the Orders for the A9 Dualling Killiecrankie to Glen Garry scheme should be made. A decision letter in relation to the Orders is being issued t…

25 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08833 by Lorna Slater on 14 June 2022, whether it will publish the gateway review in full, and whether it is the case that the review has not yet been published because it is reportedly highly critical of the Deposit Return Scheme and the progress m…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The latest Gateway Review into our Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) was carried out in May 2022. In line with standard practice for this type of review, the Scottish Government put in place an action plan to address recommendations. We have working with the Scheme…

2 Sep 2022 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister, in light of the loss of life as a result of road traffic incidents on the A9 over the summer, on sections of the road that have not been dualled, what plans the Scottish Government has to publish a timetable setting out when the dualling of the A9, and A96, will be delivered.

25 May 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08057 by Lorna Slater on 12 May 2022, by what date the gateway review will (a) conclude and (b) be published.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The latest Gateway Review into our Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) was carried out in May this year. We are carefully considering the recommendations, and will share these and our response to them in due course.  

27 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a requirement for local authorities to conduct a statutory consultation in relation to adopting further discretionary powers and conditions under its short-term let licensing scheme.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 requires licensing authorities to consult with such persons as they consider appropriate in preparing and reviewing their temporary exemptions policy statement. This is a discr…

11 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in respect of the proposed Deposit Return Scheme, whether it has any plans to carry out another Gateway Review to consider the current economic uncertainty that is facing businesses.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Assurance of Action Plan report which followed the Gateway Review of 2021 recommended a further Gateway Review be conducted in approximately March 2022. This review is being carried out this month.

7 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the proposed Deposit Return Scheme, what discussions it has had with Circularity Scotland on whether the company is planning to raise the producer fee in respect of glass from the level previously indicated.

Answer · Lorna Slater: We have had no discussions with Circularity Scotland Ltd on this subject.  

7 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07097 by Lorna Slater on 23 March 2022, and in light of the reported announcement by the UK Government and Northern Ireland Assembly not to include glass in their proposed Deposit Return Schemes, what its position is on whether a consistent approach…

Answer · Lorna Slater: We remain committed to the inclusion of glass in our ambitious Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in view of the significant environmental benefits. Although the ambition of other nations’ schemes is a matter for their governments, we welcome the Welsh Government’s …

7 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07097 by Lorna Slater on 23 March 2022 and in light of the reported announcement by the UK Government and Northern Ireland Assembly not to include glass in their proposed Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), what consideration it has given to any potential …

Answer · Lorna Slater: Although the UK Government has provided some limited information about their intentions in respect of DRS through the government response to the consultation on extended producer responsibility for packaging, we are still awaiting the full details of their ap…

30 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07108 by Lorna Slater on 22 March 2022, which states that the number of reverse vending machines (RVMs) that will be used in Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) was estimated at 3,021, whether it now estimates that number to be around 5,000, in l…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Our best and final estimate of the number of reverse vending machines (RVMs) that will be required to operate Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is 3,021, as set out in Table 2 of the amended final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) publishe…

30 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07108 by Lorna Slater on 22 March 2022, whether, at the time that the answer was provided, it had been advised by Circularity Scotland that the estimated number of reverse vending machines (RVMs) to be used for its Deposit Return Scheme would be aro…

Answer · Lorna Slater: As set out in the answer to S6W-07830 on 29 April 2022, we have had no further discussions with Circularity Scotland Ltd regarding any estimated numbers of reverse vending machines since the publication of the amended final Business and Regulatory Impact Asse…

30 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the statement on the Circularity Scotland website that the retailer handling fee will be determined “annually by independent consultants”, whether (a) this statement is correct and (b) the consultants referred to are PwC, and, if so, what its response is to reports that P…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Setting and paying the handling fee is a matter for return-point operators and the scheme administrator, as provided for by regulation 11 of the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020. That is in line with the principle of industry leadership…

18 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the comment of the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, on 13 March 2022, that “it’s a no” in response to the request made by NFU Scotland to relax rules to enable land to be brought back into use for food production, whether the Minister, prior t…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: As Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Islands, I made the decision not to suspend the greening rules on Ecological Focus Areas relating to fallow land and field margins following the request from the NFUS. I remain clear in my commitment to supportin…

9 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for its Deposit Return Scheme, published in 2021, how the 1% increase in business benefits due to the additional half a billion containers within the scheme was calculated.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The benefits of a Deposit Return Scheme to businesses are not only a function of container numbers. As well as reimbursement to retailers through the handling fee, the benefit to businesses includes: savings from waste uplift costs for hospitality return poin…

9 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for its Deposit Return Scheme, published in 2021, for what reason it has included a 23% increase in benefits to operators of the scheme and an additional half a billion containers but not reflected this in the costs of the sc…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The economic model underpinning the figures in the amended final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment takes account of a number of factors, and costs and benefits do not necessarily increase in proportion to the change in input. In this case, the additio…

9 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for its Deposit Return Scheme, published in 2021, which includes an additional half a billion containers within the scheme and additional 20,000 return points, which is a 118% increase on its initial estimate of the number of…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The cost increases within the model are not proportional increases. There may be additional collections but there is also additional capacity within the system.  

9 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for its Deposit Return Scheme, published in 2021, in light of it including an additional half a billion containers within the scheme and additional 20,000 return points, how it was calculated that the costs to regulators will…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The cost to the regulator is estimated based on the number of businesses to be regulated; it is therefore unaffected by any increase in the number of containers.  

9 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for its Deposit Return Scheme, published in 2021, and the statements regarding local authority benefits as a result of half a billion containers being removed from local authorities, what its position is on whether such a rem…

Answer · Lorna Slater: In calculating the impact of our Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) on local authorities, the economic model in the final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) uses compositional data on the tonnage (‘dirty’ weights) that Local Authorities actually manage…

9 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) for its Deposit Return Scheme, published in 2021, in light of the original BRIA including an estimate of 1.7 billion containers within the scheme, which has been increased to 2.2 billion containers in the Final BRIA, w…

Answer · Lorna Slater: When calculating this increase, it has been assumed that the additional return points are manual return points, which have a lower cost than those with reverse vending machines. Zero Waste Scotland carried out an intensive data-gathering process to arrive at…

9 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for its Deposit Return Scheme, published in 2021, and the increase in business costs for an additional half a billion containers within the scheme, from table 1 to table 2, of £34 million, in light of this being a 3% cost inc…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The economic model underpinning the figures in the amended final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment takes account of a number of factors and costs and benefits do not necessarily increase in proportion to the change in input. The modelled cost increas…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the recent YouGov Polling, commissioned by British Glass, that reportedly highlights the will of consumers to keep glass recycling kerbside, rather than in a Deposit Return Scheme, and, in particular, what its response is to the reported findings that 9…

Answer · Lorna Slater: We do not believe an enhanced kerbside scheme could deliver the level or rate of improvement that we will see through Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Packaging recycling rates have stalled, including for glass, and the current producer responsibility …

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the recycling system being used in Wales is successful; for what reason such a system was not considered in detail in the Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), and whether it will consider deploying such…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Whether the recycling system used in Wales is successful is a matter for the Welsh Government, not the Scottish Government. I would note, however, that the Welsh Government is also working to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS), including the same materia…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported decision in the Republic of Ireland to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic and cans only and not glass, and what its position is on the impact that adopting a similar approach to that being taken in Ireland or in Wales, regarding the impleme…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Any decision by the Republic of Ireland to exclude glass from their deposit return scheme (DRS) is a matter for them. The Full Business Case Stage 1 for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), published on 8 May 2019 (pp36-37), considered the costs and benef…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any country in the world that has introduced, at the same time and on the same day, a deposit return scheme covering plastic cans and glass, and what its position is on whether the reported potential operational problems, costs and difficulties facing Scotland, in …

Answer · Lorna Slater: Our Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is an important part of our response to the global climate emergency and the member is right that our scheme will be ambitious by international standards. The implementation date of 16 August 2023 was determined after extensive…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding increasing recycling, what discussions it has had with (a) COSLA and (b) local authorities on the recycling model reportedly being pursued in Wales.

Answer · Lorna Slater: We are committed to continuing to work with COSLA and Local Authorities to meet Scotland’s ambitious waste reduction and recycling targets, to promote a circular economy and tackle the climate change crisis. In May we will publish a consultation on a route m…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its planned Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and the current Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system, how the DRS scheme will work alongside the PRN scheme; whether it anticipates that the DRS will result in more or fewer glass bottles being made from recyclate through the remelt proc…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government is clear that deposit return schemes (DRS) are a form of extended producer responsibility (EPR). Therefore, producers will not have to purchase Packaging Waste Recycling Notes (PRNs) or Packaging Waste Export Recycling Notes (PERNs), o…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its estimates as set out in the Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), published in December 2021, and as contained in Annex F: Industry Assumptions, whether specific allowance is made for the additional costs of approximatel…

Answer · Lorna Slater: As Table 2 of the amended final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) for our Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) makes clear, the economic modelling in the BRIA assumes that there will be 3,021 reverse vending machines (RVMs) in operation. Annex F of the…

1 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its proposed Deposit Return Scheme, whether it will provide the detailed calculations for how each of the figures were arrived at as set out in Table 3 on page (a) 15 of A Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland: Full Business and Regulatory Impact, published in July 2019 and (b) 2…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The economic model underlying the analysis in the amended Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) for Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme was developed in line with best practice by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. The key input…