Maurice Golden

Answer · Gillian Martin · 12 Mar 2026

The Scottish Government engages regularly with the waste sector to discuss best practice around the transport and handling of WEEE, particularly in relation to the risk of lithium-ion battery fires and persistent organic pollutant (POP) containing materials.The Scottish Government is keen to support making it easy for individuals to correctly dispose of electrical items and products containing lithium batteries. Retailers and distributors of electrical products are required to provide takeback services so consumers can return used batteries and electrical items for appropriate recycling.On 3 December 2025, the Scottish Government hosted a roundtable with industry on fire and battery safety at waste and recycling sites, including presentations from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Optimum Eco Group on the proper disposal and handling of WEEE and waste batteries. Following this meeting, SEPA updated guidance with input from industry stakeholders to ensure best practice was captured and shared.

Answer · Gillian Martin · 12 Mar 2026

The Scottish Government conducts regular meetings with local authorities about waste recycling, including waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The retention of waste to be recycled in Scotland is a key policy objective in building towards a circular economy, reducing the impact of volatile global supply chains, and retaining critical raw materials and valuable resources.In August 2025, the Scottish Government published a report on Waste Reprocessing Infrastructure in Scotland, focusing on 15 priority material streams, including electronic waste. According to the findings of the report, the recycling and physical treatment capacity for WEEE in Scotland in 2023 was estimated to be limited to around 20 kilo tonnes, with 25 kilo tonnes exported for recycling. However, the increasing quantity of waste electronics, including the roll-out of net zero infrastructure and electric vehicles, coupled with further reforms to the WEEE EPR system currently being considered, are expected to increase the tonnage of materials available for recycling within Scotland and potentially strengthen demand for domestic reprocessing.

Answer · Gillian Martin · 12 Mar 2026

The Scottish Government works closely with local authorities, producer compliance schemes, and waste operators to improve WEEE collection systems, in order to maximise the efficient operation of domestic recycling sites.We are working with local authorities and other stakeholders to co-design a new statutory household recycling Code of Practice for Scotland. The Code will set clear, consistent standards to improve recycling, cut emissions, and deliver better, more consistent services. One of the things which will be considered during this process will be collection of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The new Code of Practice will be completed by the end of 2026, after which it will be made available for consultation.We are also working with on a Four Nations basis towards reform of the WEEE extended producer responsibility system. As an example, we introduced amending legislation in August to introduce a new category for vapes and introduce obligations for online marketplaces. We continue to consider measures included in the Call for Evidence, such as including a producer-funded household collection system, enhanced in store takeback provisions and the establishment of a WEEE Scheme Administrator.

Answer · Gillian Martin · 25 Feb 2026

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) do not systematically record all of this information but reports that they are aware of the following:Recorded fire incidents where bin lorries/refuse trucks have been mentioned in the descriptionYearFires20256Fires involving waste management sites/recycling sitesYearFires202574

Answer · Ivan McKee · 17 Feb 2026

Table 1 shows estimated non-domestic rates income from onshore electricity generators in 2023-2024, and Table 2 in 2024-2025.As we cannot reliably identify electricity generators, or specifically renewable electricity generators, Tables 1 and 2 do not present a total for each council area.We have identified electricity entries in the valuation roll by the ‘core’ variable listed therein, and classified energy sources by the ‘description’ variable. In most cases, the description shows the energy source or type of subject (where the subject relates to transmission or distribution). Where the description identifies a subject as an electricity generator, but does not clarify the energy source, this is listed under ‘other generators.’ Electricity entries which do not specify whether they relate to generation or not are listed as ‘other electricity,’ and this category may also include distribution and transmission subjects.Under the Non-Domestic Rating (Valuation of Utilities) (Scotland) Order 2005, South Lanarkshire Council is responsible for the billing of designated electricity utilities (generation, distribution, and transmission). As a result, the figures presented for South Lanarkshire include estimates of non-domestic rates income for designated generation entries located across Scotland.Figures are rounded to the nearest £10,000. Where a figure is greater than zero, but would round down to zero, this is marked as “[low]”.Table 1: Estimated non-domestic rates income from electricity generators in 2023-2024, by council area (£)Council areaWindSolarHydroBiomassLandfill gasOther generatorsOther electricityAberdeen City30,00000000340,000Aberdeenshire7,050,000000004,510,000Angus300,00060,00080,00030,00020,00000Argyll and Bute000003,730,0000City of Edinburgh00000[low]0Clackmannanshire0000010,0000Dumfries and Galloway5,800,00000002,850,000260,000Dundee City40,0000000060,000East Ayrshire540,0000000260,0000East Dunbartonshire0000000East Lothian0000030,270,0000East Renfrewshire00000300,0000Falkirk520,000000090,0000Fife000001,300,000400,000Glasgow City000001,440,0000Highland10,740,00004,310,000007,840,00010,000Inverclyde00000300,0000Midlothian000001,180,0000Moray6,010,000000002,750,000Na h-Eileanan Siar650,000000040,0000North Ayrshire000001,660,0000North Lanarkshire370,0000000480,0000Orkney Islands390,000000000Perth and Kinross2,210,00050,000790,00080,00090,00000Renfrewshire0000030,0000Scottish Borders5,650,000000090,0000Shetland Islands120,0000000700,0000South Ayrshire250,0000000610,0000South Lanarkshire37,050,000000058,560,0000Stirling1,960,0000000820,0000West Dunbartonshire00000180,0000West Lothian000002,030,0000Scotland79,670,000110,0005,180,000110,000110,000114,790,0008,350,000Table 2: Estimated non-domestic rates income from electricity generators in 2024-2025, by council area (£)Council areaWindSolarHydroBiomassLandfill gasOther generatorsOther electricityAberdeen City30,000000001,410,000Aberdeenshire7,430,000000004,960,000Angus310,00080,00080,00030,00020,00000Argyll and Bute000004,280,0000City of Edinburgh00000[low]0Clackmannanshire0000020,0000Dumfries and Galloway8,170,00000003,050,000280,000Dundee City40,0000000080,000East Ayrshire570,0000000270,0000East Dunbartonshire0000000East Lothian0000032,430,0000East Renfrewshire00000240,0000Falkirk550,000000090,0000Fife000001,390,0003,610,000Glasgow City000001,540,0000Highland13,520,00004,250,000006,880,0000Inverclyde00000320,0000Midlothian000001,260,0000Moray6,330,000000003,190,000Na h-Eileanan Siar480,000000010,0000North Ayrshire370,00000001,810,0000North Lanarkshire1,250,0000000530,0000Orkney Islands410,000000000Perth and Kinross2,360,00080,000960,00080,000100,00000Renfrewshire0000040,0000Scottish Borders6,030,0000000120,0000Shetland Islands120,0000000750,0000South Ayrshire270,0000000650,0000South Lanarkshire40,900,000000059,320,0000Stirling2,080,0000000820,0000West Dunbartonshire00000250,0000West Lothian00

Answer · Gillian Martin · 17 Feb 2026

Onshore renewable energy projects under 50MW are determined under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and are handled by the relevant planning authority. Fees are set by the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Regulations and vary depending on the size of the application. The maximum fee for a generating station application is £178,560.For projects 50MW and over, consent is required from Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Fees are prescribed by the TheElectricity (Applications for Consent and Variation of Consent) (Fees) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 and vary depending on the MW capacity of the application. There is no maximum fee.

Answer · Ivan McKee · 17 Feb 2026

Non-domestic rates income is notionally pooled at a national level in the Rating Account or ‘non-domestic rates pool,’ and redistributed to local councils. The Scottish Government guarantees the overall sum of non-domestic rates income and General Revenue Grant funding available to each council.In addition, the Non-Domestic Rates Incentivisation Scheme (NDRIS) allows councils which meet targets for growth in the tax base to retain the additional income associated with that growth (excluding designated utilities), over and above the total guaranteed amount. We are unable to separately identify amounts related specifically to renewable energy installations.

Answer · Ivan McKee · 17 Feb 2026

Consent from Scottish Ministers is required under the Electricity Act 1989 for electricity generating stations over 50MW. Developments below this threshold are determined under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and are handled by the relevant planning authority.There are currently 32 onshore energy generation project applications that are at the decision stage and are being processed by the Energy Consents Unit for determination by the Scottish Ministers.