Parliamentary questions
Maurice Golden
1,697 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Apr 2023 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Deposit Return Scheme, in light of the First Minister recently stating that he was actively looking at options around the scheme and that he was "taking advice".
17 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether dog trainers will be in scope for the upcoming consultation on the expansion of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, following the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s observation in the Report on the use of handheld remote-c…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government welcomes the recent SAWC report on electronic collars and will consider its findings carefully. We recognise that there may be a case for licensing dog trainers, however more detailed consideration of the issues is needed. SAWC's prop…
11 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to adopt a zoning approach to recycling and waste collection in urban areas.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Commercial waste zoning was included in our consultations on the Circular Economy Bill and the Waste Route Map and we are considering options in light of consultation responses and further research. The Programme for Government committed the Scottish Governm…
11 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact of the Deposit Return Scheme on the packaging recovery note system.
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…
11 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the recycling rate of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government is working with the other UK administrations on reforms to the producer responsibility system for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) to make it easier for consumers to recycle WEEE and incentivise producers to make more s…
11 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential prevalence of modern slavery in Scotland's waste management sector.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government condemns all forms of human trafficking or exploitation. The Scottish Government has not assessed the potential prevalence of modern slavery in Scotland's waste management sector. Police Scotland monitor trafficking and exploitation t…
11 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reduce carbon emissions from clinical waste in the NHS.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022-2026 which sets out the Scottish Government’s plans to help reduce carbon emissions from clinical waste in NHS Scotland. This publication is available at: NHS Scotland …
10 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the health and safety risk of nitrous oxide canisters being found in Material Recycling Facilities and Energy from Waste plants.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum develops and promotes health and safety guidance for the waste management industry with input from industry experts and other bodies, such as the Health and Safety Executive. Existing WISH guidance offers adv…
10 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to reduce the substance abuse of nitrous oxide, particularly among young people.
Answer · Elena Whitham: The most recent survey of young people about substance use shows the vast majority of teenagers do not take drugs. Similarly the 2021 Scottish Health Survey ( The Scottish Health Survey 2021 - main report ) provides general information on substance use and …
10 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will put in place to encourage consumers to dispose of nitrous oxide canisters responsibly.
Answer · Lorna Slater: A range of information and advice is available from Zero Waste Scotland and local authorities to help consumers recycle and dispose of waste responsibly, including gas canisters. Householders can seek specific advice from their local authority on recycling an…
10 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether weight is the most appropriate metric for measuring quantities of waste, and, if this is not the case, whether (a) climate change coefficient, (b) environmental impact, (c) scarcity, (d) recyclability and (e) social benefit is being considered as an altern…
Answer · Lorna Slater: As set out in our 2022 Waste and Circular Economy Route Map consultation, we intend to set new circular economy targets for the period to 2030, which go beyond weight-based criteria. We must ensure that any future targets correspond to our Environment Strate…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of Peterborough's model for becoming a circular city by 2050 and its potential application to local authority areas in Scotland.
Answer · Lorna Slater: While we have not made any direct assessment of the Peterborough model, Zero Waste Scotland has engaged with Peterborough City Council in the past and has since explored a number of regional strategies and approaches to help inform their work to support citie…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to encouraging local authorities to issue public bonds to attract investment for net zero projects.
Answer · Neil Gray: Local authorities are independent democratically elected bodies with their own powers and responsibilities. As long as they act lawfully, it is up to each local authority how it manages its day-to-day business and decision making processes. Ultimately, it is …
6 Apr 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will work with local authorities to ensure access to local services, including leisure facilities, for local communities.
1 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to inform individuals and businesses how to identify textiles fit for reuse, before recycling.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Zero Waste Scotland seeks to raise awareness of the benefits of responsible consumption by promoting the benefits of reuse. This is regularly done through communications campaigns promoting the Revolve programme, actions such as Pass It On Week and European W…
1 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the quantity of textile material fit for reuse, that is instead recycled in Scotland.
Answer · Lorna Slater: There is no current data which estimates the quantity of textile material fit for reuse that is instead recycled in Scotland.
1 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it and (b) Circularity Scotland will receive a share of the packaging recovery note value of any packaging waste collected by Biffa under the proposed Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer · Lorna Slater: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17190 on 5 May 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/w…
1 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether scheme articles, under the proposed Deposit Return Scheme, will have a minimum set value assigned to them, and whether such articles are deemed to be a distinct class of commercial product.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 set out the definition of “scheme article” at regulation 3(2). That definition does not assign any minimum set value to scheme articles, nor does it make any provision about them being a distinct cla…
1 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether scheme articles under the proposed Deposit Return Scheme are deemed to create a new category of waste for the purposes of waste collection services and monitoring.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency confirm that waste containers collected under the Deposit Return Scheme will not require the creation of a new category for the purposes of waste collection and will be covered by existing European Waste Catalogue cl…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether waste collection companies should be investing in electric vehicles, in light of reports that a competitor, Biffa, has procured 198 petrol and diesel vehicles to provide collection services for the Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government has provided significant investment to accelerate the shift to zero emission transport and continues to provide a range of support to help businesses and individuals make the switch to electric vehicles. However, Biffa is a private com…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to address littering.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Last year the Scottish Government consulted on proposals for a National Litter and Flytipping Strategy. The consultation included proposals to encourage behaviour change, improve infrastructure and services and strengthen enforcement, including a review of th…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that English craft beer is being labelled as “not for sale in Scotland” due to concerns over the Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer · Lorna Slater: It is for individual businesses to determine whether or not they wish to sell products in Scotland following the launch of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that businesses of all sizes can participate i…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) Special Advisers travelled overseas to learn more about how deposit return schemes operate in other countries; how much this cost for each of the individuals who travelled, broken down by (i) flights, (ii) accommodation and (iii) other c…
Answer · Lorna Slater: In May 2018 a group of civil servants visited Norway to learn more about the country’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Total costs for this trip were £862.33. The learning acquired on this trip helped to inform the early work undertaken to develop Scotland’s DR…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many staff are currently working on the Deposit Return Scheme, broken down by pay scale, and how many staff it anticipates will be working on the scheme after it launches on 16 August 2023, broken down by pay scale, and what policy issues it anticipates these staff will be addressing.
Answer · Lorna Slater: As of Friday 28 April 2023, there were the following Scottish Government civil servants primarily working on Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Grade FTE SCS 2 C2 3 C1 7.8 B3 4.5 B2 2.2 B1 7.5 We will continue to assess resourcing needs to…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement with local authorities it (a) has had and (b) plans to have in the next six months, in relation to the Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer · Lorna Slater: We are supporting local authorities to prepare for the introduction of the scheme. Our scheme will mean that local authorities will have less waste to handle, as well as reduce litter and associated clean-up costs, which is good for residents and council budg…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by the chief executive of Tesco that the Deposit Return Scheme is "not fit for purpose", and what work it is doing to engage with the UK’s main supermarkets on this issue.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Following the announcement of the new launch date, the First Minister and the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy, and Biodiversity met with senior industry representatives, including the main supermarkets, to discuss the scheme. While Tesco was invit…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the impact of any stretched local authority budgets on the ability to deliver waste collection and recycling services.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government has not carried out analysis on any association between local authority budgets and delivering waste collection and recycling services. The Scottish Government has provided an additional £793 million to local government in 2023-24, wh…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on circularity education (a) in schools, (b) in colleges, (c) in workplaces and (d) for the general public, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Information on what has been spent on circularity education in schools, colleges and workplaces is not held centrally but we have been able to establish that the support set out below has been provided. Over the last five years, Zero Waste Scotland has emplo…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what funding it has provided to (a) businesses within the reuse and remanufacturing sector and (b) any other businesses or organisations, for specific projects to improve their own circularity, in order to improve circularity within Scotland, in each …
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund (LCMCF) is a new Fund operated by Scottish Enterprise providing capital investment of £26m over five years. At 17 April, £150,000 has been provided to one project supporting a business which helps to improve its ow…
31 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to reduce sewage in rivers, in light of reported Scottish Water data that states that sewage was discharged into Scotland’s rivers 14,000 times in 2022.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-02060 on ? 23 March 2023. All answers to oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the link to the Official Report can be found here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commi…