Maurice Golden

31 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the main differences are between its Deposit Return Scheme and the equivalent scheme in (a) Finland, (b) Canada, (c) Germany, (d) Sweden, (e) Denmark and (f) Australia, and, in each case, what the reasons were for taking a different approach to implementation in Scotland.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The following table shows the main differences between Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and the schemes operating in Finland, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Australia. Comparison of the Scottish Scheme to selected schemes internationally Region…

24 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15735 by Lorna Slater on 23 March 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether or not producers that have registered for the Deposit Return Scheme after 1 March 2023 have been registered in accordance with regulations.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) producer registration service will only grant registrations that meet the requirements of The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations. All producer registrations grante…

24 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15780 by Lorna Slater on 22 March 2023, what its position is on conclusion 7 of the report, Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury? Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy in Scotland, that “Scotland should not construct more capacity …

Answer · Lorna Slater: The first report of the independent review of incineration conducted a capacity analysis. It recommended that the Scottish Government ensure no further planning permission (i.e. beyond that already in place) is granted to incineration infrastructure within th…

24 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the 2019 Full Business Case for the Deposit Return Scheme needs to be updated in light of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, recent inflationary pressures and increased energy prices, and, if it considers that it does need updating, when that update wil…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Addendum for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme were updated when the amending Regulations were introduced in December 2021. Any further changes to the Deposit Return Scheme Regulations w…

24 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31530 by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 September 2020, whether it will provide an updated table of capacity figures to 2023, with projections to 2030.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The following table shows permitted incineration capacity figures held by SEPA to 2023. The first report of the independent review of the role of incineration in Scotland’s waste hierarchy, made assumptions about capacity beyond 2023, although in doing so, n…

22 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15101 by Lorna Slater on 20 March 2023, whether (a) it or (b) its agencies have consulted with the Competition and Markets Authority on this matter.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have consulted each other at various stages in the development of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme. This has included CMA providing general guidance on competition matters relevant to DRS…

14 Mar 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the education system encourages a better understanding of circular economy principles and skills.

13 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the holding answer to question S6W-15379 by Lorna Salter on 10 March 2023, for what reason there has been a delay in answering the question and whether it is due to consulting with third parties. 

Answer · Lorna Slater: A final response to S6W-15379 was issued on Monday 13 March 2023.  

13 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15344 by Lorna Slater on 10 March 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding (a) what communication it has had with drinks suppliers outside of Scotland to inform them of the Deposit Return Scheme, and (b) which companies it h…

Answer · Lorna Slater: A final response to S6W-15344 was issued by the Parliament deadline on Friday 10 March 2023.  

10 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the holding answer to question S6W-15363 by Lorna Slater on 9 March 2023, for what reason it does not have information readily available on the use of public funds to support (a) Circularity Scotland and (b) Deposit Return Scheme activities, and whether it will provide a brea…

Answer · Lorna Slater: A final response to S6W-15363 was issued on Monday 13 March 2023.  

9 Mar 2023 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on what preparations it has made for the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme.

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09219 by Lorna Slater on 30 June 2022, whether it will provide an update on how many (a) exemption and (b) voluntary return point applications have been processed by Zero Waste Scotland to date.

Answer · Lorna Slater: I refer the member to the answer to S6W-15736 on 23 March 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/written…

8 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to ensure that SEPA issues no new waste management licences for incineration until work has been completed to develop an indicative cap on residual waste treatment capacity, as outlined in recommendation 5 of the report, Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury? Independent Review o…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The independent review of the role of incineration in Scotland’s waste hierarchy made it clear that Scotland does not need additional municipal waste incineration facilities to treat our unavoidable and unrecyclable municipal residual waste, beyond those for …

6 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether retailers will be reimbursed for any deposits paid on Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) articles that are recalled for non-DRS reasons, and, if so, how.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Where there is a product recall, we would expect current procedures to apply with the product being recovered intact to the producer who would manage the destruction as production waste or recycling. Deposits and product costs would be reimbursed by the prod…

6 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Deposit Return Scheme, how many applications for return point exemption were (a) made, (b) approved and (c) rejected since applications opened, broken down by month. 

Answer · Lorna Slater: The following table shows the number of exemptions and voluntary return point applications, broken down by month, as of 16 March 2023.  Feb-22 Mar-22 Apr-22 May-22 Jun-22 Jul-22 Aug-22 Sept-22 Oct-22 Nov-22 Dec-22 Jan-23 Feb-23 Mar-23 Totals P…

6 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to identify how older and disabled people who are unable to access physical return points will be protected during the phase-in period of an online takeback service for the Deposit Return Scheme.

Answer · Lorna Slater: We have proposed to bring forward amendments to the Deposit Return Scheme regulations so that only the largest grocery retailers will initially be obliged to provide an online takeback service and all other businesses will be exempt.- Further work will be und…

6 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Deposit Return Scheme, whether any producers that have registered after 1 March 2023 have been registered in accordance with regulations.

Answer · Lorna Slater: As set out in the Deposit Return Scheme Regulations, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) will publish a register of all producers who are registered ahead of the scheme launching.  

6 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether retailers will be required to charge a deposit on any Deposit Return Scheme articles donated to charities.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Any consumer that returns a scheme article is eligible for the deposit to be refunded. This means that the deposit forms part of the consideration for a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) article donated to charity. It is for the donor to consider whether they wis…

6 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to build resilience in Scotland's internationally important seabird populations, in light of the impact that the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak had on seabird colonies in summer 2022, and whether it will provide an update on the development of t…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Scotland’s seabird populations are an important part of our natural heritage and their protection is a high priority for the Scottish Government. We recognise that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has had a substantial impact on wild birds and comes at a ti…

3 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason SEPA has reportedly changed its plan to publish a register of producers that are registered to market and sell Deposit Return Scheme articles, from after registration closed in March 2023 to before the scheme launches in August 2023.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Section 8(5) of The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 sets out that SEPA must publish and maintain a list of registered producers in such manner as it considers appropriate. The Regulations do not specify a date or deadline by which tha…

3 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the drinks producers that have registered for the Deposit Return Scheme.

Answer · Lorna Slater: As set out in Section 8 of The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 , SEPA will publish a register of all producers who are registered ahead of the scheme launching.

1 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the award announcements will be made for Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Textiles Fund.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Zero Waste Scotland are currently working with businesses from the initial round of applications and an announcement on the outcome will be made in due course.

27 Feb 2023 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the Deposit Return Scheme will launch.

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the process used to set up and install Circularity Scotland as scheme administrator for the Deposit Return Scheme.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government released information regarding Circularity Scotland’s application to Scottish Ministers to become a scheme administrator for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme, in response to an information request under the Environmental Information (S…

23 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the public funds used by (a) it and (b) its agencies, in each of the last 12 months, to support (i) Circularity Scotland and (ii) Deposit Return Scheme-related activities.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Previous requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 have provided information on the costs associated with the creation of the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland and are published on …

22 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its communication with drinks suppliers outside of Scotland to inform them of the Deposit Return Scheme, and which companies it has informed of the scheme in each of the last 12 months, also broken down by country or region.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Drinks importers that buy products from supplier outside of Scotland have the same requirement as drinks producers to register with the Scottish Deposit Return Scheme to meet their legal obligations. Circularity Scotland as the scheme administrator is rightfu…

21 Feb 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statement by the Scottish Contemporary Art Network that the Culture Budget for 2023-24 “will dramatically weaken cultural provision for audiences in communities across Scotland, and place jobs and fair work for culture sector workers at risk”.

17 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Deposit Return Scheme, how many (a) return points have been registered and (b) reverse vending machines have been ordered by public bodies that operate any (i) retail and (ii) café premises, to date, broken down by each relevant public body.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. All return point operators – including public bodies – should register with the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd , in order for their logistics partner, Biffa, to organise an appropriate co…

17 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any material recycled through the Deposit Return Scheme will be attributed to the overall recycling performance of the local authority area in which it was captured.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The implementation of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will boost household recycling rates across Scotland. The Official Statistics for household waste which report against the national household waste recycling targets will include DRS materials onc…

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when NatureScot plans to publish a progress report in relation to each of the 92 recommendations that were accepted by the Scottish Government of the Deer Working Group’s report, The Management of Wild Deer in Scotland.

Answer · Lorna Slater: We will publish an update on each of the accepted Deer Working Group recommendations, alongside minutes from the December meeting of the Deer Management Strategic Board shortly. This will be available, alongside minutes of previous meetings, on the Board’s we…