Maurice Golden

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are planned to (a) remove tree tubes and (b) manage the trees used in the tree planting schemes along the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: (a) To date approximately 5-10% of tree tubes/guards have been removed where plants have established quickly due to local conditions. For the majority of the site, tree establishment has been slower, which is common for exposed roadside locations. It is antic…

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how often NatureScot has used its full enforcement powers, in light of the direction from the Scottish Ministers in 2017 that the then Scottish Natural Heritage “take a tougher approach to dealing with non-cooperative landowners, using the full range of enforcement powers at its disposal…

Answer · Lorna Slater: NatureScot has a range of legislative powers available to them under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996. A summary of how NatureScot has used those powers since 2017 has been provided in the following table: Section of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 Description Ex…

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration was given to ensuring market competition in relation to waste collection services for the Deposit Return Scheme, and whether it has raised any concerns with Circularity Scotland regarding the potential impact on competition arising from the appointment of a single wast…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Circularity Scotland (CSL) are a private non-profit organisation and are therefore not subject to public procurement requirements. An extensive tender process was carried out by Circularity Scotland over a period of around 12 months before appointing a waste …

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details, including a list of attendees, of any discussions that it was involved in, or facilitated between producers and retailers, to (a) approve Circularity Scotland as the Deposit Return Scheme administrator and (b) confer any exclusive rights on Circularity Sc…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Circularity Scotland submitted an application to Scottish Ministers for approval to become a scheme administrator. Drinks producers, wholesalers and retailers across Scotland collaborated to create Circularity Scotland and support its application to become a …

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was consulted on any implications for competition in the waste collection market arising from the Deposit Return Scheme, including the appointment of a single waste collection provider under the scheme, and whether the CMA has (a) raise…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Circularity Scotland are a private non-profit organisation and therefore decisions regarding their contracts are for them – this is entirely appropriate for a scheme that has industry responsibility at its heart. The Scottish Government does not hold informat…

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details, including copies of any correspondence, regarding any concerns and objections received in connection with the potential impact on competition in the collection services market arising from the Deposit Return Scheme.

Answer · Lorna Slater: In 2018, the Scottish Government undertook a public consultation to explore options for establishing a deposit return scheme in Scotland, to which 16 recycling and waste management organisations submitted representations. An analysis of these consultation res…

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it and any other contracting authority, such as SEPA, has imposed contractual obligations on Circularity Scotland to (a) publicly procure and (b) seek best value in relation to supply chain procurement processes.

Answer · Lorna Slater: As stipulated under the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020, Circularity Scotland (CSL) is a private non-profit organisation and is not subject to the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. As such, no contractual obligations can be…

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any subsidy control matters have been considered in respect of the appointment of Circularity Scotland and its supply chain.

Answer · Lorna Slater: As set out in Section 14 and Section 15 of The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020, submitted applications with regards to the appointment of scheme administrators are reviewed and decisions made by Scottish Ministers. The Regulations …

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the services that Circularity Scotland will provide (a) directly and (b) indirectly through its supply chain to the Scottish Government and other contracting authorities, such as SEPA.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Circularity Scotland (CSL), as a private non-profit organisation and scheme administrator for DRS, represents and provides services to its members including Scotland’s largest drinks producers, importers, wholesalers and retailers. This is entirely appropriat…

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any exclusive rights have been conferred on Circularity Scotland in relation to the collection of deposit return materials from (a) public and (b) private sector sites.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Regulations state that any return point operator must retain scheme packaging for collection by, or on behalf of, a producer or a scheme administrator. Circularity Scotland Limited (CSL) were approved as a scheme administrator…

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Circularity Scotland is subject to the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, and whether it is required to openly tender above threshold procurement opportunities.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Circularity Scotland (CSL) is a private non-profit organisation and as such is not subject to the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.  

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of the procurement procedure used by Circularity Scotland in appointing Biffa as the official waste collection and logistics service provider, and what information it holds on how this contract opportunity was advertised.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Circularity Scotland (CSL) are a private non-profit organisation and are therefore not subject to public procurement requirements. Decisions regarding their contracts are for them – this is entirely appropriate for a scheme that has industry responsibility at…

11 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements it has in place for the collection of its waste under the Deposit Return Scheme, and whether it will provide details of how any such collection service was procured.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government has a number of retail operations such as staff canteens that sell drinks containers and therefore, like other organisations, is working with Circularity Scotland Limited (CSL) to prepare for the launch of Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) i…

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made to develop the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonisation (INTOG).

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Initial Plan Framework for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas decarbonisation (INTOG) was published on 22 February 2022 and set the parameters used by Crown Estate Scotland to shape their leasing process. Following the closure of the INTOG lease applic…

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when Crown Estate Scotland will announce the outcome of the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round for offshore wind projects.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Crown Estate Scotland anticipate announcing the offer of Exclusivity Agreements to successful applicants for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas decarbonisation (INTOG) offshore wind projects in Spring 2023.

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has begun any legislative consent process to consider whether the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill could be extended to Scotland, and, if it is the case that it has not, what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government supports the intention behind this Bill, and the improvements in animal welfare it hopes to achieve. Scottish Ministers would have liked to have given their full support to these measures as part of the now fallen UK Animals Abroad Bil…

7 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14359 by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023, what evidence it used to assert that "there are many companies providing these services in Scotland", in light of its statement that it has not carried out an assessment.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Deposit Return Schemes operate in 44 territories and many companies have developed Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) for use with these schemes. The Scottish Government and other organisations engaged with other countries operating deposit return schemes thro…

7 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14359 by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown of any actions that it has taken to ensure that manufacturing work to construct reverse vending machines for the Deposit Return Scheme is completed by Scottish companies.

Answer · Lorna Slater: In line with the ‘polluter pays’ principle, and just like similar schemes around the world, Scotland’s deposit return scheme is being delivered and funded by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland. It is therefore the responsibility o…

7 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14359 by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023, which states that the "Deposit Return Scheme is an industry-led scheme, delivered by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd”, whether it is the case that industry can change the …

Answer · Lorna Slater: The launch date for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme is set in the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020. This can only be changed by amending Regulations approved by the Scottish Parliament.

4 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many producers have registered for the Deposit Return Scheme, broken down by (a) large companies and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government does not have access to this information at this time. As set out in the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency will produce and maintain a list of registered producers prior…

31 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage the sale of clothes free from fossil fuel-derived fibres, and what information it has regarding the quantity of such clothing that has been sold in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Retail has an essential role to play if we are to deliver on our ambitious targets to reach net zero by 2045, which is why the Retail Strategy’s Delivery Plan contains a commitment to develop a Just Transition Plan for retail that includes an action to promot…

31 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what process local authorities will be required to follow to redeem deposits from containers entering the kerbside collection system rather than returned through the deposit return scheme.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The DRS Regulations require that from 2025 at least 90% of scheme articles are to be collected through the scheme, therefore the amount of bottles and cans collected by local authorities is likely to be very low. Local authorities will have flexibility to de…

25 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether materials captured through the proposed Deposit Return Scheme will be retained for use in Scotland once having been recycled, and, if this is not the case, how such recycled material will be used.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Deposit Return Scheme is an industry-led scheme, delivered by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd. Decisions use of materials retained following recycling will be for Circularity Scotland Ltd and industry to take forward. …

25 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what capacity to construct reverse vending machines it has identified in Scotland.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Deposit Return Scheme is an industry-led scheme, delivered by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd. The Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations were laid in 2020 and businesses have now had three years to prepare for …

24 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13582 by Lorna Slater on 18 January 2023, whether it will provide details of any preceding assessment of material switching.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The impact of material switching is outlined in Section 7 of the Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) which was published on 22 December 2021. You can access the document here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/deposit-return-scheme-scotlan…

24 Jan 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being considered to tackle crime involving pets.

10 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which sources are informing its evaluation of minimum unit pricing in Scotland.

Answer · Maree Todd: We are currently in the process of evaluating minimum unit pricing (MUP) as a whole over its first five years of operation. Public Health Scotland will be producing a final report on MUP in 2023, which includes assessing the impact of MUP on health, crime, pu…

10 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to report to the Parliament on its evaluation of minimum unit pricing in summer 2023.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government’s final report on the evaluation of Minimum Unit Pricing will be published in late summer 2023 after Public Health Scotland’s report is published.

10 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects Public Health Scotland to publish its final report on minimum unit pricing.

Answer · Maree Todd: Public Health Scotland will publish their final report on Minimum Unit Pricing in summer 2023.

10 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Zero Waste Scotland has published two different material footprint estimates for Scotland in the Scottish Material Flow Accounts and the The Circularity Gap Report Scotland, which estimate Scotland’s material footprint to be 19.3 tonnes per capita and 21.7 tonnes per capi…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Zero Waste Scotland commissions updates to the Scottish Material Flow Accounts to allow for a consistent time-series analysis from the data; these updates provide consolidated data for a variety of stakeholders such as academic and third-sector organisations.…