Maurice Golden

3 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of businesses recruited to the Scottish Circular Economy Business Network.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: 97 businesses have been assisted through the Scottish Circular Economy Business Network, providing opportunities to improve business profitability, jobs and environmental outcomes.

3 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people from workless households in each local authority area have been helped into employment over the last year through its programmes.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Since 2018, we have been reforming our offer with regard to employability services, with the introduction of Fair Start Scotland using newly delegated powers, and the development of our No One Left Behind agenda. No One Left Behind was developed to improve em…

25 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to varying landfill tax rates and bands during the extended period before a biodegradable municipal waste to landfill ban.

24 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27341 by John Swinney on 24 February 2020, whether it will confirm which schools, and where they are located.

Answer · John Swinney: The schools and their locations are listed below: Scotland Acharacle Primary School, Highland EnglandBushbury Primary School, WolverhamptonWilkinson Primary School, WolverhamptonHarris Academy, Sutton WalesBurry Port Primary School, CarmarthenshireYsgol Go…

24 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27295 by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 February 2020, what assurance it has given councils that they will not be financially disadvantaged by any potential impact of the deposit return scheme (DRS) on waste management contracts.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: As set out in the answer to S5W-27293 on 20 February 2020, Zero Waste Scotland has been working closely with local authorities to assess the likely impacts of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in more detail and we intend to share a summary of that work …

24 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27295 by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 February 2020, which councils have enquired about financial support for renegotiating waste management contracts.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We have not received any enquiries from councils about financial support for renegotiating waste-management contracts as of 28 February 2020.

19 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial or technical support will be provided to businesses to adapt premises to handle potential contaminants from deposit return scheme (DRS) materials, while maintaining statutory compliance with food hygiene regulations.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We recognise that retailers, particularly those who prepare food on their premises, will need to put in place controls in order to avoid risks around food safety and related issues arising from their obligation to operate a return point under Scotland’s Depos…

19 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what provision will be made to provide exceptions from the deposit return scheme (DRS) for premises that must adhere to statutory food hygiene regulations.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The draft Deposit Return Scheme Regulations, published on 10 September 2019, allow the Scottish Ministers to exempt a retailer from the obligation to operate a return point where:  An alternative return point located within reasonable proximity has agreed to …

14 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing regulations to ban the use of electronic training aids that emit electric shocks from being used to train dogs.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government Guidance on Dog Training Aids, issued in October 2018, provides important advice on all aversive training techniques, including static pulse collars, for both dog owners and those enforcing the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act …

14 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will report on its review of dog training guidance permitting the use of electronic training aids, including remote control electronic shock collars.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: In order to provide data for the review on 21 November 2019 the Scottish Government issued a targeted survey to enforcement authorities and other key stakeholders. The window for responses closed on 21 February 2020. Analysis of those responses is currently o…

6 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what projections it has made of the potential differential over the next three years between funding provided to local authorities for new-build schools and revenue clawback where facilities do not meet energy efficiency outcomes.

Answer · John Swinney: Under the Learning Estate Investment Programme, the Scottish Government and COSLA have jointly agreed a funding model that will include a focus on energy efficiency outcomes. Precise details are being finalised. Due to the development and construction timesc…

6 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much weighting will be given to (a) design and construction and (b) post-construction activity when assessing energy efficiency outcomes for new-build schools.

Answer · John Swinney: The energy outcome target under the Learning Estate Investment Programme is intended to be a measure of actual in-use energy consumption.

6 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools (a) have been built in the last five years and (b) are planned for construction in the next five years that have an energy efficiency rating of 67kwh per square metre or better.

Answer · John Swinney: There are currently 7 completed schools in the UK which have adopted this target or lower. All 11 projects within phase 1 of the new £1 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme have the outcome target of 67 kwh/m2/annum.  

6 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a tapered model of funding reduction for local authorities where new-build schools do not meet energy efficiency outcomes.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has set up a working group, with membership from COSLA and local authority Directors of Finance and Directors of Education, to consider how energy targets may be best achieved. The working group will give consideration to a tapered mod…

5 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27056 by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 January 2020, what other product groups are being considered for potential extended producer responsibility schemes with the UK Government.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is working with the other UK administrations to scope the potential for additional schemes for textiles, bulky waste including mattresses, certain construction materials, tyres and fishing gear. Any proposals that come forward would ne…

4 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it will provide to local authorities that need to renegotiate resource management contracts as a result of the introduction of its deposit return scheme.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We recognise that some local authorities may need to adjust their waste collection services once Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is in place. We will continue to work with local authorities to support them in this process, including through the ongoing…

4 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the (a) risks and impacts and (b) costs and benefits for each local authority in advance of the introduction of its deposit return scheme.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Local authorities are likely to see significant benefits from Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) as set out in the DRS Full Business Case Stage 1, published on 8 May 2019. Zero Waste Scotland has been working closely with local authorities to assess the l…

4 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update the baseline data on recycling in advance of introducing its deposit return scheme.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Full Business Case Stage 1 for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), published on 8 May 2019, drew on the best available evidence to assess the potential impact of DRS on recycling rates. The Environment, Climate Change, and Land Reform Committee has as…

21 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding supporting the provision of mattress recycling capacity.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Zero Waste Scotland is working with the National Bed Federation on a three-year research project to increase mattress recycling and encourage more sustainable design. This will include bringing forward proposals for a producer responsibility system that will …

7 Nov 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Forestry Commission’s new Woodland Carbon Guarantee is a model that it would consider for use in Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Woodland Carbon Guarantee has been designed to help address the relatively high costs of woodland creation in many parts of England, which have been identified as a significant barrier to the achievement of England’s planting targets. These costs are not …

7 Nov 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide long-term certainty for land managers who wish to invest in carbon sequestration through new tree planting.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Woodland Carbon Code, launched in 2011 and managed by Scottish Forestry, provides long-term assurance for land managers and investors involved in tree planting for carbon sequestration. The Code is an important mechanism to attract private finance into wo…

7 Nov 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its target of 60% of household waste to be recycled or composted and prepared for re-use by 2020 will be met.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We have been making progress over recent years on meeting the target however the current household recycling rate figures indicate that there is more to do to ensure we achieve it. We have set out an ambitious programme to go further in increasing recycling …

6 Nov 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25598 by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 October 2019, what output is expected from (a) "Securing re-processing capacity and determining the impact on existing infrastructure", of which £180,000 was due to be spent and (b) "Communications", of which £605,…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Outputs from the workstream “Securing re-processing capacity and determining the impact on existing infrastructure” include:Analysis of the impact of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) on individual local authority recycling collections services and infrastructu…

6 Nov 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the review of Scotland's First National Litter Strategy, Towards a Litter Free Scotland, will be published, and how much the review will cost.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is committed to reducing littering and delivering against the National Litter Strategy. In 2018, we published the updated Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (CoPLAR) and we will bringing forward legislation for a new penalty regime …

9 Oct 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that SEPA widens public access to datasets covering flooding and contaminated land risk.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Local Authorities are the lead enforcing authority for contaminated land and are responsible for making information on contaminated land in their area publically accessible via public registers. Flood Map data made available by The Scottish Environment Prote…

1 Oct 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25327 by Roseanna Cunningham on 27 September 2019, how it plans to allocate the £1.2 million remaining from the Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme in the 2018-19 budget line.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme is a multi-year intervention that is expected to run until the end of 2022. Any unspent funding will be allocated in future phases of the programme to grant applicants, to act as a catalyst for in…

1 Oct 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25326 by Roseanna Cunningham on 27 September 2019, whether it will provide a breakdown of the £1.8 million spent by Zero Waste Scotland on programme delivery for the deposit return scheme.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The following table sets out a breakdown of the £1.8 million programme planned expenditure relating to the Deposit Return Scheme.     Budget Line 2019-20 Budget £000s Communications 605 Operations 835 Securing re-processing capacity and determining …

25 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take to raise public awareness of the landfill ban on biodegradable waste.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has written to a wide range of stakeholders to make them aware of the position. The general public have an important role to play in reducing the amount of materials they throw into their residual waste. They can do this by using less…

25 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25254 by Roseanna Cunningham on 24 September 2019, whether glass collected via its proposed deposit return system could be recycled outwith Scotland.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It will be for the producers with responsibility for delivering the deposit return scheme (DRS), through any scheme administrator, to determine the best approach to recycling materials collected through the scheme. We are committed to working with industry to…

25 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities will receive technical support to manage kerbside collections as a result of the introduction of a deposit return system.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting local authority collection arrangements for a range of packaging materials alongside the deposit return scheme (DRS). Zero Waste Scotland is working with local authorities individually to explore the imp…