Chamber and committees

Okay, so that is how the initial teacher education programme intake is determined—I get that. Is there capacity in ITE courses to meet the Government target?

It is, and I see that wideness as quite a challenge. We have taken evidence on that previously because the bill covers mental health as well and different conditions that can change at different points in a person’s life. The age group between 16 and 25 or 26 touches on different things at different points, so it is about how you identify that and ensure consistency, but I am sure that you are well aware of that.

My last point is about the challenge to local authorities.

Sure.

The witnesses might find that my colleagues have already touched on some of the areas that I will ask about, but I will drill down a little bit further. I am interested in whether the bill is required to create better outcomes. Will it have the impact that it is trying to achieve? The witnesses have already mentioned a load of good practice that is required. They also mentioned relationships. Can we legislate for cultural change and good leadership? Those are also part of having good transitions and supporting our young children.

You cannot say “planning”, because that has already been done.

That takes me nicely on to the challenge of identification. People who work with our young people are obviously very good at picking that up—but not always. We have considered that, if children and young people do not self-identify because they are afraid of stigma, or for whatever reason, the compulsion is on local authorities to do so. They are told, “There are kids there, and you are not taking care of them,” but how do you identify them? That is a concern.

Scotland is introducing a deposit return scheme that, by definition, applies the polluter-pays principle, which means that people are economically incentivised to recycle rather than to waste. When someone buys a drink in a single-use container, they will pay a 20p deposit, which they will get back when they return their empty bottle or can. I remember doing that in the past with my wee ginger bottles.

The scheme will help to tackle climate change, increase the quantity and quality of materials that are collected for recycling and decrease the amount of litter. In Europe, 10 countries—including Croatia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Norway and Sweden—have already implemented deposit return schemes, with significant positive results.

My Glasgow Kelvin constituency has the second-highest number of businesses in any constituency in Scotland, so I understand and have listened to the concerns, including those from many small shops and hospitality venues. I note that hospitality businesses that sell drinks only for consumption on the premises do not need to charge a deposit to consumers or operate as a return point.

Brexit, the pandemic and, now, the cost of living crisis have combined to make life very difficult for such businesses. I am assured that the Scottish Government recognises that and provides significant support. That includes the unique non-domestic rates package, which will continue to result in many SMEs paying no rates in the coming year and will mean that rates will be frozen for those who pay them.

It is essential that businesses can participate in the deposit return scheme with confidence. Under the scheme, retailers will be paid the highest return handling fees among comparable schemes anywhere in the world. The scheme will also deliver a cleaner environment for their customers, support their vital contribution to Glasgow’s 2030 net zero commitments and meet their customers’ aspirations for more sustainable lifestyles.

I welcome the news that Circularity Scotland has announced £22 million of funding to support measures that respond significantly to the concerns of industry. The measures include the removal of day 1 and month 1 charges for all producers, the provision of two-month credit terms, and changes that simplify and reduce the costs of branding requirements.

We must resolve any outstanding issues urgently, because we cannot afford further delay. The scheme was initially due to be introduced in April 2021, and it is estimated that the delay has so far resulted in more than 2 billion empty drinks containers that would otherwise have been recycled being discarded as litter, sent to landfill or incinerated. That represents 380,000 tonnes of entirely avoidable carbon emissions over that period.

When Scotland introduced its world-leading legislation on minimum pricing of alcohol, some big producers in the drinks industry invoked a lengthy delay, despite the cross-party support for that policy in the interest of public health. Ten years on, a report by Public Health Scotland confirms that minimum unit pricing had no economic impact on the alcoholic drinks industry in Scotland.

I trust that the Scottish Government will continue to listen and respond to the concerns from retail and industry. We must move forward with the deposit return scheme with the urgency that the climate emergency demands.

No problem at all. I will break it down. One bit was about your priorities—the things that you are looking at—and how they fit with the Scottish Government’s priorities, and whether you think that that is a good fit or that the Scottish Government could do things differently.

Regarding your committee motion, yes.

It is fine. Take your time.