Chamber and committees

In January 2024, Scottish Government published our draft Circular Economy & Waste Route Map which sets out a range of priority actions to deliver sustainable use of our resources and progress a circular economy in Scotland by 2030, including measures to drive responsible consumption, production and re-use.

As part of this wider work, the Scottish Government is committed to matching or exceeding the standards set out by the EU Directive on single-use plastics where we are able to do so and in a manner that contributes towards maintaining and advancing standards.

From 1 June 2022 Scotland became the first part of the UK to implement a ban on some of the most problematic single-use plastic products through the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. In addition, the Scottish Government has committed to introduce a minimum charge on single-use disposable beverage cups, ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes by 1 April 2025 and ban wet wipes containing plastic.

The Scottish Government is taking action to prevent and support the removal of plastic pollution in seas and waterways through measures detailed in the Marine Litter Strategy and the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy.

The refreshed Marine Litter Strategy aims to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, as well as to help tackle existing litter, in order to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. The Strategy’s action plan focuses on the most problematic types of marine litter including fishing and aquaculture gear, sewage-related debris, and plastic pellets, and will drive forward our work up to 2027 co-ordinating the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help tackle this global problem.

The Marine Litter Strategy covers a wide range of actions. We are working with the UK Government and Devolved Governments to put an end to pollution caused by wet wipes containing plastic, and we announced our intention to ban the sale and supply of these items on 22 April 2024, with legislation to be in force by mid-2026. We are also working to improve the management of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy. In addition, we are developing international solutions to prevent plastic pellet pollution, which can be found on our beaches and risk the health of our marine wildlife.

Litter has to be tackled from source, and in June 2023 we published a new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy for Scotland, which includes litter which may be washed from the land into waterways and the sea. This six-year Strategy aims to prevent litter and flytipping through influencing behaviour, improving the delivery of services, and strengthening enforcement. Published with an accompanying action plan, it sets out how we will achieve our vision of a Scotland not blighted by litter and flytipping.

The National Litter and Flytipping Strategy includes a variety of preventative measures. Fixed penalty notices for flytipping offences have been increased from £200 to £500 as of 1 January 2024. This is intended to act as a deterrent to flytipping and is one of the key actions for Scottish Government in the Strategy’s Year One Action Plan. In addition to fixed penalty notices, flytippers can also be issued a civil penalty by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). These include fixed monetary penalties of £600, and variable monetary penalties up to £40,000.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27146 on 16 May 2024. 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-questions-and-answers

The Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry commenced evidentiary hearings on 10 May 2022. As of 2 May 2024, 102 days of evidence have been heard by Lord Bracadale including detailed evidence on the events at Hayfield Road on 3 May 2015; post-incident management by Police Scotland, COPFS and PIRC; cause of death; and Police Scotland training. The Inquiry will hear evidence on race, and whether it was a factor in Mr Bayoh’s death, in June 2024.

As the Public Inquiry is independent of Ministers, it is for the Chair to direct how the Inquiry carries out its duties. Lord Bracadale has previously confirmed that he anticipates that all the remaining evidence should be completed by the end of the year and a final report will be prepared and produced once all evidence has been heard and reviewed.

This called-in case is still under consideration and a decision will issue as soon as possible. A response on the project is expected to issue by 29 May.

As outlined, the Scottish Government will develop a Just Transition Plan for the Mossmorran industrial complex following delivery of the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan. Work will commence in early 2025 and as such, detailed timetable is not yet available, however we would anticipate taking a sequential approach, working to develop data driven baseline, an outline vision for 2045, a corresponding action plan and monitoring framework. The Scottish Government intends to publish the Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran by the end of the parliament.

The Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) report sets out the ratio of total revenue to GDP for Scotland, which in 2022-23 was 41.1%. This presentation is consistent with the UK Public Sector Finances. The latest GERS publication is available at:

Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland 2022-23 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government notes the decision from NatWest Group to close 18 Royal Bank of Scotland branches this year which continues a trend seen across the banking sector. Scottish Ministers are fully aware of the negative impact this will have on affected communities – particularly for small businesses and vulnerable or digitally excluded consumers given the challenges they can face in accessing alternative banking services.

The regulation of financial services is reserved to the UK Government and they recently legislated through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 to grant the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) greater powers to protect access to cash across the UK. The FCA launched a consultation on a proposed new regulatory framework for access to cash which the Scottish Government formally responded to earlier this year. I will be meeting with Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive of the FCA, on 26 June to continue the dialogue begun by my colleague, Neil Gray, to further consider their proposed access to cash plans and ensure the cash access and banking requirements of Scotland’s communities are articulated, understood and addressed.

The Scottish Government have also sought to engage directly with the banking sector in Scotland on the future of the in-person cash and banking services they provide. Through this engagement we have agreement in-principle from several of the major banks in Scotland to attend a Scottish Government hosted cross-party roundtable on access to cash and banking services. This will take place on 4 June and we have now issued invites to all political parties and stakeholders across the Scottish financial services sector. I am confident that this will provide a constructive forum between the Scottish Government, elected representatives and the financial services sector to fully understand the impacts of a declining branch network on Scottish communities, and find collaborative ways to ensure there are long-term sustainable solutions to protect access to cash and physical banking services.

The deadline for nominations from communities and organisations that would like their area to be considered for designation as a new National Park was 29 February 2024. Nominations were received from the Galloway, Lochaber, Loch Awe, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest. The nominations are currently being appraised against the criteria outlined in the published appraisal framework - New National Parks: nominations guidance and appraisal framework - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . This appraisal framework was finalised following public consultation.

Following the completion of this appraisal process and the submission of a report, Ministers will decide which of the nominations should be taken forward to the next stage. The National Park proposal(s) will be published and will set out the area which it is proposed should be designated as a National Park.

A statutory process will then commence, starting with a detailed exploration of the National Park proposal that will be led by a ‘reporter’. This process is estimated to take around 9 months and will involve extensive consultation and engagement with local communities, stakeholders, businesses, local authorities, community councils and relevant public bodies and interest groups in order to further develop, test and refine the National Park proposal in light of local views and circumstances.

The reporter’s report to Scottish Ministers will take into account any views on the National Park proposal that are expressed during the consultation. The report will be published and laid before Parliament.

Following the publication of this report, and subject to legal conditions being met, the Scottish Government will then lay a designation order before Parliament in order to establish the new National Park(s). This process will include a 12-week public consultation on the draft designation order. Following this period of consultation a final designation order would then be laid before parliament.

There are no plans to produce estimates of Scottish public sector net debt. The Scottish Government has limited borrowing powers, and borrowing by the UK Government is not identified to any country or region in the UK. As such it is not possible to calculate estimates of Scottish public sector net debt in the same way as other countries do.