Zero Waste Scotland reviewed existing legislation in Europe and beyond and the duty it places on governments to publish circular economy or similar strategies, which is available at the following link Insights into Statutory Obligations of Circular Economy Strategies (zerowastescotland.org.uk) . The review concluded that ‘it would be beneficial to keep obligations for the strategy as broad as possible, with detail to follow as data and evaluation are gathered and released, as this would help Scotland keep pace with new developments.’

Our 2023-24 Programme for Government outlines our commitment to publish a final Circular Economy and Waste Route Map. Before this, a second Route Map consultation will be published later this year, which will inform any new circular economy strategy.

Preliminary work so far has focused on identifying and considering targets in other countries and initial proposals for a circular economy indicators framework. Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) has published:

- a review of target setting legislation across Europe Target Setting Legislation A review of UK legislation and statutory Circular Economy targets across Europe;

- a report which highlighted that there is currently no consistent approach to measuring consumption in other countries and that consumption-based targets are rare Consumption Reduction Targets (Legal Status Research) | Zero Waste Scotland ; and

- ZWS has also published initial research on proposals for a circular economy indicators framework in Scotland Proposals for a Circular Economy Indicators Framework for Scotland.

Professor Britton’s 2018 Investigative Review gave 46 recommendations regarding the process of establishing, managing and supporting Independent Reviews in Scotland.

We accepted and agreed with the vast majority of her conclusions and recommendations. The recommendations have already been reflected in a number of inquiries and reviews established in recent years. We are also developing guidance to support inquires and reviews that will build upon Professor Britton’s recommendations and hope to publish that soon. The Scottish Government is also working on a handbook that will clarify and enhance the support that government can offer to independent inquiries.

This work has been fully informed and benefited from Professor Britton’s work and recommendations. All reviews and inquiries in recent years have also benefitted from Professor Britton’s work.

The NatureScot licensing team will prioritise applications for practitioners to use more than two dogs as a means of controlling predators for preventing serious damage, and where there is a high risk of imminent damage, applications can be turned around within 48 hours.

Zero Waste Scotland last provided advice on textiles to the Scottish Government in August 2023.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with relevant stakeholders. Their work and input to our policies is valued greatly. We have met the Marine Conservation Society, and Surfers Against Sewage several times in the last two years. We have met them to discuss a wide range of topics including single-use plastics, the Circular Economy Bill, our Marine Litter Strategy and Aquaculture policy.

Questions of compensation in respect of a necessary wayleave will not be addressed by the Reporter when making a recommendation on whether a necessary wayleave should be granted. Although, issues which relate to the impact on the use or enjoyment of the land which may subsequently be the subject of a claim for compensation may be considered by the Reporter.

The Scottish Ministers have no power under Schedule 4 to the 1989 Electricity Act to prescribe financial conditions in any necessary wayleave case or to resolve disputes on the level of compensation. Compensation will fall to be settled by agreement between the parties or, failing agreement, by the Lands Tribunal for Scotland at the request of either party.

Government officials will continue to engage with stakeholders to ascertain the current backlog in repairs and maintenance across the sector.

The Scottish Government has provided strategically targeted additional funding of £500k in capital funding to Museums Galleries Scotland for the sector in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. This is being distributed as capital resilience funding to help with essential repairs and maintenance across the sector.

Scottish Forestry follows the published Woodland Creation Application Guidance process when dealing with forestry agents and applicants. In line with this process, Scottish Forestry has held pre-application discussions with Scottish Woodlands in relation to proposals in the Canonbie/Langholm area. These discussions have been focused on identifying and addressing potential environmental sensitivities that will need to be taken into account as the woodland designs are being developed.

Since 2016, across all planned projects in this area, 4522 ha of initial new planting proposals have been discussed in principle.

The Scottish Government’s policy and approach regarding woodland planting on agricultural land is based on the findings and recommendations of the Woodland Expansion Advisory Group, which were accepted by Ministers in 2013.

This policy is reflected in published “Guidance about Woodland Creation on Agricultural Land”. This guidance applies to applications to the Forestry Grant Scheme and is published on the Woodland Creation pages of the rural payments website under “Further information and technical guidance”.

30,995 hectares of land with a capability for agriculture classification (LCA) 2-7 has been converted to commercial forestry in the last five years (there is no classification 1 land in Scotland). The breakdown by year was as follows: