Chamber and committees

The Climate Change Committee, an independent statutory body, published their report on Voluntary Carbon Markets and Offsetting in October 2022, concluding that high-integrity carbon credits purchased by businesses can play a small but important role in supporting the transition to net zero.

Establishing a values-led, high-integrity market for responsible private investment in natural capital is a commitment of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, and the Scottish Government is working to ensure that this is one of a number of measures used to achieve a just transition. In support of this, our Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital make clear that investments should create benefits that are shared between public, private and community interests.

The Scottish Government are working with COSLA through the ‘Joint Working Group on Sources of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform’ to encourage the adoption of best practice on debt collection and advice.

Additionally, the Scottish Government promotes the take-up of the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) scheme, as part of Citizens Advice Scotland's Money Talk Team service, which offers free, confidential and holistic advice – from debt advice, benefit take up and council tax reduction, to switching utility providers and reducing household energy costs.

The Cabinet Secretary for The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform announced in Parliament on 8 May 2019 that Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) would be a privately operated scheme, in line with international best practice. This approach was then approved by a parliamentary vote on 13 May 2020.

These regulations enabled any public or private organisation to apply to be approved by the Scottish Ministers as a scheme administrator.

Only Circularity Scotland has applied to be a scheme administrator. Their application was considered in line with the regulations.

Any other eligible application received will be considered by the Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government is a key partner in Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS), a partnership including the emergency services, third sector organisations and academic researchers. SALFS is responsible for the delivery of the Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Strategy 2021 to 2026 . Data on progress of the strategy is available at; Scotland’s Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Report 2019 – 2022 .

SALFS approach to increasing the number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that have a defibrillator applied before the ambulance service arrive from 8% to 20%, is to ensure that defibrillators are publicly accessible, registered and there is a data driven approach to their placement.

Work underway includes the SCOT-PAD project, to develop a tool to support organisations and communities with more evidence on the optimal location to place their defibrillator. Progress is also being made in registration of defibrillators with the number of defibrillators in communities across Scotland that are registered with the Circuit doubling since 2019 to almost 5,000.

As set out in the Scottish Government’s response to the Committee’s recommendations in September 2022, no further work has been undertaken in relation to a mapping exercise for Advice Services. Mapping a sector as complex and dynamic as the advice sector would be a lengthy, labour-intensive process and any mapping exercise would be out-of-date very soon after completion.

Scottish Government has provided funding to the Independent Food Aid Network to develop localised 'Worrying About Money?' cash first referral leaflets for every local authority area in Scotland. These resources can be used both for people facing money worries and support workers. The leaflets identify which local agencies are best placed to help people maximise income and access any existing financial entitlements.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16876 on 25 April 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

No civil servants have been redeployed as part of my appointment.

The Scottish Government have no plans to remove non-native species from the Forestry Grant Scheme. We are currently consulting on the future Forestry Grant Scheme and seeking views on increasing biodiversity outcomes. Non-native fast growing species are very efficient at locking up carbon quickly, and therefore make a valuable contribution as part of a mixed portfolio, to the Scottish government commitment to reach net zero by 2045. Support is currently in place for all types of native woodland creation and opportunities to create native woodland are maximised through the Forestry Grant Scheme.

Our Sustainable Forest Management practices, ensure all woodland types need to conform to the UK Forestry Standard, and also provide a wide range of other environmental, social and economic benefits such as flood mitigation, health, recreation and biodiversity benefits. In relation to economic benefits, non-native species are the key element of Scotland’s thriving forestry sector and timber industry which contributes over £1 billion a year to the Scottish Economy and employs over 25,000 people in rural areas. Therefore it is essential that we continue to plant the right tree in the right place to deliver multiple benefits and create resilient woodlands for future generations to enjoy.

We arrived at our current target of restoring 20,000 hectares per year of peatland based on evidence from the Scottish Government’s second report on proposals and policies (RPP2) in 2013 which highlighted that it would be technically feasible for Scotland to restore 20,000 hectares of peatland a year.

Based on this the Scottish Government subsequently established firm annual peatland restoration targets in 2018 in its Climate Change Plan: third report on proposals and policies 2018-2032 (RPP3) .

We have adopted this as a target and in 2020 set out ambitious plans to invest more than £250 million over ten years to restore at least 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030.

Previously the public were able to report flytipping via two parallel mechanisms: the Dumb Dumpers system (whereby reports could either be made online to Zero Waste Scotland, or via a telephone hotline hosted by SEPA) and to local authorities directly. From 1 April 2023, the public can continue to report incidents to the relevant local authority through local authorities’ existing mechanisms.

The change has been made in order to streamline and reduce confusion about public reporting of flytipping incidents; and to aid more accurate analysis of the scale of flytipping.

A range of evidence gathered by Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA highlighted that the previous approach was no longer fit for purpose and should be reviewed. Analysis by ZWS and SEPA has suggested that reports submitted through the Dump Dumpers system accounted for a small percentage of the total number of flytipping incidents in Scotland and the majority of incidents are reported directly to local authorities. A survey of local authorities, undertaken as part of a review of the previous litter strategy, Towards A Litter-free Scotland, highlighted a range of concerns including duplicated reports, delays and inaccurate location information.

Scottish Government’s 2022 consultation on the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy included the proposal to review the Dumb Dumpers system to ensure a fit-for-purpose mechanism for citizens to report flytipping incidents. Only 30% of respondents, and 18% of local authority respondents, supported the system’s continued use.

The recent streamlining of reporting mechanisms will not change how incidents of flytipping are investigated, which will continue to be the joint responsibility of local authorities and SEPA with local authorities handling the majority of cases.