Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including the number of stone falls that have occurred at Historic Environment Scotland sites, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.

There is no set criteria on maximum travel time or distance. All retailers will be required to be a return point operator unless they are granted an exemption. The choice of whether to operate a reverse vending machine, or alternatively to operate a manual takeback service, is a commercial decision for individual retailers.

Scottish Ministers may grant an exemption from acting as a return point if they consider that there is an alternative return point located within reasonable proximity to the premises, and the operator of that return point has agreed to accept the return by consumers of items of scheme packaging on behalf of the retailer, and they consider that, if the exemption is granted, this will still provide consumers with reasonable access to a return point. The Scottish Government’s exemption application guidance states that a reasonably accessible distance is generally considered to be approximately 400 metres from an alternative return point.

We listened closely to small retailers in designing Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Under the DRS Regulations, return-point operators including small retailers will be able to claim a reasonable handling fee from the DRS scheme administrator for each container returned. This fee must cover costs including the rental value of space used to collect or store scheme packaging and will ensure small retailers are not out of pocket for operating a return point.

Retailers will also be able to refuse returns where the quantity of material is disproportionately greater than the volume of containers they would usually sell as part of a single transaction.

We are confident that these protections will ensure that small retailers can successfully operate a return point.

The DRS Regulations also allow a retailer to apply to the Scottish Ministers for an exemption from the obligation to operate a return point should they meet certain criteria. On 3 November 2022 updated guidance was released which makes this process clearer, easier and quicker for retailers wishing to apply.

I meet regularly with industry stakeholders, including trade associations, businesses and the scheme administrator, on the forthcoming deposit return scheme. This will continue whilst we prepare for go-live in August 2023.

The gas and electric used for the swimming pool at Victoria Quay is not sub-metered. The figures in the following table are estimates based on assumed operating times.

The costs reflect that the heating was turned off to the pool in April 2020 and has remained off since . Pumps have remained operational to maintain water quality, and the structural integrity of the pool . The operating times for the ventilation to the pool space have been reduced, this is reflected in the reduced electrical load.

The costs in 2019-20 are lower as a result of the pool being closed for refurbishment between June and August 2019.

The Scottish Government Graduate Development Programme is recruited bi-annually. Our last recruitment onto the programme was in 2021 meaning we were not scheduled to recruit in 2022. Our next intake for the programme will be in 2023.

Local Authorities and other public bodies who operate return points will need to decide on a case by case basis whether or not to purchase Reverse Vending Machines. The Scheme Administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd, can provide advice on this matter.

The Scottish Government does not currently have the information you have requested as we do not link the visa routes and homelessness status of displaced individuals from Ukraine.

However, the Scottish Government has agreed with Local Authorities to amend the homelessness data collection to record Ukrainian Displaced People applying for support after presenting as homeless, though this will take some time before these changes are fully implemented.

The Scottish Government regularly publish data summarising the latest Scotland-level information on people displaced by the war in Ukraine coming to Scotland through the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme visa schemes on our website: Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics - December 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Modelling by Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) projects that 29 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities will incur a net financial benefit from the implementation of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Local authorities are also expected to benefit from a reduction in the impact of litter, and from efficiencies to collection services following the implementation of DRS.

ZWS it is engaging with individual local authorities, in particular the three currently projected not to make savings, to assess the impacts of DRS on them and look at options for service improvements.

These calculations are based on commercially sensitive data provided in confidence to ZWS by local authorities. We will therefore not publicly identify the three local authorities that stand to incur a net cost.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of all farmed animals very seriously. The UK Animal Welfare Committee is currently considering the welfare of farmed fish at slaughter and we will explore the need for any changes to current practice or legislation once the committee publishes its findings.