As I stated in my response to S6W-12237 on 1 December 2022, it is for retailers (in consultation with the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd) to decide how to comply with the obligation to provide a takeback service for scheme articles sold online. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has published guidance to support retailers in complying with their obligations: https://www.sepa.org.uk/regulations/waste/deposit-return-scheme/retailers/online-retailers/

The Scottish Government has engaged with both SEPA and the Royal Environment Health Institute of Scotland regarding the food safety and hygiene aspects of the online takeback element of DRS. Waste materials and fresh food could be carried in the same vehicle as long as there is sufficient separation and a barrier to prevent contamination (both of the waste and the food). We are confident that, with reasonable steps, a retailer will be able to manage this risk.

Furthermore, retailers are permitted to contract third party businesses, such as registered waste carriers, to carry out collections on their behalf.

Further information and guidance on registering as a waste carrier is available from SEPA.

https://www.sepa.org.uk/regulations/waste/waste-carriers-and-brokers/

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 DRS Regulations allow return points to refuse returns where the number of containers is disproportionately greater than the number of containers that retailer would sell in an average single transaction. This will allow food delivery drivers to refuse such requests from customers.

With regard to the safe collection and disposal of dead wild birds suspected of having been infected with this strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), current government disease control guidance is for carcases to be left in situ.

At present there is no scientific evidence that the removal of carcases significantly reduces the risk of onward spread of the current strain of HPAI H5N1 amongst wild birds and a recent veterinary risk assessment carried out by the Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (EPIC), commissioned by the Scottish Government has supported this position.

Without such evidence, there is no animal disease control reason for the collection and disposal of wild bird carcases and, as such, no additional funds have been, or are planned to be, allocated.

It is recognised by Scottish Government that local authorities may choose, at their own discretion, to collect and dispose of dead wild birds from areas with a high public footfall, and for this reason Scottish Government has provided all local authorities in Scotland with guidance for the safe collection and disposal of dead birds. NatureScot’s guidance reflects this position.

Scottish Government, in partnership with NatureScot and the HPAI task force are currently developing a Scottish Wild Birds Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Contingency Plan for wild birds, which will set out how the Scottish Government and partners will respond to future outbreaks. This plan will include a guidance on the removal of carcases, drawing on the findings of the EPIC risk assessment .

The Scottish Government is taking a range of measures to ensure that young people understand all the available options to them. Skills Development Scotland (SDS) delivers career information, advice and guidance services in all state secondary schools throughout Scotland. The in-school services are delivered face-to-face with at least one dedicated career adviser.

SDS along with the Developing Young Workforce have been working in partnership to facilitate employer engagement within schools especially to senior phase pupils. Both parties work collaboratively to identify and support a young person’s aspirations and create work based learning opportunities to help them prepare for the next step in their journey – whether into employment, training, education or apprenticeships.

We are considering measures to address concerns that have been raised by industry, including representatives of the food delivery industry, regarding the obligation to provide a takeback service for scheme articles sold online under Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

As part of this work, the Scottish Government has engaged with a range of stakeholders, including representatives of Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats on 20 October 2022. The same organisations previously met with the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity on 6 October 2022. Representatives of the food delivery industry also attended an online takeback workshop hosted by the Scottish Government on 17 February 2022.

Empty drink containers (scheme packaging) are waste and, therefore, subject to regulatory control. Any business that operates a takeback service should ensure that they, or their service provider, are authorised to carry and transport waste and are registered as a waste carrier.

A business only needs to hold one waste carriers licence – there is no need for each employee to register separately unless they are self-employed individuals. Further information and guidance on registering as a waste carrier is available from SEPA.https://www.sepa.org.uk/regulations/waste/waste-carriers-and-brokers/ .

The Scottish Government does not provide training in this regard.

Under the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020, consumers are only entitled to have their deposit redeemed if they present a container that is identifiable as a scheme article, intact, empty, and not soiled.

Retailers and other return-point operators are required to retain scheme articles they have been accepted for collection by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland Ltd (CSL) or their agent. Once collected the containers are the responsibility of CSL.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12239 on‎ 1 December 2022. 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 Scottish Government received representations regarding Reverse Vending Machine relief from the Scottish Retail Consortium and a supermarket retailer.

We report every six months to Parliament on the delivery of major capital projects and programmes and publish an annual report on the progress of our five-year Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) which outlines the progress made in relation to the IIP’s three key themes. The annual progress report also outlines key delivery achievements as well as information relating to major capital projects and their associated climate change targets, strategic outcomes and the contribution they have made to economic development. Our six-monthly programme update also includes the contribution key major infrastructure programmes are making to economic development. Projects are evaluated in line with The Green Book guidance which looks across five defined cases relating to Strategic, Economic, Commercial, Financial and Management rather than by way of a singular return on investment measure.

The six-monthly major capital project and programme updates and the annual IIP progress report can be found at the Scottish Government website by way of the following link Infrastructure Investment Plan (www.gov.scot)