Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-37190

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what representation it has made to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the UK Government regarding (a) reported long delays for practical driving test appointments in Scotland and (b) reports that third party resellers are using bot-based technologies to capture cancelled appointments, which are then being resold at a far higher price, resulting in increased pressure on driving test centres in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-37192

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to conduct a review of the Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023.

Question reference: S6W-37193

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered amending the Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 to make provision for means testing whether an additional charge for second homes should be applied.

Question reference: S6W-37194

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 has had on housing supply in areas where an additional council tax levy is applied.

Question reference: S6O-04582

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the implementation of its Green Industrial Strategy, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the introduction of extended producer responsibility.

Question reference: S6W-36500

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether beer sold in the on-trade is defined as household waste by local authorities.

Classification of packaging waste as household or non household waste under extended producer responsibility for packaging is set out by the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. Classification is based on several criteria and producers are encouraged to consult the regulations or contact SEPA for specific queries. Glass drinks containers that are not in scope of DRS, will be captured under packaging EPR data reporting and fee obligations. Drinks containers which will be obligated under DRS when in force, such as aluminum, will be exempt from pEPR fee obligations. The use of reusable/refillable packaging such as beer kegs or reusable bottles is also encouraged under pEPR, as producers are only required to report and pay disposal cost fees for household packaging the first time it is placed on the market, and can then offset these fees when they recycle this packaging at the end of its life, thereby avoiding the vast majority of pEPR fees.

Question reference: S6W-36510

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will evaluate the impact of the extended producer responsibility scheme on investment in Scotland, particularly within sectors impacted by packaging-related fees, such as food and drink production.

Question reference: S6W-36498

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take to ensure transparency in how extended producer responsibility scheme funding is allocated to local authorities.

PackUK is the scheme administrator for extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR), operating on behalf of the four nations. PackUK is responsible for calculating and distributing local authority payments.

The requirements that PackUK must consider when assessing funding to local authorities are set out in the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.

In November 2024 indicative payments were shared with local authorities, along with guidance to help local authorities understand how payments have been calculated and allocated. PackUK has also engaged with local authorities through online forums and gathering stakeholder feedback to ensure accuracy of payments. Scottish Local Authorities have been indicatively allocated a total of £160m in 2025-26, out of a total of £1.4bn in pEPR funding across the UK.

Scottish Government officials have continued to work closely with COSLA throughout the development and implementation of pEPR.

Question reference: S6W-36506

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the extended producer responsibility scheme, how it will support brewers in Scotland who are unable to invest in different packaging materials and could face closure as a result.

Extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) fees are intended to incentivise producers to use less packaging and ensure packaging they do use is environmentally sustainable. It also ensures that producers take full responsibility for the environmental impacts of the packaging they place on the market, transferring these costs away from taxpayers.

Producers with an annual turnover less than £2m and 50 tonnes of packaging supplied are exempt from pEPR payments, but are required to report packaging data. This exempts approximately 70% of the UK's smaller producers from paying scheme fees.

Packaging within the scope of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (cans and PET plastic) is exempt from packaging EPR. The use of reusable/refillable packaging such as beer kegs or reusable bottles is also encouraged under pEPR, as producers are only required to report and pay disposal cost fees for household packaging the first time it is placed on the market, and can then offset these fees when they recycle this packaging at the end of its life, thereby avoiding the vast majority of pEPR fees.

Question reference: S6W-36504

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent double counting of extended producer responsibility fees on products sold to the on-trade, in light of reports that packaging is unlikely to end up in household waste streams.

Packaging EPR policy is intended to transfer the cost of managing household packaging, once it becomes waste, from local authorities to the producers supplying that packaging. However, some packaging can be discarded by both consumers and businesses and is captured by the household packaging definition, particularly when supplied to a wholesaler or sold in hospitality settings.

The four nations recognise the concerns raised by some businesses and have worked to address concerns around the current definition of household packaging. There is currently no established method or international precedent that meets the expectation of UK businesses. We will continue to engage with sectors on a way forward for future years and will share more information soon.