Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government promotes the use of reusable nappies by including a voucher for one waterproof nappy wrap and five stay dry nappy pads in Scotland’s Baby Box. The voucher also signposts families to the Scottish Government Parent Club website which highlights the benefits of using reusable nappies and provides helpful advice and tips on nappy use. Ready Steady Baby , which is given out at antenatal appointments, also highlights the benefits of reusable nappies.

The Scottish Government has no current plans do so. Following the UK Government’s 11th hour intervention which undermined Scotland’s deposit return scheme, the establishment of any future scheme administrator will be considered in due course.

The Scottish Government is committed to developing the economy of the Highlands and Islands to its full potential. We are working with partners including local authorities, businesses and our enterprise agency and supporting a broad range of activities backed by significant Scottish Government investment to achieve that aim.

Through the Growth Deal programme we are investing £242.5 million across the Highlands and Islands over the next 10 years to grow the economy. This will fund projects on a range of themes including renewable energy, housing, transport, skills, tourism, culture, marine, space and aerospace to drive sustainable economic growth.

Our enterprise agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), is providing specialist advice, training and funding to help businesses respond to economic opportunities. The agency also supports the development of infrastructure, including business and industrial premises in rural locations. During 2022-23, HIE approved £63.2 million for 489 projects and secured £35 million of investment for the region’s economy.

In January this year we confirmed Inverness and Cromarty Firth as one of Scotland’s Green Freeports. With access to up to £25 million in seed capital, up to £1 million in revenue funding, and a package of customs and tax incentives, Green Freeports will create internationally competitive clusters of manufacturing excellence. With a focus on renewable energy, wind and hydrogen, the Cromarty Firth Green Freeport will create up to 25,000 jobs and attract £2.6 billion in inward investment to the region.

These initiatives and many others we are supporting will drive sustainable economic growth across the Highlands and Islands for the benefit of people and communities.

The Scottish Government is not aware on which specific date Circularity Scotland first informed Scottish Enterprise that it was at risk of going in to administration.

SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland were informed that Circularity Scotland was going in to administration on 20 June 2023.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19474 on 18 July 2023. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19474 on 18 July 2023. 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

Now that the Bank is fully established, and has a growing portfolio of investments, work is underway to create the advisory group. The advisory group will provide advice to Scottish Ministers on the Bank’s objects, conduct and performance.

The Scottish Government is considering options for remit and membership.

Scotland remains at the forefront of the global journey to reach net zero emissions and a climate resilient future. We are committed to a just transition to net-zero by 2045 and within this, decarbonisation of industry is ‘mission critical’.

It is clear that we cannot maintain the status quo if we want to reap the benefits that the transition to net zero holds.

The next Climate Change Plan will extend Scotland’s emissions reduction planning pathway to 2040 and include estimates of the costs and benefits of the policies to achieve this.

However, many of the key levers to bring about large-scale industrial emissions reductions are reserved to UK Government. For example, we remain bitterly disappointed that there is still no timetabled solution for when UK Government will confirm Track-2 of the Cluster Sequencing Programme, which adds further delay and impacts progress against our climate change commitments.

Ensuring a Just Transition to net-zero is equally important. As you will be aware, the Scottish Government is in the process of developing a Just Transition Plan for the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster and following its completion, we remain committed to evaluating that approach to understand what ways Just Transition planning can be adopted for other sites.

The Reaching 100% (R100) programme is ensuring that all homes and businesses can access superfast broadband. This is being delivered through three strands of activity – the £600 million R100 contracts (North, Central and South), our R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) and commercial coverage.

Both the R100 North and Central contracts will deliver connections across Perth and Kinross - with final connections due to be delivered through the contracts by March 2028. The R100 contracts are now solely delivering full fibre, gigabit capable connectivity, over 30 times faster than our superfast commitment.

For those properties beyond the reach of the R100 contracts or commercial coverage plans, the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme – offering vouchers worth up to £5,000 – remains available to help secure a superfast broadband connection.

However, as the R100 SBVS is a demand-led scheme, it is not possible to provide dates by which people might be connected.

Likewise, for properties within the plans of commercial broadband suppliers, we do not hold data on when those connections will be delivered.