Chamber and committees

Zero Waste Scotland states that the cost of the Material Flow Accounts was £35,000 and the cost of the Circularity Gap Report was £130,000.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13768 on 25 January 2023. Winter Heating Payment has been discussed with UK Ministers on a number of occasions including at the Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare on 21 November 2021 and 16 May 2022. Minutes of meetings are available on gov.scot.

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 .

We welcome the recent Circularity Gap Report which clearly sets out the size of the challenge ahead. The Scottish Government is clear that transitioning to a circular economy is key if we are to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis, and this means reducing our demand for raw material, increasing reuse and repair, and recycling more.

Public bodies climate change duties are set out at Section 44 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. Responsibility for compliance with these duties, including reducing carbon emissions and meeting relevant net zero targets, lies with the public bodies themselves.

The Risk Management Committee is scheduled to meet on 21 March 2023.

The Scottish Government Trade & Investment (T&I) Envoy programme is voluntary in nature and is not remunerated or pensioned.

Trade & Investment Envoys are entitled to reclaim all reasonable expenses incurred while performing their T&I Envoy duties as requested by the Scottish Government, including the costs of travel, accommodation, meals etc., which are reimbursed at Civil Service rates.

The Workforce Development Group is newly established and had its first meeting on 29 November 2022. The group will meet bi-monthly with the next meeting scheduled for 30 January 2023.

On 15 December 2022 the Scottish Government published its budget for 2023-24, which is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2023-24/documents/ .

The Scottish Government approves and provides croft businesses with over £40 million each year through various support mechanisms, including the crofting specific Croft House Grant, Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme, and the Cattle Improvement Scheme. Crofters can also access the LFASS, BPS and Greening, Young Farmers Payment, AECS, the sheep and beef schemes, the Forestry Grant Scheme and the Small Woodlands Loan Scheme, the Sustainable Agricultural Capital Grant Scheme and veterinary support. The Farm Advisory Service provides advice and guidance to crofters through its one-to-one and one-to-many services.

No. We have convened a series of roundtables with the culture sector to explore how organisations can best work together to develop shared solutions in light of the cost crisis. The impact of the UK Government’s decision to reduce the theatre and orchestra tax relief was raised by attendees at the roundtable in Glasgow in December 2022. During the roundtable, the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs & Culture committed to raising this with the DCMS Secretary of State Michelle Donelan, which he did on 13 December. Following this discussion, the Cabinet Secretary then wrote to HMT.

The Scottish Government has been in regular dialogue with Creative Scotland regarding the draft Scottish Budget for 2023-2024. Officials meet regularly with Creative Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture had a regular meeting with the Chair of Creative Scotland on 21 December. The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture also called the Chair of Creative Scotland on the 15 December once the Scottish Government draft budget had been published.