Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15719 on 22 March 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

There are no plans to remove the minimum debt threshold for full administration bankruptcy. Although stakeholders discussed this as part of the recent review, the relevant working group did not recommend such a change at this time.

The Royal Mail and postal delivery services remain a reserved matter and the responsibility of the UK Government.

While the Scottish Government has no power to intervene in the industrial dispute between Royal Mail and the Commercial Workers Union we welcome the news that both parties have now reached an agreement; and that this will now go to ballot with the recommendation to accept.

We hope that the proposals in the agreement can be implemented quickly and bring the detrimental impact this action has had on consumers across Scotland to an end.

The Scottish Government takes all crime, including that committed in rural areas, extremely seriously. One of the key Aims of our Vision for Justice, published in 2022, is to ensure that we have a society in which people feel, and are, safer in their communities. In January this year, we revised our Strategic Police Priorities, which underpin the statutory policing principles that the main purpose of policing is to improve the safety and wellbeing of persons, localities and communities in Scotland.

The Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC), is chaired by Police Scotland and draws together key stakeholders from across the justice and rural sectors, including Scottish Government, to provide a robust, multi-agency approach to rural crime and support activity at local level.

SPARC published an updated Strategy last year which set out 7 key priority areas and detailed the Rural Watch Scotland initiative focused on preventative activity undertaken and delivered by Neighbourhood Watch Scotland working through SPARC.

The Scottish Government is taking a range of activities to improve circularity within the Scottish economy. This includes consulting on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill Delivering Scotland's circular economy: Proposed Circular Economy Bill - Consultation analysis - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which we will bring forward before summer recess, and for a Waste Route Map which will be published later this year Delivering Scotland's Circular Economy - route map to 2025 and beyond: consultation analysis - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

We have made one of the biggest investments in a generation to modernise recycling in Scotland through the £70m Recycling Improvement Fund. The Fund is supporting Scottish councils to modernise recycling services and increase both the quantity and the quality of recycling collected. This increases the supply of materials in frequent use and high demand, such as plastics, and helps to ensure availability of materials for businesses whilst reducing waste.

The forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme has already delivered hundreds of millions of pounds of investment across Scotland and is creating over 500 new green jobs.

Last year, we launched a Circular Textiles Fund to improve the circularity of textiles; issued a revised procurement policy note setting out that we expect public bodies to use their public procurement spend to support climate and circular economy ambitions ( Public procurement - taking account of climate and circular economy considerations: SPPN 3/2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot); and launched the Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund, which will support the development of new business models based on the principles of a circular economy.

We also provide funding to Zero Waste Scotland which has a range of support available for businesses and social enterprises to help them transition to more circular ways of working. Zero Waste Scotland also works in partnership with organisations throughout Scotland to encourage collaboration on circular economy projects between businesses, sectors and communities, for example: with Highlands & Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Chambers of Commerce, manufacturing and renewable energy industry bodies.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Since January 2022, there have been 20 instances of drone activity being recorded over or inside the prison estate, out of which there were been 6 physical drone recoveries. SPS systems cannot provide information prior to this date as incidents before January 2022 are not categorised to allow this information to be extracted. The rising number of incidents involving drones has now resulted in closer monitoring and recording of these incidents.

We expect all investment to adhere to the Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital as a minimum. The ethical framework that is being developed by NatureScot and its partners to guide investments under the Memorandum of Understanding will support this.

The matters referred to cannot be determined until the ethical framework has been agreed and approved and the project design phase, which includes developing investment cases with land managers, has been completed.

Private investment from the partnership will cover all capital costs although land managers may also choose to apply to existing grant schemes, in which case there will be a mix of funding. The usual processes and policies for public grants will apply.

Until investment cases have been completed and agreements reached with individual land managers, it is not possible to determine the proportion of funding that will each come from private investment, existing grant schemes and, if applicable, landowners. It is likely that this will vary from project to project.

The Small Producers Pilot Fund will launch later this year to support smaller producers increase the proportion of food grown and processed by small farms and small holders for their local community.

In the Financial Year 2023-24 up to £1 million is allocated for the Pilot Fund. This will support small producers and design the Pilot Fund. Further annual budgets up to 2025 will be informed by its uptake. From 2025 onwards there is no funding commitment due to the loss of multi-annual certainty caused by EU Exit, and the failure of the UK Government to collectively engage in future rural budgets as they publicly committed to.

Co-design of the Pilot Fund is through an industry-led Small Producers Pilot Fund Steering Group. Working in partnership with the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS), agricultural, small holding and food industry stakeholders; this Steering Group will design a flexible funding approach that supports local food supply chains, improves access to the right training opportunities, and helps link together small producers into existing abattoirs.

Once the Steering Group’s work is concluded, Scottish Ministers will consider their recommendations before further information on the number of producers the Pilot Fund will support and eligibility criteria will be released. We are fully committed to publicising the launch of the Small Producers Pilot Fund throughout Scotland.

The Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund (LCMCF) is a new Fund operated by Scottish Enterprise providing capital investment of £26m over five years.

At 17 April, £150,000 has been provided to one project supporting a business which helps to improve its own circularity via the re-use of energy.

We also support Zero Waste Scotland who provide a range of support and advice for businesses looking to develop circular business ideas.

Details of the funding provided by Zero Waste Scotland are as follows.