Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government are in regular contact with The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) to discuss a range of environmental legislation, including the Deposit Return Scheme, and will continue to engage with relevant public bodies as we work towards the launch of DRS in October 2027.

As part of the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, we are reviewing the Household Recycling Charter's supporting Code of Practice using a co-design process with Local Government and CoSLA representatives. The Code of Practice will be put on a statutory basis to deliver better and more consistent recycling services across Scotland. The impact of the deposit return scheme on future waste collection services is an important factor in developing the methodology for co-design.

The First Minister announced on 7 February that around £14 million will be allocated to delivering the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS). The proposals for the scheme are currently being finalised and the full details about the scheme and application process are expected to be announced shortly.

The Scottish Government is working to support the development of markets for recycled plastic flexibles and films through a combination of policy commitments and infrastructure investment.

As part of its broader strategy to enhance recycling services, the Scottish Government has committed to introducing household collections for recyclable plastic film and flexible packaging by 31 March 2027. This initiative aims to increase the availability of recyclable materials and increase demand for recycled products.

To bolster recycling capabilities, the Scottish Government has provided funding through the Recycling Improvement Fund. For instance, Fife Council received £470,000 to develop plastic film recycling services locally. This assisted in the installation of advanced sorting equipment, allowing the council to accept flexible plastics at the kerbside and process them into high-quality materials for the market.

Scottish Enterprise would also consider supporting growing businesses in this area, particularly if they are directly aligned with their mission to boost capital investment.

Extended producer responsibility for packaging funding will be paid directly to local authorities by PackUK (the scheme administrator) and it will be for each local authority to decide how it manages this funding. Under the Verity House Agreement, local government funding in Scotland will not be ring-fenced or directed, unless there is a clear joint understanding to do so. However, the purpose of packaging EPR funding - to pay for the cost of managing household packaging waste - is clearly set out in legislation. There will be no reduction in the local government finance settlement as a result of extended producer responsibility for packaging payments in the first year of the scheme (2025-26).

From May 2021 to date, £9,419,808 has been spent on the provision, maintenance and servicing of free bikes. This figure includes the cost of accessories such as locks, lights and helmets, and includes the total cost of the project associated with free bike provision. This includes bikes distributed under the Free Bikes for School Children pilot programme between August 2021 and March 2023, the Free Bikes Partnership in financial year 2023-24, and under the Regional Transport Partnership-led People and Place programme in financial year 2024-25.

Due to reporting schedules, the final evaluation of the People and Place programme for financial year 2024-25 has not been completed at the time of writing. The free bikes data for 2024-25 may therefore be subject to change.

Given the nature of operating a refinery, significant regular operational expenditure would be required, alongside frequent capital expenditure, to enable the asset to continue operating - and we continue to urge the UK Government to leave no stone unturned when it comes to securing the future and the workforce of the site.

The public and business community should be confident that the Scottish Government is committed to attracting and securing investment in Grangemouth’s future, underpinned by our £25 million Grangemouth Just Transition Fund which will be utilised to support near term low carbon opportunities identified by the Grangemouth Investment Taskforce and Project Willow.

On Monday 2 June the alcohol ban on ScotRail trains was lifted and replaced with new rules, allowing alcohol consumption at certain times.

The ban was upheld by Railway Byelaw 4 (2) which states that a passenger with intoxicating liquor can be prevented from entering, or be asked to leave the railway. This Byelaw will also support the new timed restrictions and intelligence-led alcohol bans.

Enforcement of the alcohol ban has always been the responsibility of the British Transport Police (BTP).Having timed alcohol restrictions and intelligence-led bans will allow BTP to target its resource to specific services and permit a more focussed enforcement.

The total number of free bikes distributed to school aged children in Scotland since May 2021 is 13,244. This includes bikes distributed under the Free Bikes for School Children pilot programme between August 2021 and March 2023, the Free Bikes Partnership from April 2023 to March 2024, and under the Regional Transport Partnership-led People and Place programme in financial year 2024-25.

Due to reporting schedules, the final evaluation of the People and Place programme for financial year 2024-25 has not been completed at the time of writing. The free bikes data for 2024-25 may therefore be subject to change.

The Scottish Government continues to work with the sector and associated bodies, such as RMAS, the Resource Management Association Scotland, to consider and discuss issues relevant to the sector. This includes a recent meeting on 29 April (plus continued follow-up discussions) on sector challenges faced by small and medium sized enterprises (SMES) with SEPA and RMAS (who represent SMEs in the waste and resource management sector).

Skills Development Scotland publish the number of Modern Apprenticeships starts aged 16-24 in their statistics release available here – https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/publications-statistics/statistics/modern-apprenticeships.

SDS also publish Foundation and Graduate Apprenticeships. These will also contain some 16-24 year olds in their starts figures. The latest releases are available here – https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/publications-statistics/statistics/foundation-apprenticeships– and here – https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/publications-statistics/statistics/graduate-apprenticeships.