Chamber and committees

I welcome the Circular Steel in Scotland: Current landscape and opportunities report published by Zero Waste Scotland, which will inform ongoing policy development including the Energy Just Transition plan.

The report can be accessed via: -

https://cdn.zerowastescotland.org.uk/managed-downloads/mf-qwstm9se-1688475468d

While the report is clear that there is a significant opportunity in Scotland for circular steel, it requires substantial private sector investment . The report also recognises that some potentially impactful interventions lie within the UK Government’s reserved range of powers, including currency, energy (most aspects), product standards, employment law, trade and foreign affairs.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the growth of this sector, and we are encouraging interested companies to seek advice and support from their local Enterprise Agency.

Deer management covers a range of work, including culling deer and other damage mitigation actions such as deer fencing which can have an effect on deer movement and impacts.

The estimated cost to public agencies for all deer management actions in 2022-23, including culling, provision of fencing, deer larders and other equipment was £8,838,400. The total number of deer culled by public agencies in 2022-23 was recorded as 38,242.

Since May 2021, the Scottish Government has had 5 Ministerial meetings with STV.  

As outcomes, there was a shared commitment to ensuring the sustainability of public service broadcasting, STV licence renewal, and support for the wider screen sector and creative industries.

The recruitment and retention allowance is payable to individual General Dental Practitioners, and pays £25,000 to GDPs joining the dental list for the first time or returning after a period of five years and practising in an eligible area.

The Scottish Government has expanded the scheme to include vocational trainees, who would be eligible for an additional £12,500 should they decide to train in an eligible area.

The Scottish Government in partnership with NHS Boards reviews the list of areas that attract the recruitment and retention allowance on a regular basis.

Further information, including details of eligible areas, can be found at http://www.scottishdental.org/ .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19946 on 3 August 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 .

Since May 2021, the Scottish Government has not held any Ministerial meetings with Sky UK Limited.

Within this period, Scottish Government culture officials have also not met with Sky UK Limited on either a formal or informal basis.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09277 on 4 July 2022. 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 .

Through the Corra Foundation, a Research Programme Fund was developed by the independent Drug Deaths Taskforce. The requested information is publicly available at Taskforce Funded Projects - Drug Deaths Taskforce (knowthescore.info) .

The capital funding provided by the Scottish Government to individual local authorities is included in the Local Government Finance Circulars.

Local government finance circulars - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Local authorities in Scotland also have a statutory power to borrow for their own capital expenditure and a duty to determine and keep under review the maximum amount which it can afford to allocate to capital spending.

Capital spending by local authority is included in the Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics (SLGFS). SLGFS is an annual publication that provides a comprehensive overview of financial activity of Scottish local authorities based on authorities audited accounts.

Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Information relating to the independent Drug Deaths Taskforce, that concluded in July 2022 after publishing its final report, is publicly available at: Homepage - Drug Deaths Taskforce (knowthescore.info) .