- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on constructing sorting and bulking centres for the Deposit Return Scheme, and when each facility is projected to be operational.
Answer
Circularity Scotland is developing and constructing the logistical network that will support the effective operation of the scheme when it launches on 1 March 2024, and it has signed contracts with Biffa for operations, logistics, and plastics reprocessing. It has secured a number of sites across Scotland to deliver the scheme, including sites in Aberdeen and Motherwell, creating up to 200 jobs.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact of the Deposit Return Scheme on the packaging recovery note system.
Answer
The Scottish Government is clear that deposit return schemes (DRS) are a form of extended producer responsibility (EPR). Therefore, producers will not have to purchase Packaging Waste Recycling Notes (PRNs) or Packaging Waste Export Recycling Notes (PERNs), or pay producer fees under packaging EPR once that is operational, for containers collected through our DRS. We are working with the other UK administrations to legislate to give effect to this position.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it will give to the recommendation by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission in the Report on the use of handheld remote-controlled training devices (e-collars) in dog training that the use of e-collars for the training of animals should be prohibited in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the recent Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) report on handheld remote-controlled training devices (e-collars).
We will consider all their findings carefully as part of our ongoing commitment to improve and enhance animal welfare.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scotland-relevant findings in the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization publication, Report of the Third NASCO Performance Review, published in March 2023.
Answer
The Third NASCO Performance Review was carried out to evaluate the functioning and effectiveness of NASCO and to identify areas where improvements are needed to strengthen the Organisation, and to enhance the implementation of the NASCO Convention, and it’s Resolutions, Agreements, and Guidelines. The report of the independent review panel will be considered by the Contracting Parties to NASCO at its 40 th Annual Meeting in June 2023.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how it will track the progress of commitments made in its publication, Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start.
Answer
The Scottish Government has promised a laser like focus on delivery, and we will ensure this happens, by directing energy and resources towards achieving the three missions and supporting the outcomes set out in Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start . Our ambition for an improving, consistent and transparent focus on performance and delivery is shared by Ministers and the Executive Team and work is in hand to strengthen the existing, evidence-based approach to delivery, performance and assurance that currently exists across the organisation.
Building on these existing arrangements, we are enhancing the regular delivery reporting that identifies, tracks, and benchmarks our performance and progress. This work includes the undertaking of rapid analysis to prioritise the resources and funding needed to drive significant progress towards the three missions between now and 2026.
- Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by George Adam on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost of employing special advisers was in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.
Answer
Special Advisers are appointed in accordance with Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 by the First Minister as a Special Adviser for the purpose of providing assistance to the Scottish Ministers.
The total cost of Special Advisers employed during the financial year 2020-21 was £1,618,713.47. Total cost includes all salary costs, employer NI, and employer pension contributions. The level of employer NI and pension contribution is not a matter for the Scottish Government.
The cost of Special Advisers during 2020-21 was based on the following Pay Bands and Pay Ranges:
Pay Band | Pay Range (£) | Number of SpAds in Band |
1 | £50,839 – £53,208 | 1 |
2 | £55,583 – £68,307 | 8 |
3 | £70,391 - £90,564 | 5 |
4 | £96,400 - £ 102,228 | 1 |
The total cost of Special Advisers employed during the financial year 2021-22 was £1,434,693.34. Total cost includes all salary costs, employer NI, and employer pension contributions. The level of employer NI and pension contribution is not a matter for the Scottish Government.
The cost of Special Advisers during 2021-22 was based on the following Pay Bands and Pay Ranges:
Pay Band | Pay Range (£) | Number of SpAds in Band |
1 | £51,348 - £53,741 | 1 |
2 | £56,139 - £68,991 | 11 |
3 | £71,095 - £91,364 | 4 |
4 | £97,200 - £103,028 | 2 |
The total cost of Special Advisers employed during the financial year 2022-23 was £1,909,843. Total cost includes all salary costs, employer NI, and employer pension contributions. The level of employer NI and pension contribution is not a matter for the Scottish Government.
The cost of Special Advisers during 2022-23 was based on the following Pay Bands and Pay Ranges:
Pay Band | Pay Range (£) | Number of SpAds in Band |
1 | £53,915 - £56,428 | 1 |
2 | £58,946 - £72,441 | 10 |
3 | £74,650 - £95,019 | 5 |
4 | £101,088 - £107,149 | 2 |
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its policy position to encourage businesses not to trade with Russia, how it determines whether or not a business in Scotland is continuing to trade with Russia, and whether it is making use of the lists compiled by organisations such as Razom We Stand, #LeaveRussia and the Yale School of Management.
Answer
In March 2022 the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy wrote an open letter encouraging all businesses to sever links with Russia. The Scottish Government policy of not supporting trade and investment activity with Russia is in addition to the UK’s legally binding sanctions regime; ultimately we cannot force businesses to act if what they plan is otherwise lawful, including not breaching the UK sanctions regime.
Our economic agencies undertake a number of checks on businesses to identify any ongoing investment, trading, or other links with Russia, and steps they have taken to withdraw from them, while recognising where it may not be feasible, for example due to contractual obligations or if staff safety might be jeopardised.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will report on the progress of commitments made in its publication, Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start, and, if so, how it will undertake any such reporting.
Answer
The Scottish Government has promised a laser like focus on delivery, and we will ensure this happens, by directing energy and resources towards achieving the three missions and supporting the outcomes set out in Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start . Our ambition for an improving, consistent and transparent focus on performance and delivery is shared by Ministers and the Executive Team.
In his statement to the Scottish Parliament, the First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government will report routinely, regularly and transparently on our performance against the aims and outcomes set out in the prospectus. This reporting will include an annual update on progress, ensuring the people of Scotland have the information they need to hold the Government to account for delivery of the three missions.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided to support cultural activities on Scotland's islands in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) island group and (b) government body providing the funding.
Answer
Creative Scotland, as the national arts development body and funded by the Scottish Government, provide a range of support for cultural activities across Scotland including the islands.
To provide the specific information requested, Creative Scotland will write to the member directly.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether scheme articles, under the proposed Deposit Return Scheme, will have a minimum set value assigned to them, and whether such articles are deemed to be a distinct class of commercial product.
Answer
The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 set out the definition of “scheme article” at regulation 3(2). That definition does not assign any minimum set value to scheme articles, nor does it make any provision about them being a distinct class of commercial product.
