Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the semiconductor sector in a global context. We are privileged in Scotland to have a number of strong semiconductor companies, several of which I have had the pleasure to visit recently. I have also recently written to the BEIS Committee highlighting the strengths and capabilities of our semiconductor sector, in response to its recent semiconductor inquiry report.

Once the UK Semiconductor Strategy is published, we will assess how well it suits the needs of Scotland’s semiconductor industry. I would note that we have an extensive support infrastructure in place in Scotland to support innovation and flexibility in manufacturers. This includes the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), backed by £75 million of Scottish Government investment. Its headquarters will open later this year. Our upcoming Innovation Strategy will also support the development of innovative sectors to meet global economic challenges.

Retail has an essential role to play if we are to deliver on our ambitious targets to reach net zero by 2045, which is why the Retail Strategy’s Delivery Plan contains a commitment to develop a Just Transition Plan for retail that includes an action to promote the steps that retailers and their supply chain operatives can take to reduce carbon consumption and environmental impacts.

The specific information requested on the quantity of such clothing that has been sold in each of the last five years is not held by the Scottish Government .

The Scottish Government recognises the challenges facing the planning system, in particular planning authorities. Appropriate resourcing is a key challenge for delivery of NPF4 and we are committed to working collaboratively with our partners to make progress with this, including through our work with the High Level Group on Planning Performance. NPF4 Policy 3 (c) is underpinned by NatureScot’s Developing With Nature guidance published on 13 February 2023. We have also committed to developing guidance on Policy 3 more generally. Through ongoing work to bring forward the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, we are exploring opportunities to enhance ecological expertise that is needed locally to implement nature positive approaches. We have commissioned research to explore options for developing approaches to measuring biodiversity at the ‘site’ scale in Scotland. This research will involve a programme of engagement with stakeholders as it progresses.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that current ownership for each local authority is provided in the following table. This is provided from a combination of titles in the Land Register and General Register of Sasines, and as the areas held in Sasines are indicative rather than definitive it provides a best estimate.

Whilst it is possible to retrieve historic ownership details for specific plots of land, Scotland-wide views of the Land Register showing aggregate ownership by specific parties at five, 10, or 20 years ago are not maintained, and the nature of the General Register of Sasines means it is not feasible to retrieve historic ownership information en masse .

MV Hebrides is 99 metres in length, 15.8 metres wide and her operational draught, which is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the vessel’s hull, is 3.3 metres.

Further information is available on CalMac’s website by following the link: https://www.calmac.co.uk/fleet/mv-hebrides

Currently 1 building on the core Scottish Government estate has a heat pump installed (Tweedbank)

Feasibility studied will be carried out in the first quarter of 2023/24 financial year to look at a range of renewable technologies for the estate, including air source heat pumps.

Timescale for installing air source heat pumps to suitable buildings:-

• 2023-24 – (1st quarter) - Feasibility studies will be carried out with business cases and funding applications submitted for suitable projects.
• 2023-24 – (2nd quarter) - Apply, design and install power cable upgrades if required or – if the incoming power needs to be increased from the supplier.
• 2023-24 – (3rd/4th quarter quarter) - Design, tender, appoint a contractor, planning permissions
• 2024-25 – Installation of ASHP, radiators, pipework.

Scotland’s deposit return scheme is being delivered and funded by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland. This model is in line with standard practice in other schemes across Europe. The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 set out the obligations of a scheme administrator including that they must provide any information requested by the Scottish Ministers or SEPA for the purposes of monitoring compliance with the requirements in regulations. Scottish Ministers and Scottish Government officials continue to work with Circularity Scotland ahead of the launch in August.

Analysis has been undertaken to estimate how many guests on MS Ambition will likely be matched into longer term accommodation based on the availability of hosted and Responsible Social Landlord properties in Glasgow and the surrounding areas. Analysis into the availability of accommodation for guests disembarking MS Ambition remains ongoing and is being revised as new data becomes available via the monitoring of the disembarkation process.

Since November 2022, Scottish Government officials and Glasgow City Council engage regularly to undertake a Joint Assurance Review to ensure exit planning for the exit of the MS Ambition remains on track.

Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council have been meeting with guests to help them make an informed decision about their next accommodation and where possible, we are seeking to move a displaced people according to their needs. The lack of suitable properties in Glasgow however means that it is unlikely that everyone on board MS Ambition will be able to be accommodated in Glasgow.

Should guests be unable to secure alternative accommodation or not accept an offer of accommodation from the Scottish Government matching team or Glasgow City Council, they will be allocated alternative welcome accommodation before 31 March 2023.

Scottish Government officials are undertaking work to ensure that the interactions between Minimum Unit Price and the Deposit Return Scheme are fully understood. This work includes engagement with stakeholders.

For example, a planned evaluation of the Deposit Return Scheme will explore consumer behaviours prior to the scheme’s introduction, a year after implementation and two years after implementation.