Chamber and committees

Zero Waste Scotland reviewed existing legislation in Europe and beyond and the duty it places on governments to publish circular economy or similar strategies, which is available at the following link Insights into Statutory Obligations of Circular Economy Strategies (zerowastescotland.org.uk) . The review concluded that ‘it would be beneficial to keep obligations for the strategy as broad as possible, with detail to follow as data and evaluation are gathered and released, as this would help Scotland keep pace with new developments.’

Our 2023-24 Programme for Government outlines our commitment to publish a final Circular Economy and Waste Route Map. Before this, a second Route Map consultation will be published later this year, which will inform any new circular economy strategy.

The working groups that fall under the remit of the Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy portfolio are:

1. A trading Nation Delivery Working Group

2. All Age Employability Steering Group

3. Community Wealth Building (CWB) Bill steering Group

4. Construction Leadership Forum

5. Employability in Scotland Operational Group (ESOG)

6. European Structural Funds Joint Programme Board

7. European Structural Funds Programme Monitoring Committee

8. Financial Services Growth & Development Board (FISGAD)

9. Green Freeports Programme Board

10. Green Investment Portfolio Project Assessment Panel

11. Hydrogen Industry Forum

12. Improvement Working Group

13. Industry Leadership Group Chairs Roundtable (ILG CRT)

14. International Trade Partnerships 2 Trade Missions Working Group

15. Investment Co-ordination Group

16. LENCG: Local Electricity Networks Coordination Group

17. Life Sciences Export Plan Delivery Group

18. Manufacturing Strategic Leadership Group

19. MEPG: Major Electricity Projects Group

20. National Strategy for Economic Transformation Delivery Board

21. National Strategy for Economic Transformation Portfolio Board

22. Net Zero First Minister Investor Panel

23. New Deal for Business Group (NDBG)

24. Non-domestic energy consumers working group

25. No One Left Behind Working Group

26. Onshore Wind Strategic Leadership Group

27. Offshore Renewables Short Life Working Group

28. Partnership Assurance Group

29. Regular Construction for Leadership International Group

30. Renewables Export Plan Delivery Group

31. Retail Industry Leadership Group [please note this group is economy related but chaired by the Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning]

32. Rural energy consumers working group

33. SEAB: the Scottish Energy Advisory Board

34. Scottish Taskforce Green & Sustainable Financial Services

35. Oil and Gas and Energy Transition SLG

36. Supply Chain Development Programme Steering Group

37. Tourism & Hospitality Industry Leadership Group

38. Tech Export Plan Delivery Group

39. Vulnerable energy consumers working group

40. Wellbeing Economy Expert Advisory Group (WEEAG)

41. Wellbeing Economy Governments WEGo

Please note these groups will be kept under review.

Earlier this year, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) wrote to the Scottish Government setting out a series of recommendations for the reform on EPCs, noting that the current energy efficiency rating on EPCs is a measure of energy costs, not energy efficiency. Homes with lower EPC ratings are more likely to use expensive heating fuels, and this is often the case for off-gas grid properties. So, they can be relatively well insulated but still receive a low EPC rating. In addition, if fuel costs change in the underlying methodology used to generate EPCs, the energy efficiency rating for a property could change.

In response to this advice from the CCC, the Scottish Government published a consultation on EPC reform on 25 July 2023. Our proposals include the addition of a new metric of fabric efficiency - how well the building retains heat. This proposed metric will be independent of the heating fuel used in a property. This metric, alongside the existing cost based metric and information on the heating source will provide a more a holistic reflection of a dwelling’s energy performance.

There is no proposal within our EPC Reform consultation to penalise any property. Rather, our proposals for reform should ensure that current and prospective building owners and tenants have better information on the energy performance and emissions of their building and how this could be improved.

Noting that Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition (TNZJT) is a significant portfolio, there are currently a number of Scottish Government working groups that fall under the remit of TNZJT. The following non-exhaustive list includes currently active groups that would fall under TNZJT portfolio and are managed by the Scottish Government.

• National strategy for 20mph Working Group
• Zero Emission Truck Taskforce
• Private Water Supply Working Group
• Scottish Blue Carbon Forum
• Contaminated Land Advisory Group
• Zero Emission Truck Taskforce
• Marine Litter Strategy Steering Group
• Transport Sector Skills & CESAP Transport Policy Working Group
• Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan Implementation Steering Group
• Single Use Cups Charge Advisory Group
• Waste Data Strategy Board
• National Flytipping Forum
• Food Waste Reduction Programme Board
• Recycling Improvement Fund Programme Board
• Waste & Resources Sector Forum
• Joint Scottish Government/Local Government Strategic Steering Group on Circular Economy & Waste
• National Strategy for Economic Trans Private Investment in Natural Capital Working Group
• Biodegradable Municipal Waste Landfill Programme Board
• Biodiversity Programme Advisory Group
• Biodiversity Programme Stakeholder Engagement Group
• Science Advisory Group for Scottish Biodiversity Strategy
• Deposit Return Scheme Ministerial Strategic Assurance Group
• Deposit Return Scheme Executive Oversight Group
• Deposit Return Scheme Sector-specific Producers and Hospitality Providers Working Group
• Deposit Return Scheme Sector-specific Retailers Working Group
• National Transport Strategy Delivery Board
• National Transport Strategy Business Group
• Orkney Ferry Replacement Task Force
• Shetland Ferry Replacement Task Force
• A83 Taskforce Group
• Forth Bridges Forum
• LEZ Leadership Group
• LEZ Communications Group
• LEZ Consistency Group
• LEZ Enforcement Group
• Queensferry Crossing Ice Accretion Working Group
• Queensferry Crossing Ice Accretion Peer Review Group
• A9 Road Safety Group
• Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board
• Road Safety Operational Partnership Group
• Motorcycle safety group
• Three Local Partnership Forums for Road Safety across Scotland (east, west and north)
• The Parking Standards Advisory Group
• The Traffic Regulation Order Review Group
• Scottish Road Research Board
• National strategy for 20mph Working Group
• Road Traffic Fatality Working Group
• Transport Scotland Pavement Forum
• Scottish Traffic Signs Working Group
• Roads for All forum
• The Active Travel Delivery Partners’ Data, Monitoring and Evaluation Group
• Mobility as a Service Working Group
• Accessible Travel Steering Group
• Operators Smart Steering Group
• Zero Emission Truck Taskforce
• Bus Taskforce
• Environment and Economy Leaders' Group (EELG)
• Cleaner Air for Scotland 2: Ministerial Group

Somerville: Officials within the Scottish Government were aware of RAAC as a safety topic in recent years, through general engagement with the construction sector and specific organisations such as the Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS, now CROSS-UK) who issued their first safety alert on RAAC in May 2019.

The topic has since achieved broader prominence, supported by the creation of a RAAC study group by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) in June 2021 and publication of IStructE guidance on RAAC assessment in March 2022 and in April 2023.

Our Green Industrial Strategy will set out how the Scottish Government will help businesses and investors to realise the enormous economic opportunities of the global transition to net zero. I will lead the development of the strategy, supported by ministerial colleagues.

There are 41 active working groups that fall under the remit of the Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy portfolio.

The Review of Purpose Built Student Accommodation has now concluded. The recommendations from the review are currently being considered by the Scottish Government. We will write to the group members on proposed next steps shortly.

On 13 September 2023, at the initiation of the Scottish Government, Ministers and senior officials from across the UK met to discuss single use vapes. They discussed the available evidence, recognised shared challenges, and committed to work together on a range of options to tackle the impacts, up to and including a ban.

The Scottish Government has engaged on the issue of single use vapes from an early stage with governments across the UK, acknowledging the potential impact of the Internal Market Act, and indicated the potential future requirement to raise relevant issues related to the Internal Market Act for consideration within the Resources and Waste Common Framework.