Chamber and committees

The initial implementation of the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 was focussed on communication and awareness raising. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) worked in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) and waste service providers to co-ordinate messages, produce leaflets, use radio, print and social media and talk to trade bodies and businesses. This was very successful with a ZWS awareness tracking study showing a rise from 15% business awareness to over 80% by the end of the campaign (samples of 500 random businesses).

In 2015, twenty-five local authorities undertook compliance sampling in a total of 6752 premises across Scotland. The results are summarised below:

• 62% of premises were fully compliant

• 20% were making some efforts to comply

• 18% were still using a single general waste service, i.e. making no effort to recycle

In order to reach those still failing to comply, 130,000 information leaflets were distributed to waste producers via partner organisations in November 2015.

The leaflets were also distributed to local authority waste enforcement & environmental health officers. In addition, local authorities, ZWS, Resource Efficient Scotland (RES) and Netregs all developed accessible information and other support material to enable businesses to comply.

Fish are not released deliberately from fish farms, with the exception of those businesses who supply put and take fisheries for the provision of sport angling. On occasion circumstances may cause the escape of fish from fish farms. The Scottish Government is not considering making the escape of farmed fish an offence. The Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 requires that fish farms have satisfactory measures in place to contain fish, prevent escapes and recover escaped fish. In addition the Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (as amended) require fish farms to immediately notify Scottish Ministers of any escape of farmed fish or of the circumstances which gave rise to a significant risk of an escape of farmed fish and failure to comply with requirements may result in service of an enforcement notice, suspension or revocation of the Authorisation to operate as an Aquaculture Production Business or proceedings for an offence.

Fish farmers are required to submit an escape initial notification form which includes details of any of any treatments administered for which the fish are in a withdrawal as detailed in Schedule 1C of The Aquatic Animal Health (Miscellaneous Modifications) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. This could include treatments completed greater than four weeks prior to the escape. Fish farmers are not required to notify of recent treatments for which there is no withdrawal period.

The detailed impacts of electric vehicle (EV) uptake and integration will depend on many factors, including the increasing use of smart technologies to manage the interface between EVs and the electricity networks, as well as the ways in which future networks are operated and regulated. The Scottish Government will work closely with Ofgem, and with the network owners and operators, as these solutions and approaches are developed.

The risk to the public of consuming treated escaped farmed salmon is negligible although caution should always be applied when there is any uncertainty around the provenance.

Guidance on the handling of any farmed caught salmon by anglers is available at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Salmon-Trout-Coarse/fishreform/licence/

Scottish Government, through Marine Scotland Science, has developed and published a theoretical modelling framework that might be used to consider genetic impacts of farmed salmon and is currently part of a consortium developing new genetic tools for assessing the degree to which genetic material from escaped farmed salmon may have become incorporated into wild populations. SG previously funded development of genetic tools through Rivers and Fisheries Trusts and has conducted experiments to examine the dispersal of farmed fish escapees on the Scottish west coast.

No fish farms have been prosecuted for releasing farmed fish. This is not a statutory offence. Equally an escape of farmed fish is not an offence although there is a requirement for notification to the Fish Health Inspectorate.

Use of the Sustainable Procurement Training Framework in the first year is in line with advertised values published in its procurement. This translates into over 350 places allocated so far. Take up is from a range of public sector organisations and geographically across all of Scotland.

The framework was awarded in September 2016 and runs for two years with the option for two further one-year extensions. Training places are demand led and open to all Scottish Public Sector organisations. The framework offerings facilitate learning and have grown through new course development in its first year.

The Scottish Government's plans to increase the proportion of electric cars and vans will place an increased demand on electricity supply. This will need more flexibility and efficiency within the electricity system, and increase the importance of a resilient supply of power.

Vehicle electrification will also create new opportunities for storing and balancing electricity on the network, with great potential for smart technology to manage the interface between supply and demand of power between vehicles and grid.

These matters have been set out in the Scottish Government's draft Energy Strategy, published in January 2017, and will be developed further under the final Scottish Energy Strategy.

Ministers and officials are in regular contact with Ofgem to discuss a wide range of energy market and policy matters. These include the issues raised by our draft energy strategy and low-carbon ambitions for network investment and infrastructure. We will continue to work closely with Ofgem as we develop our plans in more detail.