Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04001 on
‎ 8 November 2021 . 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
‎

Capital and resource funding for SEPA’s programme to plan, track, and deliver the regulator function for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), including development and delivery of a digital producer registration service, is agreed between SEPA and the Scottish Government as part of the annual Budget process.

Once DRS goes live, the annual registration fee paid by producers with a turnover of greater than £85,000 per year will cover the cost of ongoing maintenance of the registration service and regulation of the scheme.

As of 3 November 2021, the Scottish Ministers have received two applications for an exemption from the obligation to operate a return point under Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.

The provisions of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 enable the Scottish Ministers to make a formal proposal to establish a new National Park. We are aware that there are several areas which may be interested in obtaining National Park status. There is therefore a need to have an initial non-statutory evaluation process to determine what area or areas should be subject to a formal proposal. This evaluation process will be fair and transparent and stakeholders will be closely involved in developing it.

Further, section 3 of the Act allows the Scottish Ministers to require NatureScot, or another public body with relevant expertise, to report to Ministers on a proposal for a National Park. The reporter appointed under section 3, as part of preparing the report, must consult with every local authority and community council whose area (or part of whose area) is within the area to which the proposal relates, persons the reporter considers are representative of the interests of local residents and businesses, any other persons as the reporter thinks fit.

To be eligible for National Park Status, under the provisions of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 the area must meet the following 4 Aims:

(a) to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area,

(b) to promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area,

(c) to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public, and

(d) to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities

In addition, the Act specifies 3 Conditions which are to be met before a National Park can be designated:

(a) that the area is of outstanding national importance because of its natural heritage or the combination of its natural and cultural heritage,

(b) that the area has a distinctive character and a coherent identity, and

(c) that designating the area as a National Park would meet the special needs of the area and would be the best means of ensuring that the National Park aims are collectively achieved in relation to the area in a co-ordinated way

Satisfying the Aims and Conditions of National Park will be the first step in identifying the area or areas to be taken forward. Further criterion will be required to evaluate the list of candidate areas. The first step in the process will be to develop and publicise this initial evaluation process.

Yes. Following the discussions with stakeholders to agree evaluation process to assess bids for National Park status, a call will be made for candidate areas.

The use of facial recognition technology is an operational decision for Police Scotland, operating within the boundaries of current legislation. The Scottish Government understands from the service that there are no plans to use the technology during COP26, either in a live or retrospective capacity.

The use of facial technology by security teams within the COP26 Blue Zone is a matter for them given the designated status of the area for the duration of the conference.

The first steps in the process of identifying potential areas for National Park status will be to develop and publicise the evaluation process which will be used to determine the area or areas to be proposed as the next National Park in Scotland.

We want to ensure that wherever women seek menopause support, they get the care that they need. Menopause care is provided in different settings and in a variety of ways, in both primary and secondary care. We do not currently have the data to be able to accurately describe the variety of sources of menopause care in Scotland.

A key aim of the Women’s Health Plan is to ensure that when required women will have timely access to menopause support and services, be that though primary or specialist care.

To help achieve this we will provide access in each primary care team to a healthcare professional who has a special interest in menopause. We will also provide a specialist menopause services in every NHS Board – including a buddy system where sub specialisation is impractical.

We will be working closely with NHS Boards in order to progress these actions which will also enable us to build a comprehensive picture of the delivery of menopause care in Scotland.

Data on the number of people who have attended for menopause care in NHSScotland are not routinely available.

The following table shows the number of directly employed staff on Fixed-Term appointment contracts at 30 June 2021, broken down by Directorate. These are our most recently published data.