Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 22 May 2024.
Maurice Golden
Conservative
To ask the Scottish Government what elements it has identified that led to it not meeting its household recycling targets in 2013 and 2020. (S6O-03453)
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
Analysis of factors influencing recycling targets was published with the circular economy and waste route map consultation in 2022. The most significant driver of performance that was identified was recyclable waste being thrown away. In response, our £70 million recycling improvement fund is delivering modernised services and increasing the quality and quantity of recycling across Scotland. The overall recycling rate in Scotland is at its highest level since records began in 2011.
Our draft circular economy and waste route map and the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill aim to modernise recycling services and make recycling easier for householders in order to address that very issue.
Maurice Golden
Conservative
I thank the Minister for that answer, but let us remember the facts. According to the Scottish National Party, household recycling was supposed to be at 50 per cent in 2013 and 60 per cent in 2020. I have a simple question: in what year will the 50 per cent target be met?
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
Mr Golden is right to point to that. The household recycling rate is at around 42 per cent at the moment. The overall recycling rate in Scotland as a whole is 62.3 per cent.
Across these islands, the Welsh have the best recycling rates in the UK, and their approach is informed by much of what is in the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill. Their approach gave more powers to local authorities to address household contamination and set targets for councils. I am in close, regular contact with the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs for Wales, Huw Irranca-Davies. Indeed, he is working with me and UK Government and Northern Ireland ministers on the game-changer in waste collection, which is a UK-wide deposit return scheme.
We might want to reflect that, if our DRS in Scotland had started in March, as it was supposed to, 80 per cent of drinks containers would have been recycled this year, rising to 90 per cent next year. That would have made a huge impact on our waste recycling targets. Let us let the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill go through, and let us work with other UK nations to get a DRS back on track.
Clare Haughey
Scottish National Party
In Scotland, overall recycling rates are at their highest ever. Can the Minister detail how the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, which she referenced in her previous answer, will help to meet our ambitions?
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
I thank Ms Haughey for pointing that out. She is right—the figure is 62.3 per cent—but there is an awful lot more that we can do. Progress has been made on household recycling, which is why the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill and draft circular economy and waste route map set out further measures to improve and modernise local recycling. That includes working in collaboration with local authorities and households to design new statutory standards for recycling, to create a more consistent and easy-to-use service across Scotland. The bill will help us to achieve our ambitions for a circular economy and drive up reuse and recycling rates. I am willing to work with any member across the chamber on how we can make that more robust.
Douglas Lumsden
Conservative
I will try one more time. When will the 2013 household recycling targets be met?
Gillian Martin
Scottish National Party
The point about the targets that were set in 2013 or 2014 is that the Climate Change Committee has recommended an approach of having targets for separate waste streams and carbon-based metrics. The new targets may include consumption, reducing waste, reuse and local recycling, as well as material-based and emission-based targets. That is a far better and more detailed approach than we previously had.
Liam McArthur
Liberal Democrat
Question 3 has been withdrawn.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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