Meeting of the Parliament 20 March 2024
I am delighted to open the debate on the bill. I thank the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee for its stage 1 report, and the Finance and Public Administration Committee and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee for their consideration of the bill.
I was encouraged to hear so many stakeholders speak to the benefits of a circular economy when they gave evidence. Some rightly pointed out the challenges and areas in which more can still be done. The bill, together with the range of other activity that is under way, will give us the tools that we need to do just that.
I am grateful to the NZET Committee for its support for the general principles of the bill. It made a number of detailed recommendations, to which I have responded at length. I will touch on some of those, along with the bill’s principles and the positive changes that will be brought if the Parliament passes the legislation.
How we view and treat our resources in Scotland is fundamental to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss. We must deliver a fundamental shift across society to reduce the demand for raw materials; to encourage reuse, repairs and recycling; and to maximise the value of any unavoidable waste that is generated. Achieving that will require action here and throughout the United Kingdom. The bill will help that to happen in Scotland.
The new powers in the bill will give ministers and local authorities the tools that they need to help drive the transition. That will be underpinned by support and investment, such as the £70 million recycling improvement fund, which builds on more than £1 billion of funding that was provided through the former strategic waste fund between 2008 and 2022.
At the heart of the bill is the recognition that co-design, based on the principles of the Verity house agreement and the new deal for business, will be central in delivering the transformation. Regulations that are made under the enabling powers in the bill will be subject to further consultation, parliamentary scrutiny and impact assessments.
I note that the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee reported that it is content with the powers and the proposed procedures. I am happy to accept its recommendation about consultation on local authority guidance.