Scrapping of DRS strikes nearer as Jack says Sunak shouldn’t revoke situations
T
he Prime Minister shouldn’t collapse to calls for to revoke situations on Scotland’s deposit return scheme (DRS), the Scottish Secretary has stated, because it strikes nearer to probably being scrapped.
Scotland’s First Minister wrote to Rishi Sunak on Saturday, demanding that situations – certainly one of which might see glass containers faraway from the scheme – positioned on it by UK ministers as a part of an exemption to the Internal Market Act be shelved.
Humza Yousaf gave the Prime Minister a deadline of Monday, or threat “grave danger” to the Scottish scheme, later telling the PA news company he “struggles to see it going ahead” with the situations imposed.
Asked on the BBC’s Sunday Show if Mr Sunak ought to acquiesce, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack stated: “No.
“We’ve given the exclusion. There are four conditions in that exclusion which allow the scheme to work across the United Kingdom.”
The exemption was required to permit the scheme to run within the absence of others elsewhere within the UK, with different nations anticipated to arrange their very own within the coming years.
The most controversial of the situations would see glass stripped from the scheme in Scotland, one thing Mr Jack stated is a matter of concern to companies.
“We believe that makes sense, because that’s what industry have written to us and industry have asked us to do,” he stated.
I have not had a single letter supporting the proposed scheme that Lorna Slater has introduced ahead, whereas I’ve had over 1,000 letters of concern
“I haven’t had a single letter supporting the proposed scheme that (Green minister) Lorna Slater has brought forward, whereas I have had over 1,000 letters of concern, and it’s those concerns that we have taken into account when we’ve come to our conclusion.”
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Yousaf cited considerations raised by C&C Group – one of many nation’s greatest brewers and the corporate behind Tennent’s Lager – however, in correspondence he obtained from the agency, it claims to have been “misrepresented”.
Reading a piece of the letter, Mr Jack stated: “Please find enclosed the letter we sent to Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s First Minister, setting out our position following last weekend’s UK Internal Market announcement.
“Regrettably, specific passages of this letter were leaked to the media misrepresenting C&C’s position on DRS.
“C&C Group/Tennent’s is actively seeking and supports a UK-wide scheme introduced at the same time across the four UK nations.”
The letter, which has since been seen by the PA news company, went on to say that the elimination of glass would depart the corporate at a “competitive disadvantage with the rest of the UK” and the agency “cannot therefore support a stand-alone Scottish DRS that excludes glass”.
But with Wales additionally planning to incorporate glass in its scheme and the federal government in Northern Ireland not functioning, Mr Jack was requested why the English scheme couldn’t merely mirror these in Scotland and Wales.
“Wales haven’t asked for an exemption – they have consulted on glass but there’s been no exemption request – Northern Ireland aren’t including glass,” he stated.
“The situation is that we have a UK Internal Market Act, and that works alongside devolution, that is a protector of devolution.
“The UK Internal Market Act came after we left the EU, it’s to protect the single market within the UK.”
He added: “So we listened to concerns of businesses and consumers and we decided the Scottish Government can go ahead with their scheme first as long as it dovetails into the other schemes in the UK.”
On the problem of together with glass, the Scottish Secretary stated he has spoken to British Glass, which claimed the Scottish scheme will largely be crushing glass for use as mixture for roads, however Circularity Scotland – the administrator – disputed that assertion.
A spokesman for the agency instructed PA the claims are “totally inaccurate”.
“Circularity Scotland has consistently stated that the Scottish Deposit Return Scheme has set a target of 90% for the remelting and reuse of glass from the scheme’s launch, rising to 95% post-launch,” he stated.
“Any claims to the contrary are totally inaccurate.
“These claims have seriously jeopardised a £10 million investment in glass recycling planned for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.”