Lorna Slater defends deposit return scheme plan

Lorna Slater urged Westminster to "do the right thing" and allow the scheme to go ahead

The minister responsible for the deposit return scheme has denied claims by Scottish Secretary Alister Jack that vital assessments have not been submitted to the UK government.

Lorna Slater said Mr Jack's statement on the matter was "not true".

He told MPs on Monday that he was still waiting for "proper, grown-up assessments" of the scheme.

The UK government is considering whether the scheme can be exempted from the Internal Market Act.

Last week Ms Slater, Scotland's circular economy minister, suggested the project could be axed if it did not get the go ahead from Westminster.

• Deposit return scheme could be axed this month

• Why has Scotland's deposit return scheme been delayed?

At Holyrood on Tuesday she insisted all the information necessary to grant an exemption had been provided.

And she called on the UK government to "do the right thing" and allow the scheme in Scotland to go ahead.

Ms Slater said a decision was needed from Westminster by the end of May.

"It is not true that these [assessments] have not been carried out," she said.

"We have conducted a full set of impact assessments at the appropriate point in delivery of the scheme. These are publicly available.

"We have supplied all the required information, and more, to agree an exclusion from the Internal Market Act."

Mr Jack told MPs on the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee on Monday that he was "yet to see the workings that could let me take a responsible decision one way or the other on this with any confidence".

Alister Jack discussed the scheme at the Scottish Affairs Committee on Monday

The deposit return scheme, aimed at increasing the number of single-use drinks bottles and cans that are recycled, was due to begin in August.

It will now come into effect in March next year.

Under the new scheme, 20p will be added to the price of a single-use drinks container, which will be refunded to people who return it to a retailer or hospitality premises that offer single-use products.

Concerns have been raised that because Scotland's scheme would come in before similar initiatives in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it could create a trade barrier.

The Internal Market Act was brought in after Brexit in a bid to ensure smooth trade across the different nations of the UK.

Compensation for businesses

In Holyrood on Tuesday Ms Slater came under fire over the rollout of the scheme.

Megan Gallacher, of the Scottish Conservatives said it was "shambolic" and had "damaged the relationship and confidence amongst Scottish businesses".

Former Scottish government minister Fergus Ewing, who has been critical of the scheme from the SNP backbenches, said businesses had incurred costs preparing for the scheme.

"If the scheme fails, they must get compensation," he said.

Ms Slater replied that the question of compensation was "thoroughly hypothetical at the moment".

"I am working towards getting the scheme launched and ensuring that it is a success," she added. "That is what we are putting in place as we work towards the 1 March launch."