MSPS want Alister Jack to come to Holyrood and discuss DRS
Holyrood committee members are fed up “being passed from pillar to post” by the UK Government over discussions for a deposit return scheme (DRS) in Scotland.
Earlier this year Westminster blocked the Scottish Government’s proposals for DRS, which would have made law 20pencebeingaddedtoplastic cansandbottles–achargethat would be refunded when the bottle was returned for recycling.
Central to the argument was the inclusion of glass – something Holyrood wanted, but Westminster disagreed with. Scotland’s DRS was then delayed until 2025 as a result.
MSPS sitting on Holyrood’s net zero, energy and transport committee wrote to Scottish secretary Alister Jack on June30,askinghimtocometo the Scottish Parliament to discuss both DRS and intergovernmental relations.
However, he responded on July20sayinghefeltdefrasecretary Thérèse Coffey should be invited instead, as Defra [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] is leading the UK Government’s work on DRS.
The committee then wrote to Defra, but the department’s under-secretaryrebeccapow wrote back on August 22 to “politely decline” the offer, giving no further explanation as to why.
Thecommitteehasnowonce againwrittentomrjackasking him to come to Holyrood, and hasgivenadeadlineofseptember 30 for him to respond.
The committee’s convener, Conservative MSP Edward Mountain, said: “Difficulties around Scotland’s deposit return scheme – and the taxpayer’s potential financial exposure as a result of these difficulties – are a matter of great public interest and concern in Scotland.
“Delays and setbacks on the scheme also laid bare that intergovernmental relations need sharpened up. Ways of enabling this must be discussed and implemented at speed. This is why we are disappointed that the secretary of state for Scotland referred our invitation to Defra – only for Defra to ‘politely decline’.
“Being passed from pillar to post by two arms of the same governmentisbothfrustrating and unhelpful. We hope for a morepositiveresponsebyseptember 30.”
Thescotlandofficehasbeen approached for comment.