Meetings

In light of the fact that detailed work is underway to develop a Deposit Return Scheme in Wales, England and Northern Ireland, with a further consultation on scheme design anticipated later in 2020, the Committee agreed to close the petition. In doing so, the Committee also agreed to provide the petitioners’ further comments about scheme design to the Welsh Government.

The Committee considered further information and agreed to write to the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government to request an update on the Welsh Government’s input into work to develop a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers in England and Wales, following the previous consultation in 2019 and to ask what more the Welsh Government can do to support the introduction of Deposit Return Scheme in Wales.

The Committee considered the petition alongside P-05-803 and P-05-829, and agreed to await the outcome of the relevant joint consultations being held by the UK and Welsh Governments, before considering whether it should take further action on the petitions.

Due to time constraints, and to allow the petitioner additional time to provide comments, the Committee agreed to defer consideration of the petition to a future meeting and consider further whether to invite the Minister for Environment to attend Committee in the autumn term to answer questions on a number of petitions relating to single use plastics.

The Committee considered this petition together with P-05-803 Our natural world is being poisoned by single use plastics...it's time to introduce a tax! and agreed to write to;

• The Minister for Environment to ask for:
•  further details about the discussions she intends to hold with other governments within the UK on the possibility of a UK-wide Deposit Return System and plastics tax;
• her views on the other point raised in the petition about legislating to ensure that all single-use food and drink containers and utensils are fully compostable; and
• The Cabinet Secretary for Finance to seek an update on the development of a potential tax on single-use plastics.

The Committee noted the letter.  Members agreed to write to the Chair of the Petitions Committee outlining the proposed approach to this issue.

The Committee considered the evidence received on P-05-750 For single use items: introduce a Deposit Return System for drink containers and make fast food containers and utensils compostable and agreed to:

• write to the Minister for Environment to ask when the Extended Producer responsibility research study will be published and for her to notify the Committee once it is available; and
• forward details of the petition to the Chair of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee and ask if the Committee intends to do any work on issues relating to single use plastics.

·         Gill Bell, Petitioner, Head of Conservation Wales, Marine Conservation Society

The Committee heard evidence from Gill Bell, Head of Conservation Wales, Marine Conservation Society.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs and agreed to invite the petitioners to attend a Committee meeting to provide further evidence on the petition.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs to seek the clarifications requested by the petitioners, including whether:

o   the planned reviews will include an evaluation of the prospects of introducing a Deposit Return System, and an assessment of the legislation required; and

o   interested stakeholders will be able to meaningfully engage with the Welsh Government in their evaluation of evidence from these reviews, prior to formal public consultation.

The Committee also agreed to consider holding an inquiry into the proposal raised by the petition once the response from the Cabinet Secretary is received.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await the views of the petitioners before deciding the next steps to be taken on this petition.