Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the use of non-recyclable plastic straws.

As announced by the Chancellor in his budget in November, my officials are working closely with HM Treasury and a call for evidence will be published early in 2018 seeking views on how the tax system or charges could reduce the amount of single-use plastics waste including non-recyclable plastic straws.