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 has taken to ensure an alignment of the (a) design and (b) implementation of deposit return schemes in England and Scotland.

The Government has confirmed that it will introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England, subject to consultation. The specific model, scope and scale of any scheme is being considered as part of this consultation, which is also being undertaken with the Welsh government and the Northern Ireland administration.

As waste and recycling policy is a devolved matter, the devolved administrations can decide policy separately. The Government is therefore unable to specify how a DRS in Scotland should be implemented, nor at this point are we considering specifically a pilot scheme. However, ministers and officials have met to discuss progress and recognise the benefits of a coherent system across the UK. DRS in England could form part of a coherent system across the UK and we will continue to work closely with the devolved administrations on this policy area.

The role of a Deposit Management Organisation in managing the operation of a DRS, including being responsible for the maintenance of Reverse Vending Machines, is currently being considered as part of our consultation. We will consider alternative approaches as part of our analysis of the consultation responses.