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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of packaging costs on (a) breweries, (b) pubs and (c) hospitality businesses in Rushcliffe.

The Government published an updated assessment in October 2024 of the impact of introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) on packaging producers as a whole. The assessment did not provide separate estimates for breweries, pubs or hospitality businesses, or disaggregate impacts at a local level.

The Government is aware of concerns about the classification of packaging that is disposed of through commercial waste streams, including in hospitality settings. Defra continues to work on this issue and that includes working closely with the brewing, hospitality and wider packaging sectors.