Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on revenue of a tax on virgin materials including on plastics.

At Budget 2018, the government announced its intention to tackle the scourge of single-use plastic waste through the introduction of a new tax on plastic packaging which does not contain a sufficient amount of recycled content, taking effect from April 2022. This world-leading new tax will provide a clear economic incentive for businesses to use more recycled material in the production of packaging, instead of using virgin plastic. It will achieve similar objectives to a tax on virgin plastics, but in a more targeted and effective way.

Earlier this year, the government launched a consultation seeking views on the initial proposed design for the tax. This closed in May and the government intends to publish a summary of responses in due course.