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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that revenue generated by retailers from charging for single use carrier bags is donated to good causes.

As the single use carrier bags charge is not a tax, the Government does not have the power to take the proceeds of the charge nor to determine where the charge goes. However, we expect retailers to donate the proceeds of the charge to good causes such as charities or community groups. Retailers are required to report on the uses to which the proceeds of the charge have been put to encourage them to do so.

Any additional change in policy would require an assessment of cost and efficacy implications. The Single Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) Order 2015 requires the Secretary of State to carry out a review of this Order before 5 October 2020.