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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Scottish government’s proposals to ban plastic stemmed cotton buds; and whether they plan to consider similar proposals for England.

We have made no specific assessment of the Scottish Government’s proposals, though we recognise the efforts being made by manufacturers and retailers to phase out their use and sale.

Further to the Prime Minister’s call to eliminate avoidable plastic waste by 2042 and the Chancellor’s Budget announcement in November 2017, officials from both Defra and HM Treasury are working closely on a call for evidence to be published shortly. This will seek views on how the tax system or charges could reduce the amount of single use plastics waste.

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