Green minister branded spectacularly unhelpful over DRS scheme

Scottish Liberal Democrat climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today branded answers provided by Green circular economy minister Lorna Slater as “spectacularly unhelpful” as he pressed the Scottish Government to explain why the firm set up to administer the Scottish Government’s deposit return scheme was created in a form which allows top salaries to be kept secret and renders it exempt from Freedom of Information legislation.

In response to parliamentary questions filed by Mr McArthur, Ms Slater refused to say whether alternative models of governance had been considered.

Mr McArthur said:

“We are no further forward in understanding why Circularity Scotland was set up like this, who took the decision and whether alternative options were considered.

“The public and parliamentarians should not have to rely on leaked reports to find out the Circularity Scotland chief executive is being paid £300,000 per year. Nor should a firm delivering a service that will affect all of our lives be allowed to keep its business under wraps.

“It might appeal to this SNP-Green Government to have their new administrative body sit above public questioning but it’s terrible for transparent and effective governance.

“Meanwhile, evading scrutiny once again with yet more spectacularly unhelpful answers may feel like a joke to the Minister, but businesses and consumers in Scotland are unlikely to find this behaviour so amusing.

“At the moment, the main thing getting recycled seems to be ministerial excuses.”