Minister cannot name a single business who blames DRS failures on UK Government

Scottish Liberal Democrat climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur has today expressed astonishment at Minister Lorna Slater’s inability to name a single business or trade association whose "number one concern" over the deposit return scheme was uncertainty created by the UK Government, rather than Scottish government failures.

On 20th April Lorna Slater told the Scottish Parliament:

"I have engaged with businesses large and small and with trade associations, and the number one concern that businesses have raised with me is the uncertainty around the scheme—in particular, the uncertainty that has been created by the UK Government not issuing an internal market act exclusion.

Mr McArthur subsequently lodged a parliamentary question asking "which businesses and trade associations have confirmed to the minister that their “number one concern” is uncertainty created specifically by the UK Government not issuing an exclusion to the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020".

In response, the minister directed Mr McArthur to an open letter signed by environmental NGOs calling for an exemption to be granted but conspicuously failed to name a single business or trade association.

Mr McArthur said:

"Lorna Slater could not have been clearer about the views of businesses and trade associations. Yet, in response to my direct question, she can only point to an open letter signed by environmental groups.

“Perhaps businesses and trade associations really have been telling Lorna Slater behind the scenes that this is all the UK Government's fault, but it seems unlikely. Rather, this latest response to my parliamentary question suggests the Minister is just making things up.

"It's not like businesses have been shy about coming forward with their opinions on this scheme. On the contrary, they have been consistently scathing about the haphazard manner in which the Scottish Government has sought to roll out DRS.

"As well as the impact on businesses across Scotland, this chaotic approach has undermined confidence in DRS itself, despite the fact that many countries around the world have implemented such schemes successfully.

“Now it seems that in addition to poor implementation and a lack of proper engagement with businesses, the Minister has taken to making things up as she goes along."