SI explanatory text
These Regulations amend Schedule 1 to the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (c. 27) (“the 2020 Act”) to insert a further exclusion from the market access principles in Part 1 of the 2020 Act, in respect of certain specified single-use plastic items. The specified items are straws, plastic stemmed cotton buds, drink stirrers, plates, cutlery and chopsticks, balloon sticks, and expanded or extruded polystyrene food and drink containers and cups. In consequence of the amendment, the market access principles will not apply to, or affect the operation of, any legislation so far as it prohibits the sale of the specified items in any part of the United Kingdom. For these purposes, “sale” is defined in section 15 of the 2020 Act.