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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility on food producers.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

We have listened to feedback from industry. Since the EPR consultation, we have amended our proposals, with the effect of reducing costs to business from an estimated £2.7 billion a year to £1.4 billion.

We remain committed to working closely with industry as the final design of the scheme is decided. To this end, I have recently held roundtables with INCPEN, the British Retail Consortium, and the Food and Drink Federation, all of whom have been met by senior Defra officials as well.

As the Prime Minister has also set out, the economy is an immediate priority for this Government:

“Supporting businesses to grow is a crucial part of this – which is why we want to ensure a simple and effective system for our Extended Producer Responsibility scheme that benefits both businesses and consumers.

“We have been engaging closely with manufacturers, retailers, and packaging companies on the design of this scheme and on delivery plans.”