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 the Welsh Government on the potential merits of excluding glass from the Welsh Deposit Return Scheme, to align with the schemes in Northern Ireland, England and Scotland.

The UK Government has engaged extensively with the devolved governments and stakeholders on the development of the Deposit Return Schemes across the UK, including proposals relating to the inclusion of glass in the Welsh scheme.

The decision to agree an exclusion under the UK Internal Market Act 2020 allowing Wales to include single-use glass in its Deposit Return Scheme reflects a proportionate approach to managing the UK internal market and balancing environmental and economic considerations, whilst respecting devolved decision-making.