Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of the equity of the application of the plastic packaging tax to businesses that use (a) recyclable and (b) single use packaging.
In the February 2019 consultation on the plastic packaging tax, the Government proposed that the tax would apply to plastic packaging in the same way as in the Packaging Producer Responsibility scheme, in order to ensure that the tax is clear and simple. This would mean that the tax would include both recyclable and single use packaging. The vast majority of respondents to the consultation agreed with this approach. The Government is considering the most appropriate definitions for plastic packaging and will set out next steps in due course.
The Government is also developing a reformed Packaging Producer Responsibility scheme to encourage businesses to design and use plastic packaging that is easier to recycle.