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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish a response to the consultation entitled Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of a scheme that includes (a) only on the go plastic containers of 750ml or less, (b) glass and plastic containers of 750ml or less, (c) plastic containers of all sizes and (d) glass and plastic containers of all sizes on (i) carbon emissions and (ii) Government expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

HM Government has consulted twice on the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and given careful consideration to scope of the scheme. We set out in the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (EPR) consultation response in March 2022 that the DRS would capture all sizes of container up to 3l and materials captured would be plastic and metal cans. Final policy positions and further details on the Deposit Return Scheme will be set out in HM Government response to last year's consultation. We are working towards publication in late 2022. An impact assessment for the scheme is also being finalised which provides a quantitative assessment of the costs and benefits of the policy.