The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 613 contributions
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
It would be wonderful to have the same level of deposit across the UK. We have passed regulations that state that the level here would be 20p. However, we do not know what it might be in the rest of the UK, so I cannot comment on that.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
—but we do not know what that might look like.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
I am happy to get back with that detail.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
The requirement would have been to remove the regulations that were laid on 17 May. The changes to the scheme to move it to October were announced last week. We would have had to withdraw those regulations, change them and bring them back. That would have been done through an expedited process, which would allow less scrutiny and, would, potentially, run up against that recess break. I agree that doing it this way is frustrating to all of us, but it means that the committee has had the normal amount of time to scrutinise those amendments and we avoid the cliff-edge problem of what happens over the summer. It is absolutely my intention to lay—as the convener suggests—amending regulations for October 2025 before recess, but those cannot be laid until this SSI has passed.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
We could have withdrawn the SSI and modified it, but the timeline for scrutiny would have been very much compressed and we felt that it was important for the committee to be able to scrutinise the regulations.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
From the internal market act intervention, we know that we might have to bring before Parliament more regulations, not only around whether the October 2025 date is deliverable but around other matters, such as the amount of the deposit. By continuing with this SSI—with these amendments, as promised to industry—we completely define the Scottish scheme and avoid that cliff edge. We do so using the smoothest parliamentary process.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
Was it 60 per cent?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
That is a really nice way of putting it. As I have said, the regulations as they were originally passed in 2020 were made deliberately broad to allow the industry to find its way. The amendments represent feedback from the industry on the support that it would like to make the scheme work best for its members. We have gone and done what it asked us to do.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
It will not replace it—it will just amend the date.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 13 June 2023
Lorna Slater
Thank you, convener, We have covered the matter extensively, so I will go straight to moving the motion.
I move,
That the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee recommends that the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Amendment Regulations 2023 [draft] be approved.