6. Debate on a Member's Legislative Proposal: A deposit-return scheme and waste reduction Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:58 pm on 25 November 2020.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 3:58, 25 November 2020

Most of my constituents feel extremely strongly about the litter disfiguring our communities, and I want to pay tribute to all the volunteers who take part in regular litter picks to clear up the mess created by the thoughtless few. I was out in Llanedeyrn last week with staff from the Cyncoed campus of Cardiff Metropolitan University, and I thank them for turning out in the rain. You won't be surprised to know how we picked up lots and lots of bottles and cans. A deposit-return scheme would, I hope, encourage people not to chuck items they can get money back on, and in particular, would, I hope, whet the entrepreneurial appetite of our young people. That is certainly how I increased the size of my pocket money in the long, distant past. My question to the proposer is this. The United Kingdom Internal Market Bill 2019-21, we know, would prevent this Senedd from being able to meaningfully eliminate single-use plastic, as we could only apply any measure to Welsh-based companies, which would, at a stroke, leave out the ubiquitous global brands of fizzy drinks that litter our landscape as well as advertising billboards.

So, how would the internal markets Bill fetter the Member's proposal? Please convince me that it wouldn't have the perverse consequence of causing drinks currently bottled in Wales to be relocated to the other side of the border to evade having to take part in a deposit-return scheme. How would your proposed legislation get around the iniquitous internal markets Bill in the form that the UK Conservative Government has framed it?