Deposit-return Scheme

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:31 pm on 30 November 2021.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:31, 30 November 2021

(Translated)

Well, the first step, Llywydd, was for us to take the powers. Without the powers, there'd be no opportunity for us to have any kind of scheme, and that is not in our hands as a Senedd; we have to draw the powers back to this place in order to be able to have a scheme, and that's what has occurred in collaboration with others. We have been collaborating not only with the United Kingdom Government, but with the Northern Ireland Government, to learn from the lessons in the work that they have done. 

Then nature of the border between us and England means that it's important for us to endeavour to create as much common ground as possible between us in order to facilitate the scheme, and the people who run the scheme on the ground, in a way that works for us and for the people here in Wales. And there are a number of practical issues to consider, and it will be a Welsh scheme when we bring it forward. As, I am certain, the Member is aware, the Scottish Executive, earlier this month, had to defer implementing their scheme. They have all the powers, and so that wasn't an issue for them, but they have faced a number of practical problems and they had to withdraw their scheme. 

We wish to proceed to collaborate with other people in order to resolve a number of practical issues—to produce the scheme, to appoint not-for-profit operators, and to agree flexible deposit levels, for example—and then, early in the new year, to return to the Senedd with a scheme for us here in Wales.