Question reference: S6W-00258
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 26 May 2021
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what provision it is making to ensure that small independent brewers will be able to introduce a stepped approach to a deposit return scheme with a timescale aligned with other UK nations of 2024.
Answer
We recognise the unique and significant pressures that COVID-19 has placed on businesses over the past year, including the independent brewing sector. That is why we have commissioned an independent Gateway Review to assess the impact of the pandemic on the go-live date for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).
We have no current plans to adopt a ‘stepped’ approach in which certain producers would initially be exempt from obligations under DRS. This would be likely to cause significant consumer confusion and jeopardise the behavioural change that DRS requires.