Drakeford: I would dispute use of internal markets act for deposit return

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has said he would dispute the use of the internal markets act to stop the Scottish Government including glass in its deposit return scheme.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, Mr Drakeford said if the internal markets act is invoked for the purpose of removing glass from the Scottish deposit return scheme there would be “very serious questions”.

There has been speculation that Wales, who had intended to go ahead with their deposit return scheme which includes glass, will no longer be able to do this after the UK Government stepped in to say the Scottish Government could not have glass in theirs.

Mr Drakeford said he is “considering the implications” of the decision for the Welsh Government.

He told the BBC: “We are considering the implications for our scheme, which includes glass and always did.

“It was part of the consultation we held with the NI executive and the UK Government.

“At the moment, glass is in our scheme and that’s the way we expect it to stay.

“We jointly published a document with the UK Government in which they recognised that while they had decided not to include glass, we had and they signed that document with us.

“I would dispute the use of the IMA for these purposes and if they were to invoke it, there would be very serious questions for the UK Government.

“Why so late in the day?

“Why are they doing this now when right up until now they have recognised the fact that we were going to include glass, because that’s what the consultation said we would do?

“The English Government is the outlier here.

“The questions are for them and, of course, we will have to explore that should that be their decision.

“It’s a great shame the UK Government in its English capacity didn’t recognise that because we would have acted as Scotland did, and then they would have had the certainty and continuity they say business needs.”