Meeting of the Parliament 01 March 2023 [Draft]
I would like to make it clear at the outset that, although I am a member of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, I am speaking on behalf of my party.
I begin by stating the obvious: the drinks industry is watching the actions of this Government with absolute despair. At the same time as the outgoing First Minister is urging drinks producers to sign up to the deposit return scheme, her three potential replacements are already promising to make changes to it, and Kate Forbes has even warned that the scheme could cause “economic carnage”. However, that does not seem to have discouraged Lorna Slater. The Greens are pressing ahead with the SSI, whether the Scottish National Party likes it or not, which makes one wonder whether the tail is now wagging the dog in this coalition Government.
Parliament is being asked to support an SSI that allows penalties to be levied in a scheme that is not yet in place, that has already suffered two delays, and with which only 16 per cent of producers across Scotland have registered.
At the weekend, the minister did not even know whether the small drinks producers would be exempt for a further year but, today, she appears to want to set up a police force to enforce the scheme. That sounds a lot like putting the cart before the horse—a logistical nightmare that the minister seems to be drawing inspiration from.
I turn to the nuts and bolts of the SSI.