DRS delayed as Yousaf sets three Government missions
The Scottish Government's controversial deposit return scheme ("DRS") will be delayed until next March, First Minister Humza Yousaf announced today as he launched his new Government's "policy prospectus" of commitments to be carried out by the next Holyrood elections in 2026.
The scheme, backed in particular by Scottish Greens Minister Lorna Slater, had come under growing criticism from supermarkets as well as small retailers as too complicated and expensive to operate. However, while confirming the delay of its launch to 1 March 2024, to "provide 10 months for businesses to get ready", Mr Yousaf told MSPs that he remained committed to the scheme as a way to. increase recycling and reduce litter. He blamed the uncertainty on the UK Government delaying a decision on whether to exclude the scheme from the Internal Market Act.
In his statement, headed "A fresh start for Scotland", Mr Yousaf set out three "missions" for his Government – tackling poverty in all its forms; supporting economic growth to maximise the green economy; and focusing on the delivery of key public services.
Under the first of these he promised to target spending where it would benefit those who need it most, and to promote legislation "to secure a new deal for tenants" and introduce duties to prevent homelessness, while being "even bolder on taxation, and the redistribution of wealth".
On the second, he promised a "re-set" of the relationship between business and Government, which as well as "simplifying and de-risking" DRS would involve taking the planned curbs on alcohol advertising "back to the drawing board", and discussions on how the Government could better support business through policy levers such as non-domestic rates.
In his third mission Mr Yousaf committed to improving the NHS and social care services – the time for scrutiny of the National Care Service Bill is to be extended – as well as education and the justice system. For the latter, there were commitments to improve case handling and access to justice, though no mention of additional support for the legal profession.