Mark Drakeford has attacked the UK Government for trying to stop the Welsh Government including glass in a recycling scheme.
In January a new initiative was announced that will see us pay a small deposit when we buy a drink in a single use container, which we get back when we return the bottle or can. It was also announced that Wales is working with England and Northern Ireland to set up a joint scheme, meaning you can buy a drink in Barry and return it in Bristol or Belfast.
Scotland was also setting up its own scheme but last week the UK Government told Scottish ministers they couldn’t include glass bottles because it would violate the Internal Market Act. This act was introduced by the UK Government after Brexit and was widely seen as an attack against devolution because it prevents the devolved nations from placing conditions on the sale of goods or services without Westminster approval.
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The UK Government have also written to the Welsh Government saying they are not allowed to include glass bottles in their scheme. First Minister Mark Drakeford was asked by the BBCs Glenn Campbell: "Are you gonna have to drop glass from your deposit return scheme?"
To this the First Minister said: "Well, we are considering the implications for our scheme, which includes glass, always did, was part of the consultation that we held with the Northern Ireland executive and with the UK Government. So we're reflecting on the actions of the UK Government, but at the moment, glasses in our scheme, and that's the way we expect it to stay."
He was asked that, given the UK Government had ruled out glass being included for Scotland and they've written to the Welsh Government, aren't Wales also going to have to drop glass from the scheme?
Drakeford said: "Well, we jointly published a document with the UK Government, in which they recognized that while they had decided not to include glass, we had, so this should be no surprise to them. They signed that document jointly with us.
"Of course I would dispute the use of the Internal Market Act for these purposes. And if they were to invoke it, they will 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 recognized the fact that we were going to include glass, because that's what the consultation that we did jointly with them said we should do. The English government is the outlier here, the questions are for them. And of course, we will have to explore that with them should that be their decision."
The argument that the UK Government often uses regarding the Internal Market Act is that businesses need uniformity across the who of the UK. When asked about this, Mark Drakeford turned the point round on the questioner. He was asked: "Doesn't business need a standardized system across the UK?" to which he said: "Well, it's a great shame that the UK Government in its English capacity doesn't recognize that because we would have acted as Scotland did and then they would have had the certainty and the continuity that they say business needs."
Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted her support for Mark Drakeford saying: "If only Scottish Labour had a fraction of Mark Drakeford’s principles and determination to defend self government."
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