Lorna Slater to assess whether deposit return scheme can go ahead

The Scottish government is to assess whether its deposit return scheme will go ahead after Westminster refused to allow glass to be included.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said the decision made "no sense" and called for it to be reversed.

She also accused the UK government of trying to sabotage the scheme.

Ms Slater said she would now need to assess whether it was "something we can make work" ahead of its planned launch in March of next year.

Opposition parties have accused her of attempting to stoke a constitutional row to divert attention away from her handling of the scheme.

Ms Slater had to apply for an exemption to the Internal Markets Act because of concerns that the Scottish scheme would effectively introduce trade barriers in different parts of the UK if it was introduced ahead of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and had different rules.

The other three UK nations are all due to launch their own scheme in October of next year.

The Scottish Licensed Trader's Association has previously likened Ms Slater's approach to "building a 20-storey skyscraper then applying for retrospective planning permission".

In his response to the application on Friday, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said it would be partially approved - but that glass would be excluded from the scheme to make it consistent with the other parts of the UK.

The move means that the Scottish deposit return scheme would only be allowed to cover PET plastic, aluminium and steel cans.

A UK government spokesman said: "Deposit return schemes need to be consistent across the UK and this is the best way to provide a simple and effective system.

"A system with the same rules for the whole UK will increase recycling collection rates and reduce litter - as well as minimise disruption to the drinks industry and ensure simplicity for consumers."

Glass has already been excluded from the proposals for England and Northern Ireland but is still included in Wales, with the Welsh government having not yet asked for an exemption.

The deposit return scheme aims to boost recycling rates by adding 20p to the price of a single-use bottle or can, which will be refunded to people who return it to a retailer or hospitality premises that offer single-use products.

Larger stores, shopping centres and community hubs will operate reverse vending machines for people to return drinks containers.

The scheme had originally been due to launch in Scotland in July of last year but has twice been delayed amid concern about its implementation from many businesses which would be affected.

The British Soft Drinks Association and supermarket giant Tesco have been among those calling for Scotland to be part of a UK-wide initiative in 2025 rather than attempting to set up its own scheme a year earlier.

And many suppliers have said uncertainty over the scheme made it impossible for them to make plans.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said at the weekend that he did not want to go ahead with a scheme that excluded glass, but would look at the options.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, Ms Slater claimed that the row over the deposit scheme showed that devolution was under "sustained attack" by the UK government.

The Scottish Greens co-leader added: "When we pass laws to make lives a bit easier for trans people, the Scottish Secretary steps in and blocks the legislation.

"When Scottish ministers engage with other nations to share ideas and to promote Scotland as a place to visit, to study and to invest, the UK foreign secretary issues a diktat to overseas embassies to silence and side-line them.

"And now it is clear we cannot even introduce a recycling scheme without it being sabotaged by bad faith actors in the UK government, who never supported devolution in the first place."

Ms Slater said she would now be setting out "all the detailed steps that we are taking ahead of the go-live date next March" if the UK government had granted the full exclusion that she had sought.

She added: "Instead, we are now being forced to examine whether the deliberate sabotage by the UK government leaves us something we can make work.

"We will need some time to go through the detail of the UK government decision and conditions and I will update parliament on next steps."

Scottish Conservative MSP Maurice Golden said Ms Slater's statement was "solely designed to pick a fight with the UK government" rather than to "support a scheme that works for everyone".

And Scottish Labour's Sarah Boyack accused Ms Slater of trying to "divert attention from the utter mismanagement and the uncertainty her scheme has caused".