Baroness Parminter has questioned the Government on whether it is considering introducing a tax on plastic bags

In a House of Lords debate on plastic bags [29 May], she asserted that a tax on plastic bags would help to deal with “environmental problems”.

She said:  “My Lords, each year we use 6 billion plastic bags in UK supermarkets. Does the Minister recognise the success of the taxation schemes in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales which have resulted in a 90% drop in plastic bags and have raised revenue to help deal with the environmental problems caused by these icons of a throwaway society?”

In response to her question, Lord Sasson said: “My Lords, I have learnt a lot about plastic bags over the past couple of days. As I am sure my noble friend knows, there is a voluntary scheme in this country which has reduced the use of single-use bags by some 45% across the UK.

“The first evidence of how the Welsh scheme, which started on 1 October last year, will come out imminently. Scotland is about to issue a consultation document about possible charging for carrier bags which we will look at, and it is intended that the Northern Ireland scheme will come in April 2013. I think it is as yet a little early to see what has happened in the devolved Administrations.”

Recycled plastic

Lord Jenkin of Roding said that plastic bag usage had decreased in recent times. He said that over the past six years the issue of plastic bags has decreased by some 40% and that four billion fewer bags are used now than six years ago.

He explained: “More recycled plastic is used in the bags that are produced so that the use of virgin plastic has reduced by 61%. Is it not right that a lot of supermarkets have quite sophisticated schemes for encouraging their customers not to use plastic bags? When my wife and I shop at a branch of Sainsbury’s in west London, we are given a credit if we bring our own bags.”

PAFA spokesman Peter Woodall has long argued that the UK Environment Agency Report on the Life Cycle Analysis has made it clear that plastic if re-used then recycled is the best environmental choice but delays of two years in publishing this have meant that Wales and Northern Ireland began moves against plastic/carrier bags without the benefit of expert analysis.

He said: “We have appealed repeatedly for such plans to be dropped in the light of the independent science.”

Elsewhere, Baroness Deech questioned: “Will the Minister extend his concern to the equally wasteful and annoying practice of sending out parliamentary mail in plastic bags that are very difficult to open, not to mention the plastic bags you have to use for little bottles of liquid when going through airport security? However, the mail coming from Parliament is especially wasteful of plastic.”

Lord Sasson said that he would take all the evidence into account. He added: “As we have heard in this interesting discussion, there has been a very significant reduction right across the UK without compulsory measures. We will look at the evidence from Wales and the other devolved Administrations when it comes in.