Commenting on this afternoon’s announcement by environment minister Lorna Slater MSP that Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme won’t go ahead ‘as currently planned’, CAMRA’s Scottish Director Stuart McMahon said:
“This is a chance for the UK and Scottish Governments to work together to make sure that we can have Deposit Return Schemes that are easy to understand for consumers and which work seamlessly across borders.
“CAMRA supports the principles of a deposit return scheme, but the Scottish Government’s proposals risked a catastrophic reduction in choice for consumers of quality beer and cider from small and independent businesses from across these islands.
“Whatever happens next, ministers must now make sure small brewers and cider producers from elsewhere in the UK can afford to keep selling their products into the Scottish market. These businesses provide consumers with a choice of distinctive and quality products – but at a time of rising costs, rocketing energy bills and customers tightening their belts the last thing they can afford is extra costs and red tape just to keep selling into Scotland.”
