Written Question·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·UIN 116667

Deposit Return Schemes: Rural Areas

Tabled: 27 February 2026
Answered: 5 March 2026

Question

John Milne

Liberal DemocratHorsham

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Deposit Return Scheme on small retailers in rural areas.

Answer

Mary Creagh
Defra published the Final Impact Assessment on DRS, including its assessment of impact on retailers, for England and Northern Ireland in 2024. This can be found at: The Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024.