Lack of 'accurate' costings on Lorna Slater's Circular Economy Bill concerns committee

A member of a Holyrood committee has said the panel can have “no real idea” of the final costs of a Bill which would put charges on single use items, despite assurances from a Scottish minister.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill is currently before the Finance and Public Administration Committee, which is scrutinising the financial memorandum (FM) attached to the proposed legislation.

The Bill would impose the charges, as well as banning the disposal of unsold consumer goods and setting local recycling targets, but many of its provisions will be subject to co-design after the legislation – which is described as a “framework” – has been passed.

Circular economy minister Lorna Slater appeared before the committee on Tuesday and was asked by SNP MSP Michelle Thomson what her level of confidence in the costings was on a scale of one to 10.

“I think I have a confidence of 10 in this FM,” she said.

Asked if the costs were final in the implementation of the Bill, the minister said: “Indeed, because it’s at a strategic level.

“Within the FM, the assumptions that are made are very clear as well as the kind of ranges that we’re looking at.

“Because most of the provisions of this Bill are about setting up those frameworks, developing processes, developing legislation, they are as indicative and accurate as we can possibly make them for those things.”

Ms Thomson said that, given the status of the legislation as a framework, then the costings “can’t be very accurate at all” adding that they “concern me greatly”.

The SNP MSP added: “Just looking at the FM, we can, as it stands, have really simply no idea as to the final costs of implementing the policy.”

Ms Slater said it would be difficult to understand the final costs of the Bill, because the provision that would implement charges on single use items could be used “again and again and again” as new such items are created.

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