Plastic Bag Levy Proposals adopted by Executive

Having to agree a budget in a time of financial austerity is never a good thing but one of the positive things about the Executive's budget is the fact that a levy on plastic bags will be introduced. Having only introduced a bill to the house on the matter recently I would have to very much welcome this as will environmental groups but also other sections of society who stand to gain from the revenue generated from this levy.

Those who have been following the campaign that we fought on this matter will know that it was at times difficult to see if such a proposal would go through the Assembly and there were negative soundings from some quarters way back in 2008 when Cathal Boylan and myself put a motion to the house supporting a plastic bag levy. However no party ruled out the possibility of a levy entirely.

I put together a piece of legislation which would place a 15 pence levy on plastic bags and proposed that the proceeds of this would go towards the Green New Deal Housing Fund. The GND will improve the energy efficiency of 100,00o homes, provide 2-3,000 jobs, save Co2 and take more people out of fuel poverty. To see this proposal become a reality after the Sinn Féin team brought the issue to the negotiating table is extremely satisfying given the environmental, social and economic benefits that it looks set to deliver on.

Below is an excerpt from today's Budget debate:

Mr McKay: Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his statement and welcome his announcement that the Executive will adopt proposals from my Single Use Plastic Bags Bill, which I brought to the Assembly quite recently. I also welcome the Executive’s approach of identifying additional revenue streams and refusing to be restricted by the Tory-imposed comprehensive spending review. Will the Minister confirm that that work will continue and further avenues for new revenue will be considered, including additional tax-varying and borrowing powers?

The Minister of Finance and Personnel: My only regret about the plastic bag tax is that leaflets will probably go all round north Antrim saying what a great triumph it is for Daithí McKay. He has caused me to have second thoughts about that proposal.

We have already hammered down and nailed down some revenue proposals, and £842 million worth of them are in the Budget. There is still work to be done on a large number of other proposals, and we have sought ways to ensure that they are followed up. Rather than simply saying that they are good ideas and hoping that Ministers work at them in their Departments, they will be pushed forward by the Budget review group. Therefore, there will be some central drive. The Member is quite right: the strength of our Budget proposals and some of the discussions that we had will be that they can supplement the amount of money available for public spending in Northern Ireland.