The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations are made under powers in the Climate Change Act 2008 and make amendments to the Single Use Carrier Bags Charge (Wales) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2880 (W. 238)) (“the 2010 Regulations”).

The 2010 Regulations, subject to certain exceptions, require sellers of goods who supply single use carrier bags for the purpose of allowing those goods to be carried away or delivered, to make a charge for each such bag supplied.

Single use carrier bags used for delivery or collection of goods are currently subject to a temporary exemption from the charge. The period of the temporary exemption is set out in paragraph 1(1A) of Schedule 1 to the 2010 Regulations. The current period of exemption ends on 8 July 2020.

Regulation 2 of these Regulations amends Schedule 1 (exemptions) to the 2010 Regulations by extending the exemption period to 31 December 2020.

The purpose of the temporary exemption is to mitigate, as far as possible, the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), through delivery and collection systems, and to increase the efficiency of delivery systems, by the use of single use carrier bags to carry goods.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained from the Environment Quality Division, Department for Environment and Rural Affairs, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.