§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in replacing or reviving the second life plastics recycling scheme, and in particular the outcome of discussions between his Department, the farm plastics business in the United Kingdom and the National Farmers Union.
§ Mr. AtkinsMy predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo), wrote last October to businesses engaged in the farm plastics films sector about the future of the pioneering second life plastics scheme. Subsequently, the Packaging and Industrial Films Association has led an intiative to design a new industry-led scheme which would maintain, and possibly expand, the collection and recovery activities established by second life plastics. I am greatly encouraged by the continuing discussions on a replacement scheme, which will need support both from the industry and from farmers. The National Farmers Union has played an active part in these discussions and initial signs are that farmers are broadly supportive of these proposals.