There clearly needs to be some easy and simple way for start-up businesses, such as brewers or soft drink or juice producers, to access the scheme. That is not because I do not think we need to consider such small producers, but rather that Amendment 134A in the names of the same noble Lords, the noble Viscount, Lord Trenchard, and the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, is broader and more useful, covering all kinds of producers. I want to speak in support of all the amendments in this group, with the partial exception of Amendment 134B, which would exempt small brewers. It certainly should not be left outside the term of this current Government-assuming of course that they continue for that long. I agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Jones, that it should be earlier still it could have been delivered years ago, but January 2023 is practical. That is why Amendment 133, which sets a deadline for implementation, is so important, and I would have attached my name to it had there been space.
Even down at the bottom of the pack, Estonia has a very respectable-certainly by our standards-83.7% bottle return rate. Ten other countries in Europe are operating these schemes, with bottle-recycling success rates running from an outstanding 98.5% in Germany, where of course they have had lots of practice since they started in 2003.
For the convenience of the Committee, I remind everyone that we are speaking about amendments that are all about the long-awaited and much-delayed bottle deposit scheme for England, an area in which we are notably world leading in foot dragging. My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Whitchurch, even after a five-day interval and in a debate truncated by a perhaps now unnecessary withdrawal of a number of noble Lords.
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