The Scottish Government was “utterly irresponsible” in the way it tried to implement its deposit return scheme (DRS), a former UK government minister has said.

Giving evidence at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Friday, former Scottish secretary Lord Alister Jack said the Scottish Government had withheld “commercial information” from businesses about a risk that the scheme would be blocked.

Lord Jack was Scottish secretary when the UK government refused to grant the Scottish DRS an exemption for glass bottles under the Internal Market Act (IMA).

This decision led to the Scottish Government changing its plans for the scheme in 2023.

A UK-wide DRS is planned, but it is not expected to begin before 2027.

Biffa Waste Services is suing the Scottish Government at the Court of Session, s

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