Explanatory Notes

Environment (Wales) Act 2016

3

21 March 2016

Commentary on Sections

Part 3 – Charges for Carrier Bags

Section 59 – Record-keeping and publication of records

233.This section makes provision about records that must be kept and information that must be provided in relation to the carrier bag charging regime. This section may apply to any person but the regulations are most likely to impose duties on the sellers and any person who receives any net proceeds of charge for charitable purposes.

234.Currently regulation 8(3) of the Single Use Carrier Bags (Wales) Regulations 2010 requires sellers to keep information on the number of single use carrier bags supplied, the amount received by way of the charge and the uses to which the net proceeds have been put.

235.Subsection (2)(b) provides that the regulations may require information about carrier bag charges to be published or supplied to any of the persons identified in paragraphs (i) to (iii). These are Welsh Ministers, any administrator appointed under section 58 or members of the public.

236.Subsection (3) provides examples of records or information that may be required under the regulations. Regulations could, for example, require sellers to provide information about how many bags they have sold in any given period and the amount they have received in charges. They might also require the sellers to give a breakdown of how they have calculated the net proceeds of the charge as defined in section 63 and how those proceeds have been used.

237.Subsection (4) provides that the regulations may require any person who receives any net proceeds of the carrier bag charge from a seller of goods to publish or supply records or information about the money they have received.