By Steve Bargeton, political editor

MSPs HAVE binned controversial plans to levy a tax on plastic shopping bags at checkouts.

However, the Holyrood environment committee did think the idea had merit—but only as party of a comprehensive package of waste prevention measures.

In June last year Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Pringle introduced a private Bill proposing that retailers and other businesses must charge customers a 10p levy for each plastic bag provided.

The levy would be collected by local authorities and spent on environmental projects.

The Scottish Executive took no position on the proposal but opponents dismissed it as an additional tax and argued that the benefits to the environment were unproven.

In a report out yesterday MSPs on the environment committee effectively killed off the Bill by recommending that the Parliament should not agree to its general principles.

They urged the ministers to include “ambitious measures” to reduce plastic bag use in the forthcoming waste prevention strategy.

“Our committee very much welcomes the debate about environmental issues, resource use and changing individual behaviour that has been provoked by this Bill,” said convener Labour MSP Sarah Boyack.

“The proposal seems very simple, but we found that the possible impacts of the levy are actually very complex on a whole range of issues.

“Implementing one measure in isolation doesn’t give the flexibility to make sure that the environment benefits.

“We agreed unanimously that the Parliament should not agree to the general principals of the Bill.”

Green MSP Eleanor Scott, deputy convener, said, “We recognise that the idea of a levy does have merits.

“Evidence suggests that it could change consumer behaviour overnight and reduce plastic bag use by approximately 90%.

“That is why we welcomed the minister’s development of a waste minimisation strategy and asked him to consider measures on plastic bags, including exploration of the option of a levy.

“We are disappointed that he has not, to date, responded more positively and we urge the Executive to take this on.

“Being part of an integrated strategy offers the best chance for measures to succeed and produce real net environmental improvements. ”

The Federation of Small Businesses last night welcomed the committee’s decision.

“We are glad that the committee has recognised that this Bill was fundamentally flawed,” said Andy Willox, FSB Scotland’s policy convener.

“We warned from the start that this Bill would be a lot of hassle for small firms, with little or no environmental benefit in return.

“All it would have done is cause a huge increase in paper bag use instead of plastic.

“A voluntary scheme in Australia has already resulted in a 30% decrease in use, with no transfer to paper bags.”