There’s three things that you can do make sure you’ve got a great motion: identify a problem, identify a solution, present some evidence for it.
Alison Johnstone’s Bag Tax motion does those things admirably and topically. It identifies why plastic bags are a problem and how big that problem is – we use 590m a year in Scotland, they use up resources to produce, are used for a short time and are a danger when discarded. It identifies a solution – a plastic bag charge which has recently come into force in Wales, showing that this is a feasible thing that Holyrood can do. It also presents evidence for that solution – a huge reduction in usage in Ireland since a charge was introduced. So a (recycled from Christmas) Better Nation gold star!
Motion S4M-00992 – Alison Johnstone ( Lothian ) ( Scottish Green Party ) : Time is Right for a Bag Charge in Scotland
That the Parliament welcomes the decision by the Welsh Assembly Government to introduce a levy on single-use bags; considers that the 5p charge in Wales, to be introduced from 1 October 2011, will encourage a reduction in excessive use of plastic bags; congratulates Wales for being the first UK nation to introduce such a charge; notes that, in Ireland, where a charge for bags was introduced nine years ago, the government has reported that the number of bags used annually has fallen from 328 per person to 26; welcomes the news that some large retailers in Wales will be donating the money from the levy to charities; notes that, in 2009, the number of plastic bags handed to customers by supermarkets in Scotland almost halved in the three years following stores signing up to a voluntary government-organised scheme but that, since then, there has been a reported rise in the prevalence of use and that, in 2010, 590 million bags were used in Scotland; regrets that this is equivalent to 9.4 bags per person per month and considers that more must be done to reduce what it sees as disappointing figures; understands that bags are often used for only around 20 minutes, can take up to 1,000 years to degrade, can litter the landscape and threaten marine and bird life; further understands that their production and use can deplete natural resources and pollute the environment; agrees with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment that “plastic bags are a scourge on our environment and a blight on our streets, our countryside and our seas”; welcomes the announcement by the Scottish Government that, in autumn 2011, it will begin a public consultation on options to reduce plastic bag use, and calls on the Scottish Government to take inspiration from the Welsh decision in order to make real progress towards a zero-waste society.
Supported by: David Torrance, Roderick Campbell, Christine Grahame, Kenneth Gibson, Fiona McLeod, John Finnie
Of course, if you want to make sure you’ve got a rubbish motion why not say how much you enjoyed the ballet, dahlink?
Motion S4M-01005 – Clare Adamson ( Central Scotland ) ( Scottish National Party ) : Scottish Ballet’s Autumn Performance Opening Success
That the Parliament congratulates Scottish Ballet, Theatre Royal, Glasgow on what is considered the triumphant opening of its autumn performance on 29 September 2011, featuring a double bill of Jorma Elo’s Kings 2 Ends, combining complex choreography set to the music of Mozart and Steve Reich, coupled with Ashley Page’s Pennies from Heaven, inspired by uplifting cinema and music from the 1930s; considers that this was a very accomplished piece of work, which also featured in Edinburgh’s International Festival; notes that the tour will also be heading to the United States, with performances in California and Minnesota, and would like to wish Scottish Ballet continued success for what it considers its excellent performance throughout the autumn season.
Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Christina McKelvie, Bill Kidd, Patricia Ferguson, Jim Eadie, Colin Beattie, David Torrance, Roderick Campbell, Maureen Watt, Joe FitzPatrick, Gil Paterson, Kenneth Gibson, Derek Mackay, Hugh Henry, Chic Brodie, Paul Wheelhouse, Jean Urquhart, Jamie McGrigor, Mike MacKenzie, Humza Yousaf, Drew Smith, Annabelle Ewing, Mark McDonald
#1 by Random Lurking Scotsman on October 7, 2011 - 3:16 pm
Apparently the Welsh Government charges for all, not just plastic bags. If the Scottish Government seeks to replicate it, I hope that it studies the law and improves upon it (i.e it’s a plastic tax rather than a bag tax), as I can see the sense in nudging people towards bags that will decompose nicely, but charging for all bags that someone may get with their weekly shop is just ludicrous!
#2 by BIll Pickford on October 7, 2011 - 8:13 pm
One wonders how the SNP managed to hoodwink the Scottish public into giving them such an overwhelming majority.
After all, according to the contributors to Better Nation it is invariably the SNP members who put up the ‘Worst Motion of the Week’.
#3 by Aidan on October 7, 2011 - 8:26 pm
1. We call ’em like we see ’em, but the SNP do seem particularly fond of putting down trite (tripe?) motions.
2. It’s not actually true, in the short time this has been running MSPs from other parties have won this
3. Even if it were true (but see 2): Our gaff, our rules.
#4 by BIll Pickford on October 7, 2011 - 8:33 pm
“Our gaff, our rules”?
What a stratospheric argument, delightfully put.
#5 by James on October 11, 2011 - 12:39 pm
The same argument could alternatively be put as – with one’s own blog, one has freedom of speech. For what it’s worth, we debate this pretty extensively behind the scenes, and this was a clear “winner”.
#6 by Indy on October 8, 2011 - 8:24 am
I am no statistician but surely the fact that there are more SNP members than any other party means that they are more likely to put down motions than any other party and that therefore there are more likely to be more tripe ones.
Although in fairness to Claire Adamson it has to be noted that her motion is not really on a par with ones praising local flower shows etc because Scottish Ballet is publicly funded to the tune of millions of pounds so it is worth noting what they are up to with our money.
As regards the plastic bag motion, I am not against it but my personal experience is that I never throw a plastic bag out,. I have a little box in my kitchen in which I put all the carrier bags I bring home and they are re-used over and over again. (It comes in particularly handy at election times when you are doling out bundles of leaflets for people to deliver. ) But I wonder if the charging element wouldn’t be more effective at the other end of the bag’s usage – if you had to pay to dispose of them rather than to use them. Not sure how easily that could be done though.
#7 by Aidan on October 8, 2011 - 11:20 am
I think the fact there’s more back benchers as a proportion than other parties also has a part in this – there’s an incentive to prove you’re doing something to your constituents.
I can’t see a practial way to enforce a disposal charge – you’d just end up with plastic bags full of plastic bags being surreptitiously left in car parks and down alley ways….
#8 by Indy on October 9, 2011 - 9:18 am
Yes it would be too difficult to work out how to do that.
I just feel that 5p is nothing to most pepple. You might reduce the amount of bags being used but really if the problem is that plastic bags can’t be recycled and have become a scourge why can’t we just ban them?
It must be possible make recyclable bags so why not say those are the only kind of bags that can be used.
I have a feeling that the reason no-one is saying just ban them is because of EU regulations or some such thing. But maybe the EU should be asked to look at an outright ban.
#9 by An Duine Gruamach on October 8, 2011 - 9:56 am
There’s also more of them than any other party – law of averages and all that jazz.
#10 by Observer on October 7, 2011 - 8:16 pm
Quite a few shops will charge you for a carrier bag that’s a good one. The problem I have is that my house is now being taken over by carrier bags like Japanes knotweed, because I am so used to not carrying a shopping bag, I forget to take my bag for life, (the amount of which I now possess will possibly make me immortal).
I am not sure that charging money alone will change shopping habits. I voluntarily pay just now but still forget to take the damn things.
It’s a culture change that may take some time to kick in, but it’s well worth the trying & a good motion.
#11 by Barbarian on October 8, 2011 - 11:47 am
B&Q stopped issuing plastic bags a few years ago, which can be a pain!
However, It think a move to biodegradeable would be a good idea. I think Spar have had these for many years.
I’m in favour of action, since I live downwind from a shop and a small off-licence, and my fence collects a fair number of bags every week.
The tricky bit is how the SG imposes the tax.
#12 by The Burd on October 8, 2011 - 12:12 pm
I agree with the tax and in principle, with biodegradable bags – but if you’ve ever discovered a disintegrating one in the bottom of a cupboad, it can be a pain. The SG should create enabling legislation which allows local authorities to set up and collect the tax to supplement their income. In fact, it should do this with a whole range of local taxes – bed tax, visitor tax, travel tax etc. And of course, those areas which want to encourage particular growth etc could use them up or down to create competitiveness. That would get us away from the current rote of local government budgeting which is based entirely on historic cost rather than need or proposed desirable expenditure.
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#13 by Niall on October 10, 2011 - 11:45 am
Ireland have had a bag tax for many years now. I don’t see any issue with introducing one in Scotland and considering our environmental targets I feel we are already behind the curve in not introducing one already
#14 by Allan Rennie on October 11, 2011 - 10:22 am
In Republic of Ireland, they have a plastic bag tax of I think 25 cents, not an earth shattering amount but enough to remind you take a bag when you run down to the shop for a pint of milk and a loaf.