A UK Government minister blocked a Scottish deposit return scheme (DRS) in order to give the SNP a “black eye”, a court has been told.

Scotland’s former circularity minister Lorna Slater accused former Scottish secretary Alister Jack of acting in “bad faith” when he refused to grant an exclusion 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, seeking tens of millions of pounds worth of reparations over the decision to delay the DRS.

Giving evidence to the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Tuesday, Ms Slater said Lord Jack had “single-handedly und

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