Responding to the news of Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme being delayed until October 2025, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, Emma McClarkin said:

 "We welcome the announcement this afternoon from the First Minister. The beer and pub industry remains committed to delivering an effective Deposit Return Scheme, but we did not have confidence that it would be deliverable by March 2024 due to the number of outstanding issues and ongoing lack of clarity, alongside the additional conditions in the partial IMA exemption, and increased politicisation of the policy.

“We now strongly urge all stakeholders to come together and work towards simultaneous DRS implementation across the UK to deliver optimal schemes for the environment, consumers, and for business.”