The Environmental Audit Committee questioned DEFRA Minister Rebecca Pow recently on plans for a Deposit Return Scheme. Barry focused his questions on local authorities, and whether a reduction in kerbside collection if a Deposit Return Scheme were rolled out would negatively affect council budgets. The Minister assured Barry that the Debt Management Office would pay local authorities for any material collected that does not go through the Deposit Return Scheme. Barry then asked the Minister to give an overview of the assessment made by DEFRA of the gaps in reprocessing and recycling infrastructure in the UK, as the scheme is likely to require a major upscaling in the UK’s infrastructure demands. The Minister and DEFRA Official clarified that infrastructure will be one of the key strategic aims of the Scheme Administrator.