PLASTIC BAGS

That this House welcomes the comments by the Prime Minister that the recent rise in carrier bag use is unacceptable and the statement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that if the use of carrier bags does not decrease, the Government will consider taking additional measures; further welcomes the Break the Bag Habit campaign by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Keep Britain Tidy, the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage and the Greener upon Thames Plastic Bag Free campaign; and calls on the Government to require retailers to impose a charge on all single use carrier bags, replicating the successful scheme in Wales and many other countries.