The 5p plastic bag tax, which is being introduced in England this week, will significantly reduce the billions of one-use bags handed out in England every year.

However, as with so many things to do with the environment, the Conservatives simply do not understand the issues. In Wales and Scotland the charge is being applied to all retail outlets. Here in England smaller retail outlets will be exempted.

At a stroke the Conservatives have clouded what should have been a very simple step and introduced confusion and variations across shops. Small and medium-­sized enterprises – retailers employing fewer than 250 staff – are exempt from the English plastic bag charge.

This is absolute nonsense from the Conservatives and shows that whilst they will indulge in greenwash schemes they are not prepared to really tackle the issue. Whilst I welcome this charge as a first step, as it will significantly reduce the billions of one-use plastic bags handed out in the UK each year, it is a shame that the Government has introduced confusion by exempting smaller retail outlets. They should review the exemption as soon as possible and bring in the charge across all retail outlets as is the case in Wales and Scotland.