Ban on the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic: Island Communities Impact Assessment

4. Assessment

Does your assessment identify any unique impacts on island communities?

No, considering the responses gathered from the consultation there have been no unique impacts identified.

Does your assessment identify any potential barriers or wider impacts?

No additional barriers or wider impacts have been identified.

How will you address these?

You must now determine whether in your opinion your policy is likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities). If your answer is NO to the above question, a full ICIA will NOT be required and you can proceed to Step Six. If the answer is YES, an ICIA must be prepared and you should proceed to Step Five. To form your opinion, the following questions should be considered:

Does the evidence show different circumstances or different expectations or needs, or different experiences or outcomes (such as different levels of satisfaction, or different rates of participation)?

Are these different effects likely?

Are these effects significantly different?

Could the effect amount to a disadvantage for an island community compared to the mainland or between island groups?

No, this policy is not likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities). There is no evidence that a ban on wet wipes containing plastic will impact on island communities in differing ways to the mainland of Scotland, nor that there will be different experiences or outcomes as a result of the ban. The ban will be of benefit to the whole of Scotland, irrespective of location or island status.

Any effects of the ban are equally as likely to occur on the mainland as on an island. By introducing a ban on the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic, it is considered that the reduced risk of harm that would result will potentially provide environmental benefits for the marine ecosystem as a whole and the species and habitats contained within, and for water quality through a reduction in microplastic pollution.