copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2023-08-17): This statistical report is updated annually and the published statistics relate to the carrier bag levy that commenced on 8 April 2013. The figures relate to the number of bags dispensed by retailers in Northern Ireland between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 as notified to the Department by 30 June 2023. [...] - During the tenth year of operation, 65.0 million carrier bags were dispensed by retailers under the carrier bag levy in Northern Ireland. [...] 1. This is the tenth year of the carrier bag levy in Northern Ireland. These are the final official statistics for 2022/23. The statistics refer to all bags made of any material, not solely plastic bags. The Department intends to publish 2023/24 figures in August 2024. Reports from previous years can be accessed from the DAERA website.
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2022-04-02): What is the carrier bag levy? By law, retailers in Northern Ireland must charge a levy for all new carrier bags being sold. [...] Through funding these projects, the carrier bag levy helps to sustain, improve and enrich the natural environment in Northern Ireland.
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2021-08-19): The Carrier bag levy annual statistics 2020/21 shows that 56.2 million carrier bags were dispensed by retailers under the levy in Northern Ireland between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021. This was 30.2% lower than the previous year, with 24.3 million fewer bags dispensed. The proceeds of the carrier bag levy, which was introduced in Northern Ireland in 2013, totalled £2.2 million, a decrease of £2.2m (50.5%) from the previous year. This was in part due to the levy being waived for home delivery of groceries between 1 April 2020 and 30 September 2020 to manage challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. Welcoming the figures, Minister Poots said: "Since the release of the last Carrier Bag Levy statistics we have witnessed an unprecedented year, with Covid-19 impacting on both our personal and business lives. We have faced many challenges in how and where we shop and access retail services, however it is very positive to report the removal of over 1.7 billion bags from circulation across Northern Ireland in the past year. I also welcome the fact that there has been an overall 30.2 % decrease in usage from last year, this reduction demonstrates that despite other challenges, people in Northern Ireland are aware of the damage plastic does to our environment. However, there is much more that can be done."
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2022-04-01): Carrier bag tax raises £37m for NI environmental projects The carrier bag levy scheme in Northern Ireland has raised £37m in the last nine years for environmental projects, according to a Stormont department. The figure was obtained by BBC News NI as the tax on carrier bags increased from 5p to 25p.
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2023-10-19): [182] See, e.g., Suzie Cave, Carrier Bags – Environmental Impact, Northern Ireland Ass. 4 (Apr. 7, 2014), http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/raise/publications/2014/environment/8314.pdf. [...] [186] Dr. Chris Edwards and Jonna Meyhoff Fry, Life Cycle Assessment of Supermarket Carrier Bags: A Review of the Bags Available in 2006, U.K. Env’t Agency (Feb. 2011), at 47, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291023/scho0711buan-e-e.pdf.
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2024-01-01): Any tax or levy on plastic carrier bags are costly, but enables consumer choice and generates revenue. While voluntary steps on the part of retailers and shopkeepers are inexpensive, they are weakly authorized and very nominally reduce impacts. Analyzed against all measures, literature review suggests that the economic instrument, a plastic carrier bag levy, is the most successful policy instrument for governments to address the issue of plastic carrier bags. The fundamental assumption is that stakeholders respond to costs and benefits by amplifying their self-interests; charging for bags always changes the behaviour (Dryzek, 2014). A different type of levy got implemented in Malaysia, where the buyers have to pay for plastic bags once in a week (Saturdays) (). Taxes, subsidies and levies with an economic-based rationality have become foremost in environmental governance, and this was affected by the market and price-setting (Adger and Jordan, 2009). Various types of levies (for example Green Dot Schemes) are charged to account for the environmental costs of the article, and also for the recovery and recycling of it (Knoblauch et al., 2018). [...] Poortinga, Wouter & Whitmarsh, Lorraine & Suffolk, Christine. (2013). The introduction of a single-use carrier bag charge in Wales: Attitude change and behavioural spillover effects. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 36. 240–247.
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2014-07-08): The proposal aims to reduce the consumption of plastic carrier bags with a thickness of below 50 microns (0,05 millimetres) in the European Union. For description purposes, the directive is aimed at lightweight thin-walled plastic bags that are distributed at a check-out and used to carry goods from supermarkets and other shops. [...] The same report states that in 2010, over 8 billion plastic carrier bags were littered in the EU. Such litter acutely affects the marine environment resulting in large volumes accumulating in our seas. Even in countries with no coastline, plastic bags are brought to the oceans through rivers and streams. Since the life of a plastic carrier bag can last for hundreds of years, this represents a huge global challenge in terms of causing pollution as well as affecting our ocean ecosystems. [...] If no efficient action is taken, the number of plastic carrier bags placed on the market is projected to rise at EU-27 level from 99bn in 2010 to 111bn in 2020 (3). Failure to take immediate and forceful action that limits the usage of plastic bags and the related littering problem will affect the environment and citizens within and outside the EU and plastics recyclers, public authorities, the fishing industry, tourism industry and local businesses.
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2023-05-12): One of the main (avoidable) sources of plastic waste in South Africa are the eight billion single-use plastic carrier bags (henceforth just plastic bags) consumed annually, mainly provided by retail supermarkets to their customers (O'Brien and Thondhlana, 2019).1 To regulate their consumption the South African government imposed a plastic bag levy in 2003. However, the positive effects were only short-term (Dikgang et al., 2012).2 As an additional measure, the South African government introduced a regulation demanding a hundred percent recycled content requirement for plastic bags by 2027 (Department for Environment, 2020). Nevertheless, regulations governing the constitution of plastic bags might not impact consumption (Hasson et al., 2007). If plastic bags continue to be used in large numbers and continue to receive inadequate end-of-life treatment, they will remain a major environmental issue no matter if the bag contains recycled content (Adeyanju et al., 2021). Thus, further attempts to resolve the issue are necessary, to create a sustainable and comprehensive solution for plastic bag waste in South Africa. [...] BBC (2002). Irish Bag Tax Hailed Success. BBC. Available online at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2205419.stm (accessed May 02, 2023). [...] Dikgang, J., Leiman, A., and Visser, M. (2012). Analysis of the plastic-bag levy in South Africa. Resour Conserv. Recycl. 66, 59–65. doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2012.06.009
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2018-02-22): According to the statistics released by the Welsh government in 2012, there was a drastic reduction in the use of plastic bags from 71 to 96% between 2011 and 2014 since a levy of 5 pence has been introduced (Welsh Government 2014). In Santa Barbara, Canada, following the imposition of a 10 cent fee on plastic bags, total consumption fell woefully by 89.3% (City of Santa Barbara 2016). A survey conducted in Portugal reported that after the imposition of a tax on plastic bags, there was a drastic reduction from the number of plastic bags consumed from 2.25 to 0.59 per person per shopping trip (Martinho et al. 2017). In Taiwan, the Environmental Protection Administration has placed bans on the use of plastic shopping bags and disposable tableware. This policy has been found effective in reducing the number of plastic bags used from 58.34 to 86% within 3 years of the ban, 2002–2005 (Environmental Protection Administration Executive Yuan 2013). On the contrary, the enactment of plastic-use banning scheme has not been successful in South Africa and some other countries because the levy charged was too small and also due to insufficient monitoring system on the ground (Dikgang et al. 2012).
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2021-09-06): - Martinho, G.; Balaia, N.; Pires, A. The Portuguese plastic carrier bag tax: The effects on consumers’ behavior. Waste Manag. 2017, 61, 3–12. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [...] - Dikgang, J.; Leiman, A.; Visser, M. Analysis of the plastic-bag levy in South Africa. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2012, 66, 59–65. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2014-05-09): The debate over plastic bags is fiercer still. What should they be made of and – more likely to raise a few hackles – should we be charged for using them? In September 2013, the UK government announced a 5p charge for supermarket plastic bags from 2015. Similar charges are already in place in Northern Ireland and Wales, and Northern Ireland is planning to raise the price to 10p following an 80% reduction in bag use with the 5p charge. Scotland will start charging for bags from October 2014. The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is quite clear on this. ‘The UK plastics industry opposes the idea of a plastic bag tax on principle, because it would unfairly discriminate against plastic materials and is based on a misinterpretation of the relationship between materials, the environment and the causes of litter.’ [...] In 2002, Ireland became the first country to issue a plastic bag levy. Results from the country’s National Litter Pollution Monitoring System show that, in 2012, plastic bags constituted 0.3% of litter nationally compared to an estimated 5% prior to the introduction of the levy.
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2012-08-09): In contrast to imposing an upstream tax on retailers as in the case of Denmark, in March 2002 Ireland introduced a downstream product tax of €0.15 per plastic bag levied on consumers, which led to a 94 per cent reduction in per capita yearly bag use from 328 to 21. However, surveys provided by the Irish Central Statistics Office indicate that plastic bag usage rose to 30 bags per capita in 2006. In July 2007, the Irish government further increased the environmental levy on plastic bags to €0.22 per bag in order to maintain its impact (Irish Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, 2007). The success in terms of substantially reducing the use and the associated gains in the form of reduced litter and a more attractive landscape in Ireland has attracted considerable international interest (Convery et al., Reference Convery, McDonnell and Ferreira2007). However, the seemingly similar legislation of a downstream product charge implemented in South Africa in 2003 witnessed a gradual rebound in plastic bag consumption after showing an initially significant reduction (Hasson et al., Reference Hasson, Leiman and Visser2007; Dikgang et al., Reference Dikgang, Leiman and Visser2012).
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2024-09-30): The main purpose of this is to ensure that packaging waste legislation was met and to encourage the bags to be recycled (which usually earns the retailer a small amount of money per bag), and unlike with 5p carrier bags there is a (small) financial incentive to bring the bags back for recycling, lessening the environmental impact. [...] Waitrose was the first British supermarket to launch Bag For Life in association with British Polythene Industries. It was the brainchild of Gini Ekstein, from British Polythene industries. Gini Ekstein with Paul Oustedal and Nick Jones, of Waitrose, launched Bag For Life in 1998.[12] It was the first closed-loop recycling initiative; returned and broken bags are made into black benches places outside Waitrose stores. The initial marketing messages designed by Ekstein and by Beth Chiles of Message Marketing are still in use today. Later on, Sainsbury's and other supermarkets introduced the bag for life. In 2015 the UK Government introduced a tax on all carrier bags, which meant that every consumer would pay 5p for any carrier bag from any "large retailer" store.[13] [...] Ireland [edit]In Ireland, they were introduced in March 2002, when the Plastic Bag Environmental Levy was brought in to reduce the massive amount of disposable bags being used annually. Bags costing 70 euro cents or more are exempt from the levy.
Claim: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012. (Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP), 2019-12-04)
Evidence (2023-08-29): There have been recent changes in the policy landscape for single-use plastics within the UK. In 2022, plans were announced for a ban on single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers, to be effective from October 2023 (UK Government, 2023) and previous bills to restrict the use of single-use plastic drink stirrers, straws and cotton-buds (enforced in October 2020) . This has followed the five pence single-use carrier bag charge (now 10 pence minimum), which led to a decrease in plastic bag sales of 95% from 2015 to 2021 (Defra Press Office, 2021). In Northern Ireland (NI), since 1st April 2022, the single-use carrier bag levy increased to 25 pence (NI Government, 2022). Since the levy was introduced in NI, more than £19 million has been raised and used to support local environmental projects (BBC News, 2020).
Claim: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. (Cindy O’Shea, 2018-12-19)
Evidence (2018-12-19): This claim is accurate. For 2017, Northern Ireland had the highest rate in the UK (and Ireland) of registered deaths by suicide for men (29.1 per 100,000 men) (and women (8.5 per 100,000 women)). Also, the number of total suicides by year of actual occurrence in Northern Ireland for 2013 (306) is more than double that for 1995 (148).
Claim: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. (Cindy O’Shea, 2018-12-19)
Evidence (2024-10-06): More suicide deaths in NI since the Good Friday Agreement than were killed during the Troubles [...] Around 200 people per year are taking their own lives in Northern Ireland. The revelation comes amidst a warning in the Assembly that more people have died by suicide in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement than were killed during the Troubles.
Claim: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. (Cindy O’Shea, 2018-12-19)
Evidence (2022-05-26): - Prior to the review it was believed that NI had the highest age-standardised rate in the UK (18-19 suicides per 100,000 population, next to Scotland at 13-16 per 100,000). The revised figures show that NI had a lower suicide rate than Scotland in the last few years. For the latest year, 2020, NI had an age-standardised rate of 13.3 suicides per 100,000 population compared to Scotland at 15.0. The rate for England & Wales is lower at 10.0 suicides per 100,000 in 2020. It should be noted, however, that cross country comparisons will build in differences in different data collection and collation processes in the separate jurisdictions. - Revised figures show that there were 219 suicides registered in NI in 2020. This is higher (by 14, 7 per cent) than 2019, and lower (by 17, 7 per cent) than the 2018 figure. - The age-standardised suicide rate in NI increased from 12.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2019 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2020 (19.6 and 7.1 deaths per 100,000 population for males and females respectively).
Claim: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. (Cindy O’Shea, 2018-12-19)
Evidence (2023-10-31): We share the latest suicide data for nations across the UK and Ireland in our Suicide Statistics factsheets. [...] Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) publish suicide data for NI here. [...] Central Statistics Office (CSO) publish suicide data for Ireland here.
Claim: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. (Cindy O’Shea, 2018-12-19)
Evidence (2024-10-06): Westmorland and Furness has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, according to the most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). [...] The council noted the latter were "at increased risk for self-harm, suicide ideation and behaviours" and former servicemen aged 25-44 had a higher rate of suicide than men the same age in the general population. [...] In the council area, 93 people died by suicide between January 2021 and December 2023, according to the ONS.
Claim: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. (Cindy O’Shea, 2018-12-19)
Evidence (2022-05-26): The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) and Coroner’s Service for Northern Ireland (CSNI) began a review into suicide deaths in 2020 following a notable fall in suicide numbers among registrations in 2019 (reported in June 2020) which had been subject to increased quality checks of source data compared with previous years. Investigations found that prior to 2019 the number of deaths of undetermined intent had been increasing. This was primarily driven by an increase in the number of drug-related deaths, but was also linked to the information on intent captured via the CSNI system and subsequently the coding of cause of death by NISRA. In short, there had not been enough detail available to allow reliable coding of intent. This meant that a number of cases between 2015 and 2018 were inaccurately coded as deaths of undetermined intent as opposed to accidental. This review was later extended to include 2020 data as well as some non-drug related cases from 2015-2019. Currently cases between 2015 and 2017 are not yet finalised due to some non drug-related cases still to be reviewed; these will be finalised and released later in 2022. [...] In addition to the outcome of the review itself, NISRA has released a set of tables giving a revised time series (2015-2020) of the number of suicide deaths in Northern Ireland. [...] The user guide to suicide statistics in Northern Ireland has been created to assist users in understanding the data and to better interpret it.
Claim: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. (Cindy O’Shea, 2018-12-19)
Evidence (2023-03-24): These tables detail the number of suicides registered each year in Northern Ireland and provide additional information on age, sex, geographical area and time taken to register the death. They have been produced as an addendum to the Annual Report of the Registrar General. Users should note that a revised times series for suicide deaths from 2015 onwards was published by NISRA in November 2022. This came following the completion of a review of suicide statistics during which NISRA working with the Coroners Service in relation to a quality issue identified in the Northern Ireland Suicide deaths data series. An interim report on the review and revised timeline of data was published in May 2022, with the finalised data series (including 2021 data) published in November 2022. Users are advised that data relating to 2015 onwards in historical releases will not match the revised time series and the most recent release should be used for data relating to 2015 onwards. Due to the review there is now a break in the series between 2014 and 2015, meaning the data prior to 2015 is not directly comparable with date from 2015 onwards. Suicide deaths registered in 2019
Claim: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. (Cindy O’Shea, 2018-12-19)
Evidence (2023-12-13): Suicide deaths in Northern Ireland are defined using the UK National Statistics definition which includes deaths from Self-inflicted Injury for persons aged 10 and over as well as Events of Undetermined Intent for those aged 15 and over. The codes used to define the suicide figures are shown below: [...] The 2019 suicide total (provisional figure of 209 and later finalised at 197) showed a significant fall on the 2018 total of 307. The decrease was primarily driven by improvements in the statistical collection and collation process, and in particular the re-classification of ‘drug related’ deaths from being undetermined (and within the suicide definition) to accidental (and outside of the suicide definition). In light of this, NISRA, working with the Coroners Service, began to review and revise individual undetermined drug related deaths from 2015 to 2018. This review was later extended to include 2020 data as well as some non-drug related cases from 2015-2019. This review is now complete and finalised figures for years 2015 – 2020 have been published. Full details of the issues prompting the review and the impact of the revisions on the previously published time series are available in the May 2022 review report. This review marks a major revision to this important statistical series and has had a significant impact on the existing NI narrative in relation to suicide rates compared with other nations. [...] The User Guide to Suicide Statistics in Northern Ireland contains important information' on: quality characteristics, strengths and limitations of the data, methods used to provide suicide series and changes to suicide series.