A PLANNED charge for single-use carrier bags is to be put back by several months and cut by a few pence under changes announced by the Welsh Assembly yesterday.

The Welsh Assembly Government said yesterday that now wants to introduce a 5p carrier bag charge - down from the 7p announced in June.

The charge would also now come into force in October 1 2011, later than the original plan to have it up and running by next spring.

Changes were made to the scheme after the Assembly consulted with businesses, individuals and organisations in Wales over the summer.

Jane Davidson, environment minister, added: “It’s important to remember that no one has to pay the charge; it can simply be avoided if we remember to carry reusable bags when we do our shopping.”

The announcement won cross-party support, with Angela Burns AM, Tory shadow minister for the environment, welcoming the proposals.

She said: “The proposed levy of 5p is a welcome balance between the carrot and stick approaches and will act as an incentive to change behaviour.”

But the British Retail Consortium, which was always opposed to the scheme, remained unhappy.

It said that while it had successfully lobbied the Assembly to set the price of single use bags at 5p, it remains opposed to charges and said retailers should be able to adopt scheme that work best with their own customers.

Bob Gordon, British Retail Consortium head of environment said: “As we've always said, the key to reducing the environmental impact of carrier bags is education and persuasion rather then financial penalties.”

However, the BRC added that the delay would allow retailers time to implement the charge.