evidence: The key points are - During the ninth year of operation, 51.2 million carrier bags were dispensed by retailers under the carrier bag levy in Northern Ireland. [...] - The number of carrier bags dispensed in 2021/22 is markedly lower than the baseline figure prior to the introduction of the levy, which was estimated at 300 million bags in 2012. Year 9 of the 5 pence levy saw an 82.9% reduction in bag numbers dispensed annually compared to the baseline figure. [...] 1. This is the ninth year of the carrier bag levy in Northern Ireland. These are the final official statistics for 2021/22. The Department intends to publish 2022/23 figures in August 2023. Reports from previous years can be accessed from the DAERA website.