Clause 1 - Duties of the Secretary of State
Municipal Waste Recycling Bill
2:00 pm
Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill and Battle, Conservative)
May I say how delighted I am to welcome you to the Chair, Miss Begg, particularly as I find myself speaking from the Front Bench on behalf of the official Opposition on this one-off occasion. It is what is called in show business a one gig only. There has not been a pre-emptive reshuffle, but my hon. Friend the Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray), who would normally speak on such matters, is in Iraq with the armed forces parliamentary scheme, hence this opportunity for me.
I particularly pleased to be called into service on this Bill and I congratulate the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock) on what I hope will be a real coup in putting on to the statute book a measure that many people throughout the House have hoped for and urged for many years. It is a great credit to her and to the support that she has received from Friends of the Earth that we now have a glimmer of hope of putting the Bill on to the statute book.
I am pleased that, during my debut on the Opposition Front Bench, I have the opportunity to appear opposite the Minister for the Environment as I have great respect for him. I am pleased that he has managed to secure a more comfortable fate for this Bill than the Home Energy Conservation Bill on which I spoke last year. We must all cross our fingers and hope that the Bill before us has a safer passage through the House than that other environmentally friendly measure.
Sitting suspended for a Division in the House.
On resuming—