Clause 3 - Non-target years: default rules
Waste and Emissions Trading Bill [Lords]
2:45 pm
Mr Michael Meacher (Minister of State (the Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Oldham West and Royton, Labour)
There may well be a wish to discuss further questions about the formula. I hope that that
can be done by reference to fact sheet No. 5. The clause provides default rules for setting the maximum amount of biodegradable municipal waste by weight that may be sent to landfill by the constituent countries of the UK in scheme years that are not target years. The default rules would apply if the Secretary of State did not set a maximum for that year under clause 2 because, for example, she could not secure agreement on the target with the appropriate authority. The formula secures the reductions needed to meet the target in the next directive target year in equal annual steps from the last target year, or the last scheme year when agreement was reached—whichever is the later. That ensures that the reductions required by target years are achievable through progressive reductions in targets for non-target years in the absence of agreement between the parties. Our preference is for such agreement, but if that cannot be achieved, the default formula kicks in.