Clause 10 - Monitoring authorities
Waste and Emissions Trading Bill [Lords]
11:15 am
Mr Michael Meacher (Minister of State (the Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Oldham West and Royton, Labour)
I shall also attempt to be extremely quick. I am interested to hear the reasoning behind the amendment. The issue, quite simply, is who is best placed to take on this role, given the need for expertise in regulating waste operations, as well as contacts and access to data, to reduce the burdens on local authorities and the waste industry.
For England, the answer is straightforward. The Environment Agency is the designated authority in respect of the landfill directive. It is best placed to take on the role of monitoring authority for the allowance scheme in England. The Department, on behalf of the Secretary of State, has neither the technical expertise nor the access to data to make it viable as a monitoring authority. As the skills and other attributes required already reside in the agency, I see no reason to reinvent them elsewhere. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will accept that and withdraw the amendment.