Clause 11 - Scheme regulations
Waste and Emissions Trading Bill [Lords]
3:00 pm
Mr Michael Meacher (Minister of State (the Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Oldham West and Royton, Labour)
I am a bit surprised by the amendment because we have touched previously on the devolution of responsibilities between the Government in Westminster and other parts of the UK administration. I made it clear then, and will again now, that I cannot accept changes that run counter to the devolution agenda and that—rightly—would not be acceptable to the Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Protection of the environment is generally a devolved matter. That is right, and I should have thought that it was widely accepted. It is for those Administrations to make the regulations required to cover all aspects of the allowances scheme in their areas. The Secretary of State should not become involved in how those matters are handled in other UK countries once the initial maximum amounts of biodegradable municipal waste allowed to go to landfill have been specified. That is the key point; it is what the directive requires. We have to lay down the mechanisms by which it will be done—the points in each target year and at each inter-target year stage, and the levels that have to be reached to ensure that the targets are achieved and the final target met in 2016 to 2020. So long as the target figures are reached, how that is done is a matter for the devolved Administrations. I am surprised that that is not widely accepted.
As regards amendment No. 27, regulations under clause 11 may provide for registers to be maintained on matters relating to landfill allowances. Who should maintain such a register will depend on the type of information that a register will contain—