Clause 23 - ''Scheme year'' and ''target year''
Waste and Emissions Trading Bill [Lords]
10:15 am
Mr Michael Meacher (Minister of State (the Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Oldham West and Royton, Labour)
I am entitled to say that the targets are modest because we have made considerable strides, but I am still not satisfied. I find it difficult to accept such strictures from a member of a party that had a level of recycling of 2 per cent. when in government in 1992 and that left office in 1997 with a rate of 6 per cent. We have more than doubled the rate since then, and we will more than double it again by 2005–06.
I talked about modest targets because I believe that, if we achieve 25 per cent. recycling by 2005–06, it will be a modest step to go only to 30 per cent. by 2010. The waste strategy, rather surprisingly in my view, aims for 33 per cent. by 2015, but I am certain that we can go higher. However, those are hugely higher figures than we inherited from the previous Administration, so the hon. Gentleman should not chastise us. I do not want to introduce too partisan an element into what has been a good-natured Committee, but we must be fair.