Clause 26 - Penalties under Chapter 1: general
Waste and Emissions Trading Bill [Lords]
3:15 pm
Mr Michael Meacher (Minister of State (the Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Oldham West and Royton, Labour)
I find it difficult to resist the hon. Gentleman's meretricious blandishments. Without going over all the details of our lengthy debate, I repeat first that the collection authority can avoid the consequence that he described by achieving high levels of recycling; secondly, that the matter should not arise if joint waste management strategies work in the way that we intend; thirdly, that disposal authorities have their own recycling targets, particularly at civic amenity sites; and fourthly that, as my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud said, incineration is unpopular.
I now have an answer for my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test. A disposal authority can object to a collection authority's recycling, but only if the disposal authority has made arrangements for recycling, not if it has made arrangements for incineration. My hon. Friend shows a remarkable range of understanding and application in looking at an earlier Act, but his original point is not right. Contrary to the impression that may have been given, disposal authorities are not in a position to subvert the intention of the Government and all members of this Committee. On that basis, I hope that the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle, although he intends to press the amendment to a vote, will concede that the arguments are against it.