Clause 27 - ''Litter''
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill
11:00 am
Mrs Anne McIntosh (Shadow Minister, Environment and Transport; Vale of York, Conservative)
I think that it would have been helpful if such things had been in place when the Bill was introduced.
May I turn the Minister's attention to the costs involved? The hon. Member for Guildford elaborated on them, but I want to go into greater detail. Westminster city council has spoken of its concerns and sent a full response to the Minister and his Department. It said that it was particularly concerned that the proposed redefinition of gum and gum staining as litter in relation to section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 would place a duty on local authorities to keep streets clean of gum at all times. It was certain that such standards could not be met without a massive and disproportionate increase in street cleansing costs. The Minister said that the clause was not imposing a duty, but simply widening the definition, so can Westminster city council be more relaxed about this?