Clause 36 - Registration requirements and conditions
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill
5:00 pm
Mr Elliot Morley (Minister of State (Environment and Agri-Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Scunthorpe, Labour)
May I start by saying how pleased I am to see you in the Chair and to be serving under you, Mr. Forth? I am also pleased to see so many familiar faces supporting the Bill and to be serving again in partnership with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality on piloting through effective new legislation. I know that Opposition Members, too, welcome the clauses and the Bill.
The hon. Member for Guildford is asking for the word ''reasonable'' to be inserted into the power for a regulation authority to charge for inspection of waste carriers. I understand her argument, but I think that I can reassure her straightaway that it is not necessary to specify in the Bill that a charge should be reasonable. The Environment Agency is under an duty to consult on any fees and charges that it imposes and to ensure that charges cover costs only. That is in line with the polluter pays principle on charges levied in this way, whereby those who are regulated should be required to cover the cost of that regulation.
If the hon. Lady is worried that the measure gives the Environment Agency powers to levy punitive fines or to boost its coffers, I assure her that that is not so. The agency is obliged simply to cover its costs and to ensure that when it sets charges it does so after full consultation.