Clause 4 - Allocation of landfill allowances

Part of Waste and Emissions Trading Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:00 pm on 3 April 2003.

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Photo of Michael Meacher Michael Meacher Minister (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) (Environment) 4:00, 3 April 2003

I shall try to respond to that. I repeat that the aim must be to try to establish a good working relationship. The hon. Gentleman has posited a situation in which the collection authorities abide by the direction—this is when relations have broken down, I presume—only to find that what they have duly collected in accordance with the direction imposed on them is then sent to an incinerator in their own area. If an incinerator already existed on a site, presumably the waste disposal authority would have been engaging in the practice for some time. It would not be a new situation created by the Bill. The hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell), who, if I remember correctly, had question 19 on the Order Paper today, was going to raise that issue with me. I can assure him that I was well prepared.

I do not think that that will be generated by the Bill. Even where that happens and there are strong objections, there are ways in which authorities could be required to look at the matter again. I return to the example, with which I am now familiar, of Essex. There was a proposal there to build new incinerators

but there was such public controversy that consultants were appointed to examine all the implications. I understand that in the light of that, the proposal is now being reconsidered and the role of incineration is now more open to public discussion and debate.

I do not think that one can structure everything entirely by statute. I am one of those who think that that can do little more than provide the framework. In the end, it is a matter of using all the other levers that exist in a democratic society for dealing with objections. I still think that it is right to have this balanced relationship. I am sure that it will work co-operatively in the great majority of cases. If not, there should be a power of direction, but that has to be exercised reasonably. We will discuss that further under clause 31. On that basis, I hope that the hon. Member for Leominster will find it acceptable to withdraw the amendment and keep to the proposal set out by the Government.