Lewes MP and Lib Dem Shadow Environment Secretary Norman Baker has challenged the Government to finally introduce the fiscal incentives that will tackle Britain's burgeoning mountain of municipal waste. He called for measures to incentivise efforts to encourage people to reduce, reuse or recycle their waste, and lessen the need for more landfill sites or incinerators such as the proposed incinerator at Newhaven.
Norman raised the issue on the floor of the House of Commons, telling the Treasury Minister, John Healey:
"I endorse the Government's waste hierarchy, with minimisation at the top, followed by reuse and recycling, and incineration and landfill beneath. Does he accept, however, that the economic signals in place do not deliver that hierarchy? Does he accept in particular that he needs to incentivise minimisation, reuse and recycling, because if he does not we will end up with a chain of incinerators up and down the country?"
Speaking after the debate Norman said:
"This country is facing an increasing crisis in how to deal with its waste in an effective and environmentally-sound manner, which threatens to leave us up to our necks in rubbish. The Government's waste hierarchy is a step in the right direction. I am concerned however that efforts to implement this hierarchy will continue to be stymied unless the Chancellor now introduces the economic measures necessary to back this up.
"The waste hierarchy requires the correct fiscal backup to make it work. Otherwise, efforts to move away from a reliance upon landfill and incineration will be undermined, with consequently bad repercussions for residents of communities facing proposed new incinerators such as in Newhaven."
ENDS A full transcript of Norman's question and the Minister's response is attached
Waste Generation 10.
Norman Baker (Lewes) (LD): When he expects to publish his analysis of use of economic instruments in relation to waste generation. [172720]
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Healey): The first stage of the review of environmental and health effects of waste management was published last week. The second stage will be published shortly. Together these reports will help inform the development of policy and the much wider debate on the future of waste management. Any decisions on tax, however, will be made by the Chancellor in the usual Budget cycle.
Norman Baker : I am grateful to the Minister for his answer. I endorse the Government's waste hierarchy, with minimisation at the top, followed by reuse and recycling, and incineration and landfill beneath. Does he accept, however, that the economic signals in place do not deliver that hierarchy? Does he accept in particular that he needs to incentivise minimisation, reuse and recycling, because if he does not we will end up with a chain of incinerators up and down the country?
John Healey: No, I do not accept that the policies are not in place. They range from public spending to regulation, instruments of taxation and trading allowances, which come on stream next month. The polices are encouraging the very waste hierarchy that the hon. Gentleman talks about, which is essentially reducing the production of waste and increasing rates of recycling and reuse. Surely he must welcome the fact that the rates of recycling and composting from household waste are on target-we met the targets we set in 2002 and are expected to meet the targets we set in 2003. I would have thought that he and the whole House would welcome the efforts that are being made, especially by local authorities, which play such an important part in waste management.
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