Queens Speech points to Scottish landfill tax

Among the measures also announced was the government intention to promote low carbon production and energy security, as well as pledging to work collaboratively on an international level to combat climate change.

The speech, which followed the State Opening of Parliament, focused on the current financial situation, with the Queen stating: “The first priority is to reduce the deficit and restore economic growth.”

Her comments come a day after Chancellor George Osborne identified a need to find £6.243 billion worth of savings in the UK economy in 2010/11 – which included £162 million being cut from the budget of the department of environment, food and rural affairs (see letsrecycle.com story).

Other major plans included in the speech were major reforms to police, schools, welfare and political accountability.

Scotland

The Scotland Bill – which aims to implement recommendations of the Final Report of the Commission on Scottish Devolution published in June 2009 – was among 22 bills outlined by the Queen in the House of Lords, which set out the programme of governance for the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government.

Currently Scotland is subjected to the same rate of Landfill Tax as the rest of the UK, which rose to £48 per tonne on April 1 2010. However, recommendations by the Calman Commission, which carried out the report, called for Scotland to be granted the ability to set its own taxes.

In its Final Report, the Commission stated: “In 2006- 07, the Scottish Government estimated that Landfill Tax paid in Scotland amounted to £75 million. Landfill Tax is clearly related to an immobile tax base, and is closely connected to devolved responsibilities and hence we believe it would be suitable for devolution.”

However, the full details of the Scotland Bill have not yet been made public, with the main elements of the Bill set to be “made clear in due course”.

Green

Under the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill, the government set out its intention to deliver a “national programme of energy efficiency” and also included the provision for the government to establish a Green Investment Bank.

The Green Investment Bank was mentioned in the Conservatives Party's manifesto in the lead-up the election, while the Liberal Democrats had planned to set up a UK Infrastructure Bank, which would also be used to fund renewable energy infrastructure.

The Queen said: “Legislation will be introduced to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses, to promote low carbon energy production and to secure energy supplies.”

Furthermore, the Queen said that the government would be seeking “effective global collaboration” to combat climate change, which would include the climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico in November this year.

In addition to the wider sustainability ambitions, the proposal to block Norwich and Exeter city councils from gaining unitary status could impact on waste management in the respective local authorities – which would have become both waste collection and waste disposal authorities under the proposed arrangements.

Exeter had previously anticipated that it would take the lead on the development of a large-scale energy-from-waste facility being developed in the city once they obtained unitary status (see letsrecycle.com story).

Mainstream media has claimed that the inclusion of the promotion of a low carbon economy and the inclusion of legislative changes to increase devolution were Liberal Democrat policies, with The Telegraph claiming that the proposed Green Economy Bill is a “big win” for the Lib Dems.

It is anticipated that the bills outlined today will cover the next 18 months of the coalition government programme.