A reshuffle is widely expected to take place after the European elections which means that Mr Benn could potentially be moved from his role. This would have immediate implications for his keynote speech at Futuresource, which he is due to deliver on June 9.
I very much welcome this conference in bringing together a key group of people
Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), which is organising the event, has said it is confident that Mr Benn will be there to deliver his speech. A spokeswoman said: “We are expecting the Futuresource programme to stay the same.”
However, the Secretary of State is already understood to have cancelled some of his diary arrangements for Monday next week.
A strong programme of events has been developed for Futuresource, which is set to showcase the latest innovations in sustainable waste management, with Hilary Benn's speech set to be one of the highlights.
In recent weeks, Mr Benn has signalled his support for the event: He said: “I very much welcome this conference in bringing together a key group of people.
“With growing concern about climate change and increased pressures on the natural environment, there has never been a more important time to use resources more sustainably and reduce the amount of waste we produce,” he added.
Transport
As well as political turmoil, Futuresource could also be affected by transport difficulties due to strike action from Tube workers. Contingency plans have also been put in place by the ExCeL to deal with the planned London Underground strike which is scheduled to take place during Futuresource (see letsrecycle.com story).
A spokeswoman for CIWM could not confirm exactly what alternative transport arrangements were being made but there is expected to be an announcement from the organisation within 48 hours.
However, a spokeswoman for the London ExCeL said that a replacement bus service would be operating from Canary Wharf station to the event. She explained that it would still be possible for delegates to take the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) from Bank station to Canary Wharf and that ExCeL replacement buses would operate every 10 minutes from Canary Wharf to Custom House Station which is directly linked to the Centre.
The DLR is not affected by the planned strike as it is not run by London Underground, but Serco Docklands.
No dock
There had been speculation that a river taxi could be used to get to the ExCeL if the planned strike does go ahead but the ExCeL spokeswoman explained that this would not be possible as the Centre does not have a dock.
The Futuresource conference and exhibition features a dynamic programme of events, other speakers include Daniel Instone, head of waste strategy at Defra, and MEP Caroline Jackson. It also runs alongside the popular letsrecycle.com Recycling and Waste Forum 2009, which features seminars on organics, WEEE and batteries, plastics, paper and materials, and how to make your business a Recycling Star.
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