This could see one organisation overseeing the work of agencies such as WRAP and DEFRA and coordinating all the aspects of waste policy, including planning permission, European Directives, Landfill Tax and the allocation of funds (see letsrecycle.com story).
Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate at the Houses of Parliament, yesterday, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Environment Ben Bradshaw confirmed that the review is expected to be published in the spring following the consideration of various stakeholders' opinions.
The Sustainable Waste Forum, chaired by Barry Sheerman MP, has lead much of the lobbying of government for a new waste authority. In the debate the MP for Huddersfield argued: “When we get into a sticky situation in policy-making, it is when the policy is developed by more than one department.”
Mr Sheerman suggested that the new authority could replace various governmental waste quangos like DEFRA's Waste Implementation Programme and the Waste and Resources Action Programme.
Mr Bradshaw said: “The Sustainable Waste Forum call for a Sustainable Waste Authority will be considered along with many other views. The review began in December and will be completed in the spring.”
In the meantime, Mr Bradshaw said that DEFRA is looking to strengthen its relationships with other departments and agencies dealing with waste issues including the Environment Agency, the DTI and the ODPM.
“The priority for our department at the moment is to build relationships between government departments and maintain them in the future,” he said.
However, some MPs said that another government agency would make policy even more complex and instead called for stronger leadership by DEFRA on waste decisions.
Sue Doughty MP said in the debate: “I do not see how a Strategic Waste Authority would confront these issues when the problem is a lack of strong leadership.”
Register for free to comment