It is not yet known whether secretary of state for the environment Margaret Beckett will remain in post. After several years in office, there may be questions over whether Tony Blair feels the time has come to bring a fresh face to the role.
However the minister retained her seat in South Derby last night and her experience is likely to be an important factor in any decision Mr Blair makes about her future.
There are no surprise changes expected in policy for waste and recycling, but in the past six months there has been a stronger focus on business and retailer's recycling with the BREW – Business Resource Efficiency and Waste -programme and the Retailers Incentive Scheme.
Incentives
Though, household recycling has been at the forefront again recently with Defra inviting councils in England to test the effectiveness of incentive schemes for recycling, re-use and composting.
Defra has also invited applications for funding from councils to support pilot schemes. The Department said it “strongly encourages local authorities to devise new and innovative ways of working with householders”.
When asked about Labour's future plans for the recycling before the election, environment minister Elliot Morley explained that “Defra's five year plan sets out plans and commitments”.
This document highlights the millions of pounds of funding the Department is putting into waste management. It says: “We are providing additional funding for waste management by delivering 630m of PFI credits to help fund new waste facilities”.
The plan also points out that the government is reviewing local authority and national recycling targets, also it is unclear as to when a decision will be made on these.
Labour has also said it would encourage small-scale incineration plants where they do not “crowd-out” recycling, but leaves local authorities to decide how best to manage their waste.
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