Lib Dems and Tories shuffle environment teams

However the Lib Dems are expected to reshuffle their environment department next week and it is not known whether Mr Baker will stay in post.

For the Tories, Oliver Letwin stepped away from his position as the former shadow chancellor of the exchequer into the environment position.

Junior ministers for the environment have not yet been announced by either parties. However Sue Doughty, the Lib Dems' junior shadow environment minister lost her seat to a Tory minister in Guildford last week.

Former Conservative junior minister for the environment Anne Mckintosh has retained her seat as the MP for York, but she has moved out of the shadow environment team.

Unlike Mrs Mackintosh, who, while having responsibilities including recycling, was rarely heard of within the industry, one commentator said, Mrs Doughty has always been praised for her strong voice in Parliament on waste and recycling issues.

Replacement

Mrs Doughty told letsrecycle.com this morning that she did not know who her replacement would be yet, but that she hoped they would continue her work on waste and recycling matters.

Issues she said she would particularly like to see explored by her successor were variable charging schemes and a feasibility study for waste and recycling collection and disposal being managed at county level.

“Every council has a different approach to waste and recycling. I would like to see a feasibility study for collections and disposals being managed together at county level rather than the present system of collection and disposal authorities,” she explained.

“The approach now doesn't drive waste reduction forward. Surrey for example is a disposal authority and Guildford is a collection authority, there could be more harmony in these areas,” she added.

Mrs Doughty is currently looking for a new job within the environment field.

• Returning secretary of state for the environment Margaret Beckett is expected to officially announce the responsibilities of her environment team within the next 24 hours. Elliot Morley was confirmed as part of the new team earlier this week but his responsibilities have not yet been revealed.