The recommendation comes in a report published today on: “Alleged Misconduct Affecting A Witness Before The Environment Sub-Committee”. It says: “We suggest that our colleagues on the Public Accounts Committee may wish to consider undertaking their own investigation into Entrust's work.”
In its recent report on Delivering Sustainable Waste Management, the committee commented on the conduct of Entrust, the regulator of environmental bodies under the landfill tax credit scheme. Today’s report says: “We remain concerned about the conduct of Entrust, its chairman, chief executive and board, and its fitness for the role of regulator of the landfill tax credit scheme. We are especially disappointed that the chairman and chief executive appear, to take no view on the appropriate strategic direction for the regulator of the Scheme.”
Entrust’s behaviour was seen as being unacceptable for a regulator despite being a relatively new organisation overseeing a unique scheme. The sub-committee commented: “For a body in this position not only to ignore constructive criticism, but effectively to sack the giver of such criticism from a job apparently designed expressly for the purpose of offering it, seems perverse in the extreme.”
The sub-committee confirmed that it had accepted apologies from Entrust for any possible contempt of Parliament and that no further action would be taken.
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