COMMONS AMENDMENT (Hansard, 3 November 2003)

§ Lord Whitty

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 4. In doing so, I shall speak also to Amendment No. 5. The amendments concern information that waste disposal authorities are required to report to the monitoring authority.

In order for the landfill allowances scheme to run effectively and provide accurate figures about the amount of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill, it is imperative that a rigorous monitoring scheme is set up. We need to be in a position to report our progress to the European Commission, and it is vital that the Commission is convinced that the reporting system is robust.

Since the Bill was introduced, a much more effective mass balance monitoring system has been identified. That system uses returns from waste disposal authorities to identify the amount of municipal waste arising and the proportion that has been sent to landfill. For that to work effectively, it is essential not only to have information on the amount of waste sent to landfill and other waste management facilities, but to be able to require evidence to substantiate such information.

Amendment No. 4 is consequential on Amendment No. 5. Taken together, the amendments clarify the powers in Clause 12(2)(b) with respect to the supply of evidence about certain matters. Amendments Nos. 4 and 524 5 will enable an allocating authority to require waste disposal authorities to supply the monitoring authority with evidence substantiating information about matters connected with the sending of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill, and entries in any records maintained by the WDAs for the purposes of Clause 12(1). As waste disposal authorities already collect information about the amount of waste sent to landfill and other waste management facilities, the additional burden will be one only of providing supporting evidence of such matters to monitoring authorities.

I believe that the amendments will enable England and the rest of the UK to create a robust and effective monitoring system which will enable us to report our progress confidently to the EU. I commend Commons Amendment No. 4 to the House.