HC Deb 06 December 1985 vol 88 cc376-7W
Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department intends to review the operation of waste disposal in London after the new arrangements have been in operation for 18 months; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold

Section 10(1) of the Local Government Act 1985 places a continuing duty on my right hon. Friend to ensure that the arrangements for waste disposal are satisfactory.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department intends to lay the statutory order referred to in his Department's recent press release on waste regulation and disposal.

Mrs. Rumbold

The Waste Regulation and Disposal (Authorities) Order 1985 (S.I. 1985/1884) has been laid before Parliament today.

Mr. Sumberg

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what use he intends to make of his powers under section 10 of the Local Government Act 1985 to establish single authorities for waste regulation and disposal where they consider that there would be advantage in joint arrangements between boroughs or districts but no satisfactory arrangements were made before 15 November 1985.

Mr. Kenneth Baker

[pursuant to his reply, 21 November 1985, c. 255I said that I would be prepared to consider alternative arrangements for waste disposal operations in the London boroughs of Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark if the two reasons which made it advantageous to have joint arrangements between all four boroughs ceased to apply.

The first reason concerned the arrangements for the existing contract for waste disposal serving Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham. These boroughs and the contractor have now reached agreement on the future of the contract so that joint arrangements are no longer needed.

The second reason was the need to ensure adequate future waste disposal arrangements in the longer term for Bexley, which would not on its own be a sensible unit. The London borough of Bexley and Kent county council have now reached an agreement whereby Kent will act as agent for Bexley.

Since the advantages to be secured by joint arrangements between Bexley and the other three boroughs have thus been achieved in other ways, it is only necessary to consider the need for joint arrangements between these three boroughs. The agreement made by them on 14 November 1985 for their own waste disposal operations meets this need satisfactorily.

In these circumstances it is no longer necessary to set up a single authority for waste disposal operations for all four boroughs. The Waste Regulation and Disposal (Authorities) Order 1985 (S.I. 1985/1884) which has been laid before the House today. accordingly makes no provision for an authority for these four boroughs. All four boroughs, however, form part of the area of the London Waste Regulation Authority.