The Earl of Cranbrookasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there have been any developments since their Answer on 21st November in proposals for arrangements for waste disposal for the London borough of Bexley.
§ Lord EltonIn his Answer of 21st November my right honourable friend the Secretary of State said that he 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.
100WAThe 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 14th 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 (SI 1985/1884) which was laid before the House on Friday. 6th December 1985, 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.