HC Deb 08 May 1996 vol 277 cc137-8W
Mr. Anthony Coombs

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the role and purpose of the advisory committee on packaging. [28882]

Mr. Gummer

In the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 7 May,Official Report, column 73 I set out some of the background to the Government's decision to follow a shared approach as the basis for regulations which would give effect to the producer responsibility initiative and to the EC directive on packaging and packaging waste. Continuing partnership with industry is critical to success in this area and, following the agreement reached on 15 December, I have asked Sir Peter Parker to chair an advisory committee on packaging comprising some of the senior business representatives most closely involved in this initiative.

The external members of the committee are:

  • Sir Peter Parker KBE LVO: Chairman
  • Dr. Bill Cook: British Gas
  • Mr. Brian Curtis: CarnaudMetal Box—Foodcan UK
  • Mr. Peter Lipscomb: Guinness plc
  • Mr. John Longworth: Tesco plc
  • Mr. John Turner: Coca-Cola Schweppes Beverages
  • Mr. Keith Stenning: British Polythene Industries plc
  • Mr. Peter Williams: David S. Smith (Holdings) plc
  • Mr. Martin van Zwanenberg: Marks & Spencer plc

For its initial work the committee is supported by a technical working group of experts with particular experience of packaging and related issues.

In addition to the work it has already undertaken, the committee will continue to provide guidance on the introduction and implementation of regulations, based on the 15 December agreement, and will advise me, the President of the Board of Trade, the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales, the chairman of the Environment Agency and the chairman of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

The committee will advise on the effectiveness of regulations in delivering the EC directive targets and will help to monitor their operation. In particular, it will advise on arrangements for carrying out a review of the legal obligation, in the light of data submitted after the regulations have come into force, including consideration of the actual burden on individual companies.

In carrying out its work, the committee will keep in mind the Government's tests for the approach to legislation as set out in the Official Report on 2 February 1995, columns 762–64, the requirements placed on the Secretary of State by the enabling powers in the Environment Act 1995 and Ministers' emphasis on the desirability of maintaining a consensual approach for the development of an effective business-led initiative for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste in the UK.

I am grateful for the work already carried out by Sir Peter Parker and members of the advisory committee and the supporting technical group. I intend to publish the committee's preliminary advice to accompany the issue of draft regulations for consultation and at appropriate stages in the future.