§ Mrs. HumbleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the implementation of a change to a tonnage based levy for statutory joint waste disposal authorities. [60857]
§ Mr. MealeAfter announcing the proposed change from a council tax to a tonnage based system for the apportionment of Joint Waste Disposal Authorities levies, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle), asked officials to work out methods for such a system and to discuss them with the local authority associations. A consultation document was issued on 9 July to those associations, the JWDAs and their constituent authorities with the intention of implementing the change in time for the 1999–2000 levy. This consultation prompted a large number of considered responses.
As part of the development of a waste strategy for England and Wales, we are looking at the way in which all waste management functions are funded, both in areas where there are Joint Waste Disposal Authorities (JWDAs) and more widely. The proposal to change the levy arrangements to one based on the tonnage delivered for disposal, was part of this exercise.
There are, however, obvious implications for the operation of the recycling credits scheme, a key element in the financing of local authority waste management. In response to the consultation paper "Less Waste: More 4W Value", on the waste strategy for England and Wales, views were expressed that aspects of the recycling credits scheme needed amendment. We have therefore decided to undertake a review of the recycling credits scheme. A decision on the levy basis for JWDAs has therefore been postponed pending the outcome of this review.