HC Deb 08 September 2004 vol 424 cc1296-7W
Mr. Kidney

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the fiscal implications of introducing variable charges for the collection of domestic household waste. [187277]

John Healey

The Strategy Unit report "Waste not, Want not" published in November 2002, recommended that local authorities that wish to take forward household incentive—including charging—schemes to help reduce waste volumes and increase recycling should be allowed to do so.

In response, the Government undertook to carry out further work on household incentives before reaching a decision on whether to extend the powers of local authorities and introduce pilot schemes. This work—in consultation with the Local Government Association and local authority practitioners—looks in particular at the practicalities of operating any such schemes, the benefits they could deliver and how potential disadvantages might be overcome.