| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Lord Dubs: My Lords, does my noble friend agree that every local authority ought either to provide accessible facilities for recycling or have a recycling collection?
Lord Bach: Yes, my Lords, we agree. In fact, our record on recycling performance by local government is a great success story. My noble friend will be interested to know that 8 per cent of household waste was recycled in 1998–99; that figure is now over 25 per cent.
Baroness Hanham: My Lords, I would like to draw the House's attention to today being the 40th anniversary of my noble friend Lady Knight being in Parliament. We would all want to congratulate her on that.
I also declare an interest as a member of a local authority, which does a twice-weekly collection with twice-weekly recycling. What pressure and extra efforts are being applied to ensure that industry is capable of dealing with recyclable products, so that an increase in recycling does not just mean the dumping of those products all over the country?
Lord Bach: My Lords, we on this side congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, on her anniversary and the council of the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, on that policy. I would also congratulate any other authority that decided to do something different for its own reasons. Within what we want to do, it is important to ensure that businesses too are in the business of recycling as a matter of course. The noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, will know that we have discussed repackaging, for example, in the House on a number of occasions.
Baroness Billingham: My Lords, I draw my noble friend's attention to the London Borough of Camden, where I live. I consider myself extremely fortunate because it has the most outstanding record not only on collection but on all the ways in which recycling can now be done. Is that a model that the Minister would now wish local authorities to follow? Camden's
30 Mar 2006 : Column 855
recycling is now not just of household waste but of garden waste and all forms of refuse coming out of our homes.
Lord Bach: My Lords, let me congratulate Camden council in turn. If we had long enough, I am sure that we could go right round the country. Camden's record is outstanding, particularly in the way in which it emphasises the collection of recycling and composting material, as my noble friend said. Other local authorities would do well to follow its advice.
Baroness Maddock: My Lords, I apologise to the House for rising a little too early. The Minister touched on packaging. Does he not agree that a large proportion of household waste is packaging? Each time we buy something, we get a lot of unnecessary packaging. What measures are the Government taking to deal with that increasingly difficult problem?
Lord Bach: My Lords, packaging is a big question. We have discussed a directive about it in the House, and the Government are encouraging businesses by setting targets for the kind of packaging that they should produce. But it is also down to consumers: for example, if they buy loose fruit or other items that are not heavily packaged, that will encourage businesses not to use so much packaging and will be environmentally friendly as a consequence.
The Countess of Mar: My Lords, should people not go to their local councillors about this? Is it not a local authority responsibility? Local councillors are, after all, democratically elected to represent people regarding their bin collections, among other things.
Lord Bach: My Lords, the noble Countess has just said what I have already tried to say a couple of times. It is a matter for local authorities. I am sure that some citizens will go to their local authorities and make their views known, and some will be able to make their views known at the ballot box in May.
Baroness Gardner of Parkes: My Lords, it is a fact that there is wide variation. In Oxfordshire, my waste is collected only once every two weeks, yet my council tax there is much higher than it is in Westminster, which collects twice a week. The Minister says that people should go to their local council, but my noble friend Lady Knight talked about health issues, and for people whose babies have disposable nappies two weeks is a very long time. Where does one go to complain on health grounds?
Lord Bach: My Lords, I have enough problems as it is in the farming and food fields. I do not want to take on myself, unless I have to, the problems that may arise in some Oxfordshire district councils.
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): I am sorry, my Lords, we are in the 16th minute.
30 Mar 2006 : Column 856
Regional Assemblies
11.22 am
Lord Waddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
What powers and responsibilities they have transferred to the unelected regional assemblies since the rejection of regional government in the north-east referendum.
Lord Bassam of Brighton: My Lords, the Government have announced their attention to accept the recommendations in the Barker review on housing supply that regional housing boards be merged with regional planning bodies and that the merged role be undertaken by the regional assemblies. This transfer will take effect later this year.
Lord Waddington: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. Can the Government really justify making unelected assemblies regional planning bodies, giving them other powers and public money, when the people of the north-east have rejected the idea of an elected regional assembly and the Government have abandoned plans to introduce elected assemblies anywhere else? What right have the Government to throw taxpayers' money at bodies that are accountable to no one, have no mandate and no legitimacy whatever?
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Well, my Lords, I find questions of legitimacy raised by a noble Lord somewhat puzzling. The noble Lord ought to reflect a bit more on what he has said. Approximately 70 per cent of the members of regional assemblies are elected councillors. As I understand it, some 215 assembly members are Conservative, and Conservatives dominate four of the regional assembly bodies. As recently as November 2004, a lady called Sue Sida-Lockett, the Conservative chair of the East of England Regional Assembly, said:
"Despite the north-east vote, there will still be a requirement for effective regional planning functions, provision of democratic mandate for the regions and effective scrutiny of other regional bodies—a role in which the assembly and other voluntary chambers have shown themselves to be extremely competent".
I suggest that the noble Lord listens to his colleagues who are involved in regional assemblies.
Baroness Scott of Needham Market: My Lords, can the noble Lord say why, given the roles and responsibilities of the regional assemblies, they are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000?
Lord Bassam of Brighton: My Lords, I was not aware that regional assemblies were not subject to the Freedom of Information Act; I thought that they operated within the various codes of conduct that applied to those who work in local government. It is an important issue, and I am sure that, as a matter of best
30 Mar 2006 : Column 857
practice, most regional assemblies would follow what is commonly accepted as the protocols and codes for FoI.
Lord Soley: My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the more we devolve power, whether on emptying dustbins, on building houses or on other things, the better? It would be nice if regional government had some powers. I encourage people to support that in the long run, but I accept that it is not supported right now. The tendency to centralise power, which was mentioned in the previous Question as well, is a serious mistake.
Lord Willoughby de Broke: My Lords—
Lord Bassam of Brighton: My Lords, perhaps it is the practice now to answer a number of questions at once. I entirely agree with the noble Lord, Lord Soley. A system of devolved powers to regional bodies is sensible. That is exactly why we set up the RDAs and the regional assemblies, which have been working well. I encourage those who believe in devolving power away from the centre to further encourage the effectiveness of those assemblies. From my experience in local government, I think that they are doing a very good job.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |