The damning inditement of the government’s economic policy towards the waste sector comes in a statement from the Environmental Services Association which represents most of the UK’s waste management companies. The statement talks of the Budget failure to address national waste strategies and a “Budget stealth U-turn” on the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS).
Dirk Hazell, chief executive of the ESA said: ““It is extremely disappointing, so soon after publication of the National Waste Strategies and two key-note speeches on the environment by the Prime Minister, that waste and secondary resource management is confined to seven short paragraphs without its own section in the 225 page Budget Report,” he added.
“We are particularly disappointed by the treatment of the outstandingly successful Landfill Tax Credit Scheme which is a regulated private sector scheme of which a Treasury Minister told us he was favourably “impressed with the imagination shown by landfill operators” and achievement of “important results”.
Mr Hazell said that last May, the Financial Secretary told the House of Commons that proposals to direct LTCS spending through public sector funds would reduce total spending on recycling.
“The Chancellor did not mention LTCS. The Budget Report speaks of challenging our industry to allocate more LTCS funds towards recycling but it was ESA, in 1999, who urged the Government to make this a lawful use of LTCS funds and it has been ESA which has for more than a year repeatedly urged the Government clearly to say what it wants from the industry.”
Astonished
Mr Hazell continued: “We are astonished and disappointed that the Budget Report does not announce a new LTCS Object, CCC, expressly to permit LTCS contributions to the Government’s Waste Resources Action Programme of which ESA is very pleased to be a founding Member. The industry has already clearly and repeatedly stated that we are willing to re-direct spending under LTCS towards sustainability but the fact remains that it is the Government which has failed time and again to say clearly what it wants,” he added.
“ESA has worked hard for partnership with the Government. The National Challenge of complying with the Landfill Directive requires serious and sustained partnership between the Government and our industry. It is difficult to reconcile this with the contents of the Budget Report,” he concluded.
Subscribe for free