Examination of Witnesses (Questions 80
- 87)
MONDAY 21 MAY 2007
CLLR PAUL
BETTISON AND
MR MARTIN
WHEATLEY
Q80 John Cummings: The ideas of reducing
waste and reusing items more come higher than recycling in the
waste hierarchy. Has the stress on recycling to get waste away
from landfill meant too little emphasis on those longer-term goals?
What is local government doing to improve minimisation and reuse?
What more can be done?
Cllr Bettison: Certainly the local
authorities are very aware of the mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle
and taking things in that order. Indeed, local authorities all
over the country are using their community leadership role very
much to work with their residents to inform their residents of
this. Of course local authorities have traditionally given assistance
in terms of rate relief to charitable shops used to re-sell second-hand
goods. Who would have thought that those volunteers would become
part of our green army?
Q81 Martin Horwood: You talk a lot
about joint working in your submission and you talk about the
cost savings that might be achieved in shire areas in particular.
In Gloucestershire where our councils are trying to do this it
seems to be mired in disputes about who pays for what, what contracts
have been incurred by whom and who is backing which credits for
landfill diversion and so on. Would it not be simpler just to
move to a joint waste authority that takes it away from the local
authorities altogether? Would you be in favour of that?
Cllr Bettison: No. I am sure you
are not surprised by that answer. We do support joint working.
The LGA certainly supports joint working. My authority has just
signed up with two other unitary authorities on a nearly £700
million project that will deal with our waste for the next 25
years. We believe that local authorities themselves are best placed
to decide whether to work with other authorities and which authorities
to work with.
Q82 Martin Horwood: The Chartered
Institution, who came before you, in their evidence only came
up with three actual examples of existing partnerships in action
now between district and county councils. How many are you aware
of?
Cllr Bettison: I do not have those
figures here; I hope they included mine.
Mr Wheatley: I think one of the
reasons why cooperation does not happen at the moment is because
the statutory framework is not encouraging to it and that is why
the Association has welcomed the Government's proposal to introduce
an amendment to the Local Government Bill to create a better statutory
framework for authorities to work together.
Q83 Chair: Can I just ask the question
about disposable nappies and other such products? Do you have
any successful examples with evidence of authorities who have
actually encouraged greater use of re-usable sanitary products
of one sort or another and how they have done it?
Cllr Bettison: There are many
different schemes around the country. Some have been quite successful
and we would be delighted to give you details of those schemes;
they are run by local authorities.
Chair: I think that would be very
helpful.
Q84 Martin Horwood: I have one question
on joint working. Do you think there is a looming problem with
those counties that have not gone down the path for unitary status
or opted for unitary status being landed with a larger bill from
government in the cost savings they are expected to achieve? That
does seem to be an issue for us in Gloucestershire. In other words,
they are going to be expected to make the same savings as those
who have gone down the path of unitary status. Are you aware of
that issue?
Cllr Bettison: That is not an
issue that I would deal with within my portfolio at the LGA and
being the leader of a unitary authority I am not sure it is one
that my colleagues would cry on my shoulder about.
Mr Wheatley: As we were discussing
a few minutes ago, the new Joint Waste Authority power will enable
authorities in two-tier areas to work together on a better basis.
They do not need to become a unitary in order to achieve better
cooperation if the statutory framework is right.
Q85 Martin Horwood: You do not think
there is a problem about democratic accountability, that people
will no longer really know who is responsible for that waste collection
and that recycling?
Mr Wheatley: The Joint Waste Authority
would be made up of representatives of all the local authorities
involved. It is being described in some places by the press as
a quango but that is not accurate because the people who run it
are democratically elected, accountable members of the local authorities
who make up the authority.
Q86 Martin Horwood: Who will it be
answerable to?
Mr Wheatley: It will be answerable
to the authorities who have got together to form it.
Q87 Martin Horwood: All of them collectively?
Mr Wheatley: Yes.
Chair: Thank you very much indeed.
| 
