Concerns raised that waste and resources will be hit by Spending Review cuts
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management gives its reaction to the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review
Cuts to key departmental budgets, as well as the cut in central grant funding to local authorities, could have a significant impact on the waste and resource management industry, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management has warned.
Responding to the Wednesday’s Comprehensive Spending Review, CIWM chief executive Steve Lee said:
“As the lead department on waste and resources management and environmental protection, CIWM has repeatedly emphasised the need to ensure that Defra remains adequately resourced.
“The department has already stepped back from waste and resource policy and funding, and further cuts could exacerbate this situation.
“In addition, significant cuts at DCLG, both in the departmental budget and in the central grant funding for local authorities, is likely to have a visible and damaging impact both the delivery of waste services and on local planning capability to deliver the resource recovery infrastructure we need for the future.
Highlighting the positive announcements, Mr Lee added: “CIWM particularly welcomes the additional £20m for the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime.
“This provides the guaranteed, medium term support from the Government that the industry has been asking for.
“Also encouraging is the £1.15bn funding increase for the Renewable Heat Incentive from 2016 to 2021, although this will do little to mitigate the damage that has been done to this sector by constant changes to DECC policies on renewable energy and the scaling back of a range of incentives and support.
Mr Lee concluded: “Recent figures suggesting the UK will struggle to meet its 2020 EU renewable energy target, coupled with the latest warnings about security of energy supply over this winter, highlight how important it is that the government maintains adequate support for technologies such as anaerobic digestion that convert waste into renewable energy.
“Ultimately, future proofing the UK against resource and energy shocks, and ensuring that we build a more sustainable, clean and green economy requires ambition, leadership and the right structures and resources at both a national and local government level. This is not the message we got from the Chancellor yesterday.”
PoliticsHome Newsletters
Get the inside track on what MPs and Peers are talking about. Sign up to The House's morning email for the latest insight and reaction from Parliamentarians, policy-makers and organisations.
