CIWM expresses disappointment at Government response to EFRA Committee's report

Commenting on the Government's response yesterday to the EFRA Committee's report on waste management published last Autumn, CIWM chief executive Steve Lee said:

"The Government's response to the report is little more than a holding statement. While the forthcoming general election, the 'shelving' of the EU Circular Economy package, and the current spending squeeze provide a useful smokescreen, the fact is that this government has shown little ambition or commitment to providing a credible, long term policy framework for waste and resource management.

"The response ignores the 'bigger picture' that sits behind the committee's recommendations and where concrete action is outlined, the reliance on WRAP at a time when funding is for this body is at its lowest point is, at the very least, contradictory. Overall, it is a disappointing response and does not adequately answer the questions posed by the inquiry about the impact of Defra's decision to 'step back' from waste policy." The full document can be found here.