FUNDING FOR NORTHUMBERLAND'S DISPOSAL OF REFRIGERATORS

EDM number 340 in 2002-03, proposed by Peter Atkinson on 10/12/2002.

That this House notes that the Government proposes to fund the additional costs to Northumberland County Council, as a result of implementing Article 16(2) of EC Regulation 2037/00 on Ozone Depleting substances, in the period from 1st April 2002 to 31st March 2003, by means of a special grant allocation of ú211,024; further notes that the estimated actual cost by Northumberland County Council for the storage and disposal of redundant refrigerators during this time period is ú355,550; and that in addition to the estimated cost to Berwick upon Tweed Borough Council, and Wansbeck District Council of ú1,400 and ú7,060 respectively, unknown costs for the collection of redundant refrigerators are also being incurred by Alnwick District Council, Blyth Borough Council, Castle Morpeth Borough Council, and Tynedale Council; recognises thereby that the total extra cost in Northumberland County Council is in excess of ú364,010 and, in view of the statement by the Minister for the Environment, the Right honourable Member for Oldham, West and Royton on local authority funding that 'We are ... taking the realistic view that if extra duties are imposed they should be reasonably funded. That is the Government's policy' (Official Report, 14th January, column 125), calls upon the Government to make clear how it intends to fund the shortfall in Northumberland which will not be less than ú152,986.

This motion has been signed by a total of 22 MPs.