FUNDING FOR BEDFORDSHIRE'S DISPOSAL OF REFRIGERATORS

EDM number 341 in 2002-03, proposed by Jonathan Sayeed on 10/12/2002.

That this House notes that the Government proposes to fund the additional costs to Bedfordshire 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 ú264,921; further notes that the estimated actual costs by Bedfordshire County Council for the storage and disposal of redundant refrigerators during this time period is ú460,000, and that estimated costs of ú20,000, ú17,000 and ú35,000 for the collection of redundant refrigerators are also being incurred by South Bedfordshire District Council and Mid Bedfordshire District Council; recognises thereby that the total extra cost in Bedfordshire is in the region of ú532,000; 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 Bedfordshire which will not be less than ú267,079.

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