FUNDING FOR HERTFORDSHIRE'S DISPOSAL OF REFRIGERATORS

EDM number 342 in 2002-03, proposed by Mark Prisk on 10/12/2002.

That this House notes that the Government proposes to fund the additional costs to Hertfordshire 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 ú790,169; further notes that the estimated actual cost to Hertfordshire County Council for the storage and disposal of redundant refrigerators during this period is ú1,100,000, and that in addition to the estimated cost to Broxbourne Borough Council, East Hertfordshire District Council and Hertsmere Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council of ú30,954, ú22,000, ú55,575 and ú63,587 respectively, unknown costs for the collection of redundant refrigerators are also being incurred by Dacorum Borough Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, Stevenage Borough Council, Watford Borough Council and Welwyn Hatfield District Council; recognises thereby that the total extra cost in Hertfordshire County Council is in excess of ú1,272,116; 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, c125), calls upon the Government to make clear how it intends to fund the shortfall in Hertfordshire County Council which will not be less than ú481,947.

This motion has been signed by a total of 26 MPs.