FUNDING FOR STAFFORDSHIRE'S DISPOSAL OF REFRIGERATORS

EDM number 354 in 2002-03, proposed by Michael Fabricant on 11/12/2002.

That this House notes that the Government proposes to fund additional costs to Staffordshire County Council, as a result of 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 ú521,961; further notes that the estimated actual cost by Staffordshire County Council for the storage and disposal of redundant refrigerators during this time is ú710,000; and in addition to the estimated cost to Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council, and South Staffordshire District Council of ú24,000 and ú15,000 respectively, unknown costs for the collection of redundant refrigerators are also being incurred by Cannock Chase District Council, East Staffordshire Borough Council, Lichfield District Council, Stafford Borough Council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, and Tamworth Borough; 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' (HC Official Report, 14th January, column 125), calls upon the Government to make clear how it intends to fund the shortfall in Staffordshire which will not be less than ú227,039.

This motion has been signed by a total of 23 MPs.