North-East is becoming dustbin for Scotland’s rubbish, MP warns

THE North-East is becoming a “dustbin” for Scottish rubbish because of devolution, one of the region’s MPs has warned.
Kevan Jones, the North Durham MP, said a “commendable” Scottish initiative to boost recycling had backfired by sending waste across the border instead, sometimes illegally.

And he warned the problem was set to worsen when Holyrood is given new powers to increase landfill tax, under legislation before Parliament.

Mr Jones told ministers: “Unscrupulous individuals and large companies are collecting separated waste and shipping it across the border into England.”

And, speaking later, he told The Northern Echo: “This is going to make the North-East the dumping ground for Scottish waste – it’s going to turn us into Scotland’s dustbin.

“In some cases, these people are avoiding landfill tax because private contractors turn a blind eye to the. It’s not being monitored or enforced.”

The row has blown up after the Scottish Nationalist Government introduced a “zero waste plan”, requiring more recyclable rubbish to be separated and banning some items from landfill.

Mr Jones said the policy was not being enforced, leading to waste being brought into the North-East “where the Scottish Government have no jurisdiction”.

Worse, the Scotland Bill will now give Holyrood the power to hike landfill taxes – which would increase incentives to bring waste south into England.

The North Durham MP added: “What’s needed is closer collaboration between the Environment Agencies here and in Scotland.”

The SNP Government in Edinburgh was asked to comment on the criticisms, but did not respond before The Northern Echo’s deadline.

The controversy mirrors fears that North-East airports will suffer after Scotland is given – in the same Bill – the power to cut, or scrap, air passenger duty (APD).

Late last year, David Cameron pledged – to The Northern Echo – that he would not allow “unfair tax competition” to hurt Newcastle and Durham airports, implying copy-cat APD cuts in England.

Newcastle Airport has suggested 1,000 jobs would be at risk, draining £40m from the region’s annual economic output, and the CBI North-East has revealed its alarm.

However, in recent days, both Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Scottish Secretary David Mundell have been asked about that threat, without repeating the prime minister’s assurance.

Quizzed in the Commons, Mr Javid said only: “We need to consider such issues carefully”, while Mr Mundell said: “The Treasury has established a group to look at the impact.”

Mr Jones questioned what had happened to Mr Cameron’s promise, asking: “A lot of things were said during the election campaign to garner votes in the North-East.

“Ministers must come up with a detailed solution to the effects of cutting APD.”