MoreThanWaste.com - Lib Dems would scrap all nationally set local government targets (17/09/2007)

"Councils should be accountable to their communities, running efficient services, not wasting time and money meeting pointless targets set in London"

Andrew Stunell, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary

All nationally set targets for local government in England would be scrapped under plans passed on Sunday by the Liberal Democrats.

It is not clear, however, at this stage whether this would include key nationally set targets for waste management in England which currently form the crux of Government policy to hit European wide targets set by the Landfill Directive.

The scrapping of targets forms part of a package of measures passed by the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference.

The paper The Power to be Different, aims to encourage a new renaissance in local and regional government in England. Other measures include:

The introduction of a fair voting system for local elections, using the single transferable vote
Giving local authorities the power to scrap unaccountable quangos
Increasing accountability by eventually raising locally three quarters of all money spent by councils.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, Andrew Stunell MP said:

“The Labour Government has picked up from where the Tories left off by stripping more and more powers from local communities.

“Local people know best what is right and wrong with their area, not bureaucrats in Whitehall.

“Councils should be accountable to their communities, running efficient services, not wasting time and money meeting pointless targets set in London.

Examples of local government good practice quoted by the Lib Dems include Liverpool Council improving its waste collection service, which repairs and re-uses furniture for use by homeless and low-income families, rather than putting it in landfill.

Zero carbon Britain

Lib Dems will debate this morning, plans for a zero-carbon Britain to be achieved by 2050.

The plans are extensive and cover a wide range of issues including:

Hugely increase investment in the railways, paid for by introducing motorway tolls for lorries
Carbon neutral, non-nuclear power generation by 2050
The phasing out of petrol cars by 2040
Increased use of green taxes to help cut pollution, using the money to cut income
Introducing ‘green mortgages’ to enable people to make their homes more energy efficient


	Lib Dems would scrap all nationally set local government targets (17/09/2007) "Councils should be accountable to their communities, running efficient services, not wasting time and money meeting pointless targets set in London" Andrew Stunell, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary All nationally set targets for local government in England would be scrapped under plans passed on Sunday by the Liberal Democrats. It is not clear, however, at this stage whether this would include key nationally set targets for waste management in England which currently form the crux of Government policy to hit European wide targets set by the Landfill Directive. The scrapping of targets forms part of a package of measures passed by the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference. The paper The Power to be Different, aims to encourage a new renaissance in local and regional government in England. Other measures include: The introduction of a fair voting system for local elections, using the single transferable vote Giving local authorities the power to scrap unaccountable quangos Increasing accountability by eventually raising locally three quarters of all money spent by councils. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, Andrew Stunell MP said: “The Labour Government has picked up from where the Tories left off by stripping more and more powers from local communities. “Local people know best what is right and wrong with their area, not bureaucrats in Whitehall. “Councils should be accountable to their communities, running efficient services, not wasting time and money meeting pointless targets set in London. Examples of local government good practice quoted by the Lib Dems include Liverpool Council improving its waste collection service, which repairs and re-uses furniture for use by homeless and low-income families, rather than putting it in landfill. Zero carbon Britain Lib Dems will debate this morning, plans for a zero-carbon Britain to be achieved by 2050. The plans are extensive and cover a wide range of issues including: Hugely increase investment in the railways, paid for by introducing motorway tolls for lorries Carbon neutral, non-nuclear power generation by 2050 The phasing out of petrol cars by 2040 Increased use of green taxes to help cut pollution, using the money to cut income Introducing ‘green mortgages’ to enable people to make their homes more energy efficient