The Government’s resources and waste reforms for England

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 20 Jul 2023 Closed: 8 Mar 2024 Parliament page
What we do with household, commercial, industrial, construction and demolition waste has economic and environmental consequences. Disposal of plastic, food and garden waste can release greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change; in 2021 alone, disposal and treatment of waste represented 6% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, the … Read more
12 Recommendations
13 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
1 Event
Activity timeline 4 events
8 Mar
2024
Report published
1 Dec
2023
Report published
11 Sep
2023
Oral evidence
11 Sep
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
11 Sep 2023
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Government’s programme of waste reform in England; The condition of school buildings
Emma Bourne OBE · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Jane Cunliffe · Department for Education Sarah Homer · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Susan Acland-Hood · The Department for Education Tamara Finkelstein CB · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth Report - Government’s programme of waste reforms HC 333 1 Dec 2023 25 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
Clear
17 Conclusion Deferred
Fifth Report - Government’s progra…
Government lacks reliable methods to measure statutory resource efficiency targets for 2050 ambition.
The government considers that most of the damage to the environment from waste could be avoided at the design and production stages by considering the materials used in production and the ease with which products can be reused or repaired. … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation (after amending it), acknowledging that identifying clear policy pathways and agreeing on metrics for resource efficiency remain challenging. It commits to further research and will write to the committee in early 2025 to explain the recommendation, effectively deferring concrete action on setting a target.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Deferred
Fifth Report - Government’s progra…
Stakeholders concerned government has not prioritised waste prevention and re-use sufficiently.
Stakeholders, including Green Alliance which provided us with written evidence, are concerned that government has not given waste prevention and re-use sufficient priority.36 The Department told us that it aims to push waste up the ‘waste hierarchy’ over time. The … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation (after amending it to focus on resource productivity), but states that developing clear policy pathways and agreeing on metrics for resource efficiency remain challenging. It commits to further research and will write to the committee in early 2025 to explain the recommendation, deferring concrete new policy actions on waste prevention/re-use.
HM Treasury
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19 Recommendation Deferred
Fifth Report - Government’s progra…
Waste prevention programme lacks concrete measures and detailed implementation timelines.
The Department published a waste prevention programme for England in July 2023.38 It selected seven sectors to improve reuse and recycling, including textiles, waste electric equipment and batteries. The Department told us it plans to put out a consultation shortly … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the amended recommendation to double resource productivity but states that long-term policy pathways and metrics for resource efficiency are challenging and not yet agreed. It commits to further research and will write to the committee in early 2025 to explain its approach, effectively deferring concrete action.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 25 of 12 classified
Accepted 18
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 3
Not Addressed 1
Total 12 recs + 13 conclusions