• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

It's good news to hear that progress is being made on licensing but of course that is meaningless without enforcement. At an enforcement exercise last year in Gants Hill, the police and licensing authorities caught not only a lot of unlicensed drivers but they also uncovered, as part of that, unfit vehicles, insurance fraud, immigration fraud, benefit fraud and a couple of serious criminal offenders, as well. Obviously that was a successful exercise on our part. Will we get the resources again to do another of these in Gants Hill or elsewhere in Redbridge where the problem still continues?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

I'm really pleased to hear about the Yellow Pages initiative; I think that's excellent. How else is this being enforced, as far as the companies are concerned? Do you have any information on that? Are people checking on the streets?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

But you will be coming down on them if they don't provide that level of service to every household?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

What are you doing to make sure that there will be a scheme up and running because the latest reports are now that the bag scheme that they were running will not be available as a matter of course for every household but will only be available if people take the trouble to collect them and request them that way? That's not in line with the proposals in your Waste Strategy.

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

No other borough was funded from landfill tax credits.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

I welcome the commitment from at least two other political parties here to make sure in Havering we do get the money for the recycling scheme which we wouldn't want to lose. I think it would be useful if you could check around London and see if there are any other recycling schemes which are placed in a similar situation because of the landfill tax credit changes. Do you know of any other boroughs where there are going to be problems?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

That wasn't the answer you gave to Tony Arbour a few moments ago.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

I hope, as the Member for the area, I will be included in that discussion.

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

We did, at the last Environment Committee, look at the landfill tax credit issue and we're joining with your officers for an Environment Committee to meet the minister on the subject. Having got the minutes of Havering's Cabinet, I think I have to share Darren's concern because it says very clearly here that they've agreed to suspend the In the Bag scheme. That's what it says in the minutes of the last Cabinet Meeting. So, I have particular concerns given that most boroughs fund recycling either from the £21 million, if they put bids in for it, or prior to...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

We've got a year to go now before your policy comes into effect for every borough to provide a collection scheme for at least three materials by 1 April 2004. Do you think we're on course to meet that?