Greater London Authority Bill

I do not think that the hon. Gentleman was in his place at the beginning of the debate, when the excellent performance of one or two London boroughs—and the extremely poor performance of many others—was discussed. Like most MPs, I live in London during the week, so I know as a consumer—or as a non-consumer, depending on which way one looks at it—the problems here. Recycling is very poor in London, and the hon. Gentleman’s remarks do not amount to a sufficient excuse. We are talking about the London Mayor and the way in which London is exporting its problems to surrounding areas, so it is not relevant to talk about other cities. As far as I know, Milton Keynes does not receive waste from other metropolitan areas, although if it does I will attempt to deal with those authorities as well. I do not think that London should be exporting its waste, and I would be interested to know whether the hon. Gentleman is suggesting that it is all right for London to export its problems elsewhere and shuffle off its responsibility. That is not a responsible approach, and I suggest that his Conservative colleague who represents the other half of Milton Keynes would not be keen to agree with him.