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Council recycling targets missed again

"The Labour Council seem incapable of meeting any targets", says Conservative Parliamentary spokesman.

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Conservatives' policies for pensioners

Local Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman, Cllr Greg Hands, endorsed new proposals this week by Conservatives to provide a fairer deal for current and future pensioners across Hammersmith & Fulham.

At the same time, Greg warned that if urgent action was not taken, living standards of pensioners would plummet, companies around the area could go bankrupt and council taxes could soar yet further to pay for local government pension schemes now in deficit.

Greg explained, "I am growing increasingly concerned about the pending crisis in pensions. Workers across Hammersmith & Fulham are being shut out of final salary pension schemes and fewer people are saving for retirement.

"Current pensioners are finding it more difficult to get by, with council taxes soaring by far more than their yearly increase in their state pension."

Under the Conservatives five-point plan, outlining practical policies to address the pensions crisis:
· The basic state pensions would rise each year by earnings, rather than price inflation.
· Means-testing, bureaucratic and humiliating to many pensioners, would be reduced.
· The obligation for pensioners to buy an annuity would be abolished.
· Company pensions would receive greater support by Government taking on more risk.
· A new, flexible 'Lifetime Savings Account' would be created to encourage people to save.

Greg added: "It is not just the elderly who will suffer from the looming crisis. Latest valuations suggest not a single local government pension scheme in the country now has a surplus. Hammersmith & Fulham Council is particularly bad, with a whopping £173 million deficit.

"But I hope Conservative policies show a clear commitment to promoting dignity and security for Britain's present and future pensioners."

Cllr Greg Hands has hit out at Hammersmith & Fulham Council this week, after new figures revealed the Borough has missed its recycling target yet again.

Figures, published in the "Best Value Performance Plan", show the total percentage of household waste which was recycled in the 2003/4 period was 14.4 per cent, compared to the target of 16 per cent. In real terms the difference amounted to a whopping 1,682 tonnes of the 10,712 tonne target.

The Conservative Parliamentary spokesman believes the blame for this rests entirely with the Council, whose incompetence over the administration of the Western Riverside Waste Authority's new "smart sack" scheme to encourage households to separate recyclable rubbish has led to a lack of faith in the service.

Cllr Hands said: "The Labour Council seem incapable of meeting any targets - with these recycling figures being part of a long stream of missed targets.

"It is no surprise, however, as many local residents have come to me complaining that they just do not receive their orange sacks on time - which is entirely the Council's fault.

"If Labour are serious about protecting the local environment they should urgently review their failing tactics and carry out urgently needed reforms to the smart sack scheme to make it work."

Best Value Performance Plan

Conservatives Web site

July 11, 2004