The Daily Mail reports that the Government is planning to appoint quangos (non-elected quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations) to set pay-as-you-throw tax on rubbish.
Ministers have outlined a scheme for 'Joint Waste Authorities' to take over the running of dustcarts, wheelie bins and municipal tips from town halls and to set pay-as-you-throw rubbish charges in an attempt to encourage more recycling.
The Joint Waste Authorities (JWA) will also take over from councils the role of managing teams of staff with powers to issue spot fines to those who put out their rubbish at the wrong time, who deposit litter in the wrong place or leave their wheelie bin lids open.
Plans for the JWAs have been prepared by ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, is proposing that councils that currently run waste collection and disposal should combine resources to form the new boards in order to make efficiency savings.
Unlike town halls, the new authorities will not be directly answerable to voters.
Instead, they will be run by appointed members chosen by the local councils which have formed the quangos. Consequently, they will be insulated from electoral reverses and not answerable and accountable to the electorates they are taxing.
Matthew Elliott, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, says the plans breach the principle that no one should be taxed without representation.
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