Under agenda item 5, we will consider a further response from the accountable officer on the Auditor General for Scotland's report, "Sustainable waste management". Given that members have no comments to make, I invite comments from Audit Scotland.
The response reiterates the Government's commitment to meeting the EU targets, such as the landfill directive targets, and refers to the cabinet secretary's statement on waste policy. It is set in the context of the development of single outcome agreements, so it does not say much about the action that the Government plans to take or what levers it has to influence councils and the role that they play. Given the importance of waste policy and the urgent action that is needed to achieve the targets by 2010 and onwards, the committee must consider whether it wants to follow up the accountable officer's response now or consider progress a bit further on. It is your decision.
Thank you. I suggest that it might be premature for us to do anything at the moment. Waste management is an issue that will be of increasing concern. Delivery poses huge challenges for local government and I am not sure that the response from the accountable officer details how they will meet them. Are any other committees considering waste management? Could we refer the matter to them? Does anyone know what other committees' work programmes are?
The issue should go to the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, if any, but I am not sure what its work programme is. I know that it has not discussed waste management.
We could perhaps consider whether other committees of the Parliament might have an interest in the matter and draw to their attention the information that we have.
We will be consulting on the Audit Scotland programme on behalf of the AGS and the Accounts Commission over the summer. Sustainability is one of the big issues that we are thinking through, so we will come back to you with proposals for more work.
Okay. Thank you very much. As we agreed earlier, we will now move into private session.
Meeting continued in private until 12:05.
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