Sorry We Haven’t A Clue
Folkestone & Hythe District Council don’t have a clue as they “don’t hold the information“. They haven’t a clue about how much waste they produce or how much they recycle. However, they know how much we, the residents of the district produce and recycle. The latest estimate is that we recycle 47%.
The fact our Council declared a climate and ecological emergency back in July, and part of the solution is recycling, it does not bode well for our Council and our Cllrs, when it comes to setting and leading by example, as it holds no information about how much waste it produces, or how much it recycles.
Two organisations who do hold the information about how much waste they produce and how much is recycled are the Secret Intelligence Service – MI6, and Folkestone Harbour Company. Their responses are set out below:
The security intelligence service MI6 produced 230% more waste in 2018/19 than the previous year. It’s recycling rate jumped from 85.65 tonnes in 17/18 to 719 tonnes in 18/19.
As a security body, MI6 has an absolute exemption from the Freedom of Information Act. But it can’t be excluded from the Environmental Information Regulations, which implement a European convention on access to environmental information held by public authorities.
This means that MI6 has to be prepared to release some environmental data, such as how much waste it produces and its recycling rate, where it would not adversely affect national security or come under other EIR exceptions.
MI6 was asked for the cost of its electricity yearly, the price per kWh and the name of their supplier. They declined to respond citing the Freedom of Information act s.84, which provides that they are not a government department for the purposes of the Act.
It’s sister organisation MI5 used to openly publish it’s waste, recyling and electricity use and cost, but after 2009, for whatever reason, they stopped. It would be great if they would start again.
Folkestone Harbour Company, which includes the Harbour Arm and owned by Sir Roger De Haan, according to Companies House, is also subject to the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, by the virtue they are considered to be a port.
I would expect nothing less from this local council! The 3 wise monkeys – “speak no evil, hear no evil and see no evil” are all gainfully employed there.