Pay as you throw tax plan shelved

Pay as you throw tax plan shelved

Ministers were expected to announce today that bin charges imposed by councils were to go ahead but the plan has now been put off indefinitely, according to a BBC report suggesting that Downing Street blocked the idea.

It is understood that Gordon Brown was concerned about the possible impact on families that produce large quantities of refuse. The Conservatives accused the government of "caving in" over the charges. Shadow local government secretary Eric Pickles said last night: "The fact that Gordon Brown appears to have caved in is a vindication of the campaign by Conservatives against Labour's plans for this hated tax on families.

"It is extraordinary that only today Defra [the environment department] released a document heaping praise on these bin taxes. At the very least, this is evidence of chaos and confusion at the heart of government."

Last night Defra said no decision had been made on the plans. "This is speculation. We have not given any timescale for the next steps to spell out the way ahead," a spokeswoman said.

The government is under mounting pressure from Europe to increase domestic recycling and last year said it wanted local authorities to be able to choose how rubbish collections were paid for.