I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 and 192 together.
Under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, as amended, there has been a requirement since 1 July 2015 for collectors to weigh household waste collected at kerbside, using approved weighing instruments and to make this information available to the householder. The same refuse collection vehicles are often used to collect general waste and recyclable material, so in many instances the vehicle will have a weighing mechanism on board.
With regard to waste management costs, I engaged actively and intensively with representatives of the waste industry and have agreed a clear way forward that results in customers paying no more than their current rate for presenting the same amount of waste over the next 12 months - by means of a price freeze to end-June 2017.
It is my intention that customers from 1 January, 2017 will be able to see, through a dual billing process, details in their bills about the amount of waste they are disposing of, their costs under the continuation of their current price plan and details of the comparative pay-by-weight charge. This will necessitate the weighing of waste collected, a requirement which has already been in place for 12 months.