Ms Geraldine Tallon:

We have been looking at local government reform very intensively over the last year and we tend not to want to draw things from local government that should happen at local government level. If non-compliance is found by a local authority, we would like to say it is for the local authority to follow that up. Ultimately, the revenue accruing from the plastic bag levy is used to the benefit of local authorities and the EPA. We have issued guidance to local authorities on their enforcement role in relation to the plastic bag levy. While we might have reacted a bit sharply to the Comptroller and Auditor General initially, we have at the same time issued guidance to local authorities to get on with the job. As a general principle, on the question of the extent to which the Department waves a stick over local government, the tendency in a local government reform context is for us to say that we put appropriate systems of oversight in place through local government audit or through the planned new oversight and audit commission but the expectation should be-----