Information on waste
157.Section 79 enables the Scottish Ministers to make detailed provision, by regulations, requiring the provision of information by persons specified in those regulations about waste associated with their activities to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Some of the detail which may be included in the regulations is specified in subsection (2), but without prejudice to the generality of the power in subsection (1). “Waste” is a term which has already been defined in section 78(4): this definition matches that of Directive 2006/12/EC on waste.
158.Subsection (3) refers to section 34(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (the “1990 Act”). This enables the Scottish Ministers to make regulations requiring those who import, produce, carry, keep, treat or dispose of controlled waste to make, retain and furnish documents. The powers have been used to make the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 (the “1991 Regulations”) and the Special Waste Regulations 1996 (the “1996 Regulations”). These regulations require notes to be prepared when waste covered by them is transferred. Subsection (3) ensures that regulations made under section 79 are not construed as replacing the separate requirements contained in existing regulations.
159.Subsection (5) provides that the Scottish Ministers must bring forward regulations establishing a scheme to require the provision of data about waste within 12 months of section 79 coming into force.
160.It is very likely that a system of enforcement, including offences and penalties, would be required to ensure that information is provided correctly and timeously, but this will be a matter for regulations. Powers to make such provision are contained in subsections (2)(g) and (h).
