What initiatives are being put in place to enable local communities to influence how money from landfill tax credits is utilised locally.

Decisions about which projects should be supported by landfill operators under the landfill tax credits scheme are a matter for the operator themselves as this funding is considered to be private funding. One of the approved criteria for which funding may be used is the maintenance and improvement of a public park or public amenity in the vicinity of a landfill site. Many such projects, and others, are influenced by local organisations offering to provide the required 10% contribution towards funding which cannot be covered by the credit scheme.The Scottish Executive encourages operators to provide funding to projects that benefit the local community or wider sustainable waste management and encourages communities to become directly involved.Forward Scotland, an organisation part-funded by the Executive, promotes the use of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme across Scotland through advertising, seminars and events. Forward Scotland has helped set up local trusts across the country to take advantage of the credit scheme. There are currently eight such trusts.The trusts are local organisations which decide how and where money could be best spent in their area, in accordance with the rules of the credit scheme. Forward Scotland promotes the scheme and offers guidance and support to the trusts if they wish to participate. Forward Scotland has worked with the trusts on around 200 projects to date and currently handles about £2.5 million of Landfill Tax credits each year.The Executive also supported the establishment of the Scottish Landfill Tax Credit Forum, set up in conjunction with Entrust (the credit scheme regulator) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The forum meets quarterly, disseminating information to its members and advising on best practice.