Alan Duncan MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, stepped in to help Kidderminster's Network (Worcestershire), and similar organisations from around the country, from impending financial problems - problems brought about by poor Government planning.
The Network (Worcestershire) recently received a visit from Conservative leader David Cameron who was told by local managers of impending doom derived as a result of broken promises by the Government.
The Network (Worcestershire) provides an extremely valuable role reusing and recycling unwanted electrical goods and selling them at vastly reduced prices to local residents who would otherwise be unable to afford home appliances. The Government assisted the setting up of The Network (Worcestershire) in anticipation of implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, due to be introduced last August. The WEEE Directive would have meant that The Network (Worcestershire) would have had an income generated from recycling and processing electrical goods under the terms of the directive. But as a result of delay in the implementation - the third delay from the Government - The Network (Worcestershire) lacks vital monthly income and may face financial problems if further partnerships are not secured.
But the problem is not limited to just Worcestershire - 15 further recycling projects around the country also face financial ruin as a result of the Government's failure to deliver the vital - and promised - legislation, and as many as 300 further projects country wide will probably delay engaging in this essential service across Great Britain.
Representatives of the Furniture Reuse Network, from Kidderminster, Bristol and visited Alan Duncan at the invitation of Wyre Forest's Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman Mark Garnier on Tuesday to discus how Mr Duncan can help.
Mark Prisk MP, Shadow Minister for Small Business, was also very instrumental in formulating an action plan for help.
Speaking at the meeting, Alan Duncan said: "The Government was clearly making a very good decision to offer the opportunity to these organisations to recycle waste goods - this fits in perfectly with Conservative policy on environment issues. But, the Government has seriously let down these organisations by not delivering the promised WEEE Directive. As a direct result of this failure to deliver promised legislation, these very worthwhile organisations may fail and a valuable asset - part financed from taxpayers' money - may fail."
Continuing, Mark Prisk said: "We could move forward on a party political basis, hammering the Government for their lack of joined up thinking. But given the importance of the work being done by these organisations, I think it would be better to try to work with the Government and to help them find the solution they are struggling to find."
Finally, Mark Garnier added: "The Network (Worcestershire) is an incredibly important asset to not just Wyre Forest, but to Worcestershire as a whole. For example, every year, over 30,000 refrigerators are disposed of in our county alone. The Network (Worcestershire) can recycle a third of these that can then be sold at vastly reduced prices to local residents who cannot afford the cost of a new item. To lose this would be a tragedy."