400 million tonnes of waste is produced in England and Wales from industrial, commercial and household sources, with 375 million tonnes produced in England alone. Following on from its previous report on waste management issues (HCP 385-I, session 2002-03, ISBN 0215010876) published in May 2003, the Committee's report focuses on the progress being made to meet targets for recycling, and the impact of the EU Landfill Directive on reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills, particularly in hazardous waste landfill capacity. Findings include that waste policy has a lower public profile than many other environmental issues, and its development is hindered by a lack of quality data. Concerns are raised about the level of hazardous waste that is unaccounted for, following the ending of co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in the same landfill. Government funding for research into new treatment technologies is welcomed, but more investment is needed; and the planning system is a key influence on the country's waste management capacity. The Committee also recommends that the Landfill Tax should be increased to £35 per tonne; and that the introduction of local authority schemes to promote household waste recycling should be left at the discretion of local councils, with variable charging schemes only introduced if this can avoid disadvantaging low-income families.