An amendment to the Greater London Authority Bill by MP Karen Buck to create a single authority was rejected by MPs during the proposed legislation's third reading in the House of Commons. Speaking during the debate, Ms Buck said: ‘A creaky and declining infrastructure must be replaced by a new and rapidly expanding infrastructure that is based on recycling and the recovery of renewable energy from London's waste.' Environment minister Ben Bradshaw rejected calls to take waste and recycling out of the boroughs' hands and create a single authority earlier this year (The MJ, 18 January). London Councils chairman Merrick Cockell said: ‘The MPs clearly demonstrated not only that the boroughs are rising to the challenges of reducing waste sent to landfill and increasing recycling rates, but also that the creation of a single waste authority would undermine this progress. ‘We now look forward to following the Bill through the House of Lords, and we will continue to ensure that the boroughs' case continues to be heard.' l Gay rights activitists protested at London City Hall on Wednesday after Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov said homosexuality was ‘wrong'. Mr Luzhkov was speaking at a press conference at City Hall with Mr Livingstone and the mayors of Paris, Berlin and Beijing. The Russian mayor also told reporters homosexuality was an ‘unusual sexual orientation' and he defended his ban on gay pride marches. ‘Let the gay people do what they do, but they should not involve other people,' he said. Speaking afterwards, Mr Livingstone condemned all forms of homophobic discrimination.
