We are pleased to publish our Annual Report, setting out the review of our performance against the annual targets set in our 2020-2023 Corporate Plan by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), which we fully met and delivered.
The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) was launched in 1996 and ENTRUST has operated as the Regulator of the scheme since its inception. In July 2020, we agreed new Terms of Approval (TOA) with HMRC, which will run until 30 June 2025. In signing the TOA, ENTRUST will continue to:
- Mitigate the risk of financial loss to the Exchequer by providing HMRC with independent assurance that LCF monies are spent compliantly in accordance with the Regulations; and
- Continue to deliver the requirements of the TOA, which ensures that we fully support HMRC in regulating the Fund and deliver the annual objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set by HMRC.
As always, our Annual Report covers our activities across a full twelve month reporting period. However, 2020/2021 also required ENTRUST to respond flexibly and proactively to the changing landscape due to the impact of COVID-19 on our Staff and Stakeholders.
In accordance with the Government's advice and guidance, ENTRUST moved to a homeworking-based model. As a 24/7 e-enabled business, ENTRUST had already developed and tested a full Business Continuity Plan (BCP), which facilitated Staff working at home. The implementation of this plan therefore had a negligible impact on ENTRUST's overall capability and ability to deliver our Corporate Plan and recognised Service Standards. Furthermore, our previous strategy, to move to 100 per cent e-delivery of services, enabled us to quickly and efficiently respond in an agile manner which has ensured that ENTRUST continued to provide a 24/7 service for our Stakeholders.
Reflecting back on our core activities across the year, we have continued to work closely with all LCF Stakeholders including the Association of Distributive and Environmental Bodies (ADEB), the Chairs of the largest Environmental Bodies (EBs), and Landfill Operators (LOs). 2020/2021 was another strong year for ENTRUST, during which we delivered all of our objectives and KPIs. We also finalised the closure of the LCF in Wales and submitted our final closure report to HMRC. Alongside these achievements, we also continued to receive positive feedback from our annual EB satisfaction survey, which highlighted an 83 per cent overall level of satisfaction from those EBs who responded.
In July 2021 we provided HMRC with an updated report about the Sector's use of Administration Costs and Unspent Funds for the 2020/2021 reporting data. For both measures the Sector as a whole remains below the recommended guidance levels. ENTRUST continues to monitor and work closely with organisations who are performing outside of the guidance levels.
Whilst the impact of COVID-19 has been ever present across the last year, this report aims to showcase the depth and breadth of work that ENTRUST has continued to undertake during the unprecedented twelve months of 2020/2021.
You can read further detail about the work we have undertaken during this period in the full document and short summary version which are available on the right hand side of this page.