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It's a Kafkaesque engagement for constituents. Plans for a huge new waste incinerator in Bedfordshire came under fire in the Commons today.

Mid Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries took up arms against the the, in the debate she had secured in the Westminster Hall.

The IPC is in charge of the decision over the American company, Covanta, who wants to build an incinerator at

"To date, my constituents have been forced into Kafkaesque engagement with a body which is to be abolished," the Conservative MP told Communities Minister Greg Clark.

The thrust of Ms Dorries' argument was that the IPC makes its decisions mainly on the basis of the relevant National Policy Statement.

It appears that it's all a matter of timing. When the Localism Bill is passed, the IPC will be abolished and the decision will then rest with the Secretary of State.

The IPC's examination will run until 15 July 2011 and it should reach its decision by 15 October 2011.

The IPC has said that if the National Policy Statement comes out before then then it will make the decision. If not, it won't.

Ms Dorries says this is not fair: "How can a process of public consultation exist if the information constituents are given is no longer relevant by the time the IPC make their decision?" she implored.

Mr Clark had little comfort, although he agreed that the decision on a piece of infrastructure of national importance should not be made without the input of the local community and that the IPC, as inherited, was an unelected quango and not accountable to the public.

"So why don't we scrap the IPC now?" asked Mr Clark. "The temptation is strong but ministers have to obey the law and we need to go through the parliamentary process."

He did promise to take the matter up with the IPC but he admitted there were very few powers to stop the process.

"If the National Policy Statement is not designated then it won't be down to the IPC but my expectation is the opposite. I don't want to raise the Honourable Lady's hopes.

"Unfortunately we are in a difficult position. We would rather not be in this position."

Earlier this month demonstrators protested against the planned incinerator.

If approved the plant in Stewartby But residents are concerned about emissions, traffic and its visual impact on the area.

Those concerns weren't allayed today.

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