HC Deb 05 December 1996 vol 286 cc774-6W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to legislate to require companies in Scotland to include a minimum level of recycled content within packaging for products on sale. [6824]

Mr. Kynoch

The Government will introduce regulations on producer responsibility for packaging early next year. These will oblige companies in the packaging chain to recover and recycle specific percentages of packaging waste. This will provide an incentive to create markets for recycled materials, including materials for use in packaging, because industry will share the costs of the proposals.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what plans he has to introduce a temporary grant scheme to assist waste collection authorities in setting up and running recycling programmes over the next five year; [6813]

(2) what resources will be allocated to waste collection authorities for 1997–98 to enable them to develop waste recycling schemes to meet Government targets. [6823]

Mr. Kynoch

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the local government finance settlement for 1997–98 on Budget day; details of its distribution should be with individual councils before Christmas. It will be for individual authorities to determine local priorities and how to allocate their resources across the range of services they provide. We have no plans to introduce a temporary grant for the development of recycling projects.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will assess the advantages of exempting local authorities as waste collection authorities in Scotland from liability for landfill tax when the price for recycled materials they have collected falls to zero. [6828]

Mr. Kynoch

There are no plans to make this assessment. The scope of the tax is a matter for consideration by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what advice his Department issues to waste collection authorities about variations in price available for waste materials collected for recycling by waste collection authorities. [6826]

(2) what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the fluctuation in price of waste materials collected for recycling by waste collection authorities. [6825]

Mr. Kynoch

It is for individual authorities to consider possible price variations when making a commercial judgment on whether recycling of a specific type of material is sustainable in both environmental and economic terms. As a consequence, the Scottish Office has offered no specific advice to authorities on this matter, nor has it commissioned or evaluated any research into price levels. The Government's recycling advisory unit has, however, published a series of reports identifying barriers and opportunities which exist for the recycling of various materials.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what representations he has received from waste collection authorities about waste recycling targets and the setting up of schemes to meet those targets; [6822]

(2) what targets his Department has set for waste collection authorities recycling by 2000; and if he will make a statement. [6821]

Mr. Kynoch

The representations received by my right hon. Friend have focused generally on price fluctuations for recycled material, the implications this has for recycling targets and on the general issue of resources.

In the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", Cm 1200, published in 1990, the Government set a target of recycling half the recyclable element of all household waste by 2000. This is a general target, not binding on individual authorities. It equates broadly to the target of 25 per cent. of all household waste.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the grants made available through the environmental action fund to the voluntary sector running recycling projects by amounts awarded in each local authority area in Scotland. [6812]

Mr. Kynoch

The environmental action fund does not support projects in Scotland. The fund's Scottish equivalent is the special grants (environmental) programme.

Details of grants awarded under the programme to voluntary bodies involved in recycling projects in Scotland since 1992–93 are set out in the table:

Organisation Financial years Amount £ Local authority area(s)
Environment Centre, Edinburgh 1992–93 4,500 Not applicable
Recycling Advisory Group, Scotland 1996–97 8,000 Not applicable
11997–98 7,000
11998–99 6,000
Community Service Volunteers 1992–93 3,700 All
Age Concern Orkney 1992–93 3,225 Orkney
Mid Craigie Community Business 1992–93 1,000 Dundee
Lothian and Edinburgh Environmental Partnership 1993–94 3,000 Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian
Scottish Conservation Projects Trust 1993–94 15,000 Stirling and Falkirk
1994 –95 15,000
1995–96 15,000
Tayside Scrapstore 1993–94 1,425 Dundee
Lothian and Edinburgh Environmental Partnership 1995–96 5,000 Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian
1The table includes a future commitment to fund the Recycling Advisory Group Scotland in 1997–98 and 1998–99.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to publish its strategy for waste recycling in Scotland. [6829]

Mr. Kynoch

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency intends to publish early next year for consultation a draft strategy covering its policies in relation to the recovery and disposal of waste in Scotland, including recycling.

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