§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to set targets for the recycling of waste(a) paper, (b) cardboard, (c) glass, (d) metal, (e) plastic 762W and (f) other products created by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement. [98232]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyMy Department's approach to waste management is based on the three "R"s, with "Recovery" (i.e. recycling, composting and energy recovery) following "Reduce" and "Re-use" as the preferred options for reducing waste sent to landfill. This should help us to achieve the Green Ministers' target for Government Departments of recovering a minimum of 40 per cent. of total office waste, with at least 25 per cent. of that recovery coming from recycling or composting, in 2000–01, as published in "Greening Government: First Annual Report of the Green Ministers Committee 1998–99".
My Department has a staff of 34 and a correspondingly small production of waste. We have, therefore, set no individual targets for paper, cardboard, glass, metal, plastic and other materials, and we do not keep formal records of waste recycled. We recycle paper as a matter of routine.