§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent steps have been taken to encourage composting of organic(a) kitchen and (b) garden waste from (i) domestic and (ii) commercial properties by local authorities; [52382]
(2) what her Department's (a) national and (b) local targets for (i) domestic and (ii) commercial composting of organic waste are; [52384]
(3) what funding is available to local authorities to increase levels of composting; and by how much funding has changed for each year since 1997. [52383]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Government strongly supports composting as a way of disposing of biodegradable waste, improving soil quality and replacing non-renewable products such as peat. Although the land spreading of composted kitchen/catering waste is currently prohibited under animal health legislation, we are actively encouraging the composting of green waste—at home, at municipal civic amenity sites and when separately collected by local authorities.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are currently working with the Composting Association to develop the existing industry standard for compost, to achieve British Standards Institute (BSI) accreditation. The delivery of these industry standards for compost will help to create markets for organic waste derived products.
Targets have been set for England and Wales to recycle or compost at least 25 per cent. of household waste by 2005. This national target is backed up by statutory targets for each local authority in England for 2003–04 and 2005–06.
The 2000 spending review allocated £220 million private finance initiative funding for waste management that can be used to deliver increased recycling/composting rates. It also established a new £140 million household waste and recycling fund to help local authorities meet their statutory performance standards for recycling and composting.
The principal funding for local authority waste management functions, including composting, is the Environmental Protection and Cultural Services (EPCS) standard spending assessment. The spending review 2000 set the Government's support for local authorities for the three years up to 2003–04. This included an annual increase in the revenue support to local authorities for environmental protection and cultural services (EPCS). By 2003–04 this support will have risen by £1.1 billion over the 2000–01 provision. Consistent with the general local authority financial framework, it is for individual local authorities to decide the proportion of their budget that should be directed to waste management work.
The average annual increase in the EPCS standard spending assessment block since 1997–98 has been 3.3 per cent.
947WFuture funding for local authority waste management will be determined in the 2002 spending review.