§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment which London borough councils make a direct charge for the collection of trade waste; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveInformation on which London boroughs make a direct charge for the collection of trade refuse is published annually in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's waste collection statistics.
Current legislation requires that local authorities make reasonable charges for collecting trade refuse. The Government's view is that such charges should reflect the full economic cost of collection, including an element for the cost of disposal; this is to prevent the service from becoming a burden on the rate fund and to avoid unfair competition with the private sector.