§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what legislative provisions place responsibility on(a) county councils and (b) district councils in Wales to keep their local environments tidy from litter; whether his Department has at any time undertaken a performance audit to ascertain the effectiveness of local authority performance in this matter; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GristThe Litter Act 1983 defines the offence of littering, for which prosecutions may be initiated by county and district councils as litter authorities, and empowers such authorities to provide and maintain litter bins which they must empty regularly. In addition, the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 place various responsibilities on district councils in Wales to collect up and dispose of refuse.
It is not the Department's practice to carry out performance audits of the provision of local authority services.
Part IV of the Environmental Protection Bill, which will place a new duty on local authorities to ensure that land in their control to which the public has access is kept free of litter and refuse, will enable any local resident or group to apply to a magistrates court for an order requiring the authority concerned to clear litter which is detrimental to the amenities of the locality.