§ Mr. CallaghanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to encourage recycling of household waste in the Greater Manchester area. [17056]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe Government's overall policy aim for achieving more sustainable waste management is to increase the proportion of waste managed by the options towards the top of the waste hierarchy, including waste minimisation and recycling. Specific measures to encourage recycling of household waste are set out in the White Paper "Making Waste Work: A strategy for sustainable waste management in England and Wales" which was published in December.
Provision of local recycling facilities is a matter for local authorities and the private and voluntary sectors. As an aid to this process, we have recently invited bids from local authorities for a further £10 million of supplementary credit approval resources for capital investment during 1996–97 in recycling projects. More generally, our initiative on producer responsibility for packaging waste will play a key role in developing local infrastructure and encouraging higher rates of recycling, together with other factors, such as the rising costs of waste disposal, including the proposed landfill tax, and improved markets for secondary raw materials.