§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures his Department is taking to promote the recycling of waste. [159368]
Mr. Robert AinsworthThe Government's policy on recycling is set out in Waste Strategy 2000, published last May. We have now set statutory performance standards for each local authority under the best value regime which will triple the recycling of household waste to 25 per cent. in 2005–06 and announced in last year's spending review significant extra funding for local authorities to help meet those targets. In Waste Strategy 2000, the Government also set a target of reducing the amount of industrial and commercial waste sent to landfill by 2005, to 85 per cent. of that landfilled in 1998.
We continue to implement EC legislation and voluntary agreements on producer responsibility on a range of materials including packaging. The landfill tax will continue to rise and the aggregates levy will come into force in April 2002, both of which provide incentives to find alternative uses for materials.
In November, the Government established the new Waste and Resources Action Programme with a budget of £40 million over three years to tackle the market obstacles to recycling. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport consulted on proposals for the next round of lottery funding (the New Opportunities Fund), including a programme to expand community sector waste re-use, recycling and composting.