§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to improve co-ordination between public bodies with special reference to local councils, over meeting the Government's waste recycling targets. [15523]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 16 November 2000]: We provided guidance to local authorities on producing Municipal Waste Management Strategies published in March this year, which encouraged partnership working, as a key means for delivering the statutory targets on recycling.
Today, we are publishing a Consultation Paper on the distribution of £140 million of additional funding for local authority waste minimisation and recycling. In that Paper we suggest that partnership working between authorities to deliver higher recycling might be one of the funding priorities.
The Consultation Paper also consults on a mechanism for allowing local authorities to 'pool' their statutory performance standards for recycling and composting of household waste. In doing so we are responding to those local authorities who have told us that this will help to deliver partnership working.
Copies of the consultation paper are available in Libraries of the House.