Recycling (Hansard, 4 November 2002)

§ Mr. Meacher

[holding Answer 19 July 2002]: Local authority Statutory Performance Standard ("targets") for recycling and composting of household waste have been set for the years 2003–04 and 2005–06. Local authorities will submit performance data against which these targets will be measured to the Audit Commission in Summer 2004 and audited performance figures will be available towards the end of 2004.

Targets for individual authorities are listed in the publication "Guidance on Municipal Waste Management Strategies" March 2001. Copies of this document were placed within both libraries of the House on 5 March 2001. They are also published on DEFRA's website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/management/guidance/mwms/10.htm.

We will have audited recycling performance figures for 2001–02 in December 2002 and this should give us an indication of progress to targets. A document setting out individual local authorities' targets and the most recent available data for their household waste recycling rates (2000–01), set out in ascending order according to their recycling and composting rate for 2000–01, has been placed in both libraries of the House (Table A).

A further document (Table B) setting out the same information, but also including a column showing the difference between the 2000–01 rate and the 2003–04 target, in order to show "progress to target", has also been placed in both libraries of the House. Those furthest from their target in percentage points are shown at the top of the table. Note that, since all authorities had to achieve different levels of improvement to reach their target, that table does not allow for exact comparison.

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We set targets in a way which means all authorities would have to improve their performance over their rate in 1998–99, no matter what their starting point. For that reason, when tracking local authorities' recycling performance, we consider how much the recycling rate has increased, rather than looking simply at the rate.

I have written to the leaders of the local authorities that are listed below about recycling. In these authorities, preliminary performance data for 2001–02, taken from 2002–03 Best Value Performance Plans, shows that the authority's recycling rate has decreased, stayed the same, or only increased by 1 per cent. between 1998–99 and 2001–02. I have invited the relevant leaders to identify work that is already in hand to meet their 2003–04 Statutory Performance Standard for recycling and composting of household waste and to consider the need for further action where this is relevant.

Adur District Council
Arun District Council
Aylesbury Vale District Council
Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council
Bassetlaw District Council
Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Bournemouth Borough Council
Bradford City Council
Breckland District Council
Brentwood Borough Council
Brighton & Hove Council
Broadland District Council
Broxtowe Borough Council
Cambridge County Council
Cannock Chase District Council
Carlisle City Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Christchurch Borough Council
Copeland Borough Council
Corby Borough Council
Cotswold District Council
Craven District Council
Cumbria County Council
Dartford Borough Council
Derby City Council
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
Dorset County Council
Dover District Council
Easington District Council
East Dorset District Council
East Northamptonshire District Council
East Staffordshire Borough Council
Eastbourne Borough Council
Ellesmere Port & Neston Borough Council
Elmbridge Borough Council
Exeter City Council
Fareham Borough Council
Forest of Dean District Council
Fylde Borough Council
Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
Gloucester City Council
Gosport Borough Council
Gravesham Borough Council
Hampshire County Council
Harrogate Borough Council
Hertsmere Borough Council
Horsham District Council
Hyndburn Borough Council
Kettering Borough Council
Kingston upon Hull City Council
Lancaster City Council
Lincoln City Council
Liverpool City Council
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Bexley
Longon Borough of Croydon
London Borough of Ealing
London Borough of Enfield
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
London Borough of Haringey
London Borough of Newham
London Borough of Redbridge
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Southwark
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Macclesfield Borough Council
Manchester City Council
Mansfield District Council
Medway Council
Mendip District Council
Mid Suffolk District Council
Mid Sussex District Council
Milton Keynes Council
Newark & Sherwood District Council
Newcastle upon Tyne City Council
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
North Cornwall District Council
North Dorset District Council
North Kesteven District Council
North Norfolk District Council
North Shropshire District Council
North Tyneside Council
North Warwickshire Borough Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Northampton Borough Council
Northumberland County Council
Nottingham City Council
Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council
Oswestry Borough Council
Poole Borough Council
Purbeck District Council
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Rossendale Borough Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
Runnymede Borough Council
Rushmoor Borough Council
Rydale District Council
Sedgemoor District Council
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Sheffield City Council
Shepway District Council
Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council
Shropshire County Council
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
South Bedfordshire District Council
South Kesteven District Council
South Lakeland District Council
South Oxfordshire District Council
South Somerset District Council
South Staffordshire Council
St Albans City and District Council
Stevenage Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockton-on-Tees Council
Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Sunderland City Council
Swindon Borough Council
Tandridge District Council
Taunton Deane Borough Council
Teesdale District Council
Thanet District Council
Three Rivers District Council
Tewkesbury Borough Council
Tynedale District Council
Warwick District Council
Warwickshire County Council
Watford Council
Waveney District Council
Waverley Borough Council
West Berkshire Council
West Devon Borough Council
West Lancashire District Council
Western Riverside Waste Authority
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
Worcester City Council
Worthing Borough Council.