§ 25. Jeremy CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action the Government are taking to increase the level of recycling in waste by boroughs in inner London. [81231]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Government have set statutory performance standards under the Best Value regime so that authorities must, on average, double their 1998–99 recycling rate by 2003–04 and triple their 1998–99 rates by 2005–06.
We are providing funding to assist. Primarily, this is through additional revenue support grant, which all local authorities receive. This year the EPCS block, which includes funding for waste, will be £1.1 billion over baseline in 2000–01. In addition, we have put in place a waste minimisation and recycling fund challenge fund totalling £140 million over the two years 2002–03 and 2003–04. In London, we allocated £21 million of this challenge fund to a partnership between the Mayor of London, the Association of London Government, the GLA and London Waste Action. That partnership is allocating the funding to various recycling initiatives in London boroughs.