§ Sue Doughty:To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance the Government are giving local authorities regarding the purchase of recycled paper. [140594]
§ Phil Hope:Local authorities are independent and autonomous bodies responsible for making their own decision about procurement matters.
The National Procurement Strategy for Local Government, prepared jointly by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Local Government Association (LGA), emphasises the importance of environmental objectives as part of the procurement process in local government. The strategy specifically advises that every council should build sustainability into its procurement strategy, processes and contracts.
The Improvement and Development Agency (IdeA) have recently published their guide "Sustainability and Local Government Procurement" which sets out how local authorities can develop and implement a sustainable procurement policy and a risk-based strategy designed to tackle the categories of spending that have the greatest environmental and social impacts. The 44W guidance contains the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) buying solutions "Quick Wins" on certain product specifications, which include targets on recycled paper. The guidance notes that the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) have recommended the wider adoption of these "Quick Wins" across the public sector, including local government.