HC Deb 24 May 2004 vol 421 cc1294-7W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what waste recycling levels were achieved by each European Union country in the last year for which records exist for each country. [174231]

Mr. Morley

Estimates for municipal recycling and composting rates for each available European Union country are listed in the table.

Municipal waste 2001
Percentage recycled or composted
Austria 32.5
Belgium 57.7
Denmark 31.7
Finland 25.0
France 24.6
Germany 53.0
Greece 8.6
Ireland 12.9
Italy 24.4
Luxembourg 35.8
Netherlands 59.4
Portugal 4.2
Spain 28.4
Sweden 39.4
United Kingdom 12.7

These results are published on the Department's website. The full results can be found at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/waste/wrkf08.html There may be some differences in definitions between countries.

Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities(a) met and (b) failed to meet the local authority recycling target. [174233]

Mr. Morley

Individual local authorities are required to meet Statutory Performance Standards for the recycling and composting of household waste in 2003–04 and 2005–06 only. The most recent data available, for 2002–03, show that 83 local authorities have already met or exceeded their 2003–04 target and six have met or exceeded their 2005–06 target.

The names of these local authorities have been placed in the Library of the House. We Will not know whether the remaining local authorities have succeeded or failed against their 2003–04 targets until later this year.

Local authorities which met or exceeded their Statutory Performance Standards for 2003–04 or 2005–06 in 2002–03

Local authorities which met or exceeded their 2005–06 targets in 2002–03

  • East Hampshire District Council
  • Daventry District Council
  • Lichfield District Council
  • Oswestry Borough Council
  • Wealden District Council
  • Wyre Borough Council

Local authorities which have met or exceeded their 2003–04 targets in 2002–03

  • Bedfordshire County Council
  • Birmingham City Council
  • Blaby District Council
  • Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
  • Blackpool Borough Council
  • Blyth Valley Borough Council
  • Braintree District Council
  • Bromley LB
  • Broxtowe Borough Council
  • Calderdale MBC
  • Cradon District Council
  • Carrick District Council
  • Castle Point Borough Council.
  • Chelmsford Borough Council
  • Chester City Council
  • Chorley Borough Council
  • Congleton Borough Council
  • Cornwall County Council
  • Dacorum Borough Council
  • Darlington Borough Council
  • Daventry District Council
  • Derbyshire County Council
  • Dudley MBC
  • Durham City Council
  • Durham County Council
  • Easington District Council
  • East Hampshire District Council
  • East Hertfordshire District Council
    • 1296W
  • East Sussex County Council
  • Essex County Council
  • Fenland District Council
  • Gedling Borough Council
  • Guildford Borough Council
  • Halton Borough Council
  • Hartlepool Borough Council
  • Herefordshire Council
  • Hillingdon LB
  • Huntingdonshire District Council
  • Ipswich Borough Council
  • Isle of Wight Council
  • Kennet District Council
  • Kerrier District Council
  • King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council
  • Lancashire County Council
  • Leicestershire County Council
  • Lichfield District Council
  • London Corporation
  • Luton Borough Council
  • Maidstone Borough Council
  • Malvern Hills District Council
  • North East Lincolnshire Council
  • North Kesteven District Council
  • North Lincolnshire Council
  • Northumberland County Council
  • Oswestry Borough Council
  • Oxford City Council
  • Pendle Borough Council
  • Preston Borough Council
  • Ribble Valley Borough Council
  • Rochford District Council
  • Rushcliffe Borough Council
  • Salisbury District Council
  • Selby District Council
  • Shropshire County Council
  • South Cambridgeshire District Council
  • South Northamptonshire District Council
  • South Ribble Borough Council
  • Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
  • Telford and Wrekin Council
  • Thurrock Council
  • Torbay Council
  • Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
  • Uttlesford District Council
  • Vale of White Horse District Council
  • Vale Royal Borough Council
  • Wakefield City MDC
  • Wansbeck District Council
  • Wealden District Council
  • Wellingborough Borough Council
  • West Oxfordshire District Council
  • Wokingham Council
  • Wyre Borough Council
  • York City Council

Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action(a) has been taken and (b) is being considered against local authorities that fail to reach the waste recycling targets. [174234]

Mr. Morley

The Government have always said that they will take seriously any failures by local authorities to achieve their Statutory Performance Standards for recycling and composting for 2003–04 and 2005–06.

However our primary aim is to support local authorities in achieving the targets, and we have set up the Waste Implementation Programme in Defra to do exactly that.

We will not know whether local authorities have succeeded or failed against their 2003–04 targets until later this year. Once that information is available, and where an authority has missed its target and demonstrates no commitment to improving its performance, the Government will consider using their formal intervention powers to drive improvement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 March 2004, Official Report, column 7205w, for further information on what action might be taken under my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's formal powers of intervention.

Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities bid for funds under the waste management recycling challenge in each round; and which have been successful. [174235]

Mr. Morley

The lists of local authorities that bid for funds under the National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund in rounds 1 and 2, which cover in 2002–03 and 2003–04 respectively, have been placed in the Library of the House. The lists for round 3, covering 2004–05, will be placed in the Library of the House shortly.

Successful bids in all three rounds are also published on the Defra website and can be accessed via the following links: Successful bids in round 1: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2002/020625a.htm Successful bids in round 2: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2002/021204a.htm Successful bids in round 3: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/localauth/funding/wastefund/index.htm