Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide additional funds to local authorities to help them better carry out their recycling obligations.

Councils play a central role in achieving high recycling rates and we want to see them provide comprehensive waste and recycling collection services that have the support of local householders. We have provided local government with over £200 billion for this spending period and while councils make their own spending decisions, we would expect them to prioritise what they do to deliver what their residents want to see and to ensure good waste management practice.

The government has also announced in the Budget a fund of £20 million to tackle plastic waste and boost recycling. It also announced measures to place a tax on packaging that does not contain enough recycled content. The government will consult shortly on these measures and measures to reform producer responsibility. Future revenues raised from these will enable investment to address single use plastics, waste and litter to meet the government’s ambitions for resources, waste and recycling.