Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Eric Illsley (Independent (affiliation)). It was answered on Thursday, 9 September 2010 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Topical Questions

Question: Does the Minister accept that we could improve on the amount of material that we recycle, particularly glass and paper, if there were less contamination within the collection systems? Does he have any proposals to improve the myriad different collection systems used by local authorities throughout the country?

Answer: I have seen the waste system in place around the country described as ““anarchic””. Inevitably, local priorities will dictate how waste is managed, and rightly so; we do not want to prescribe from Whitehall how local authorities should prioritise areas of recycling. We set very high targets and we are determined to fulfil those. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that that precise matter will be part of the review, and that he, the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and others will be able to hold us to account on it.

Secondary information