Written - Sustainable Waste Management in Wales

I am today announcing further substantial investment by the Welsh Assembly Government in improving sustainable waste management in Wales. In 2008/09 the Assembly Government will allocate £50 million to local authorities via the sustainable waste management grant, an increase of £15 million over the previous year.

Audited data released for 2007-08 showed that local authorities in Wales have used the sustainable waste management grant provided by the Assembly Government to achieve a recycling and composting total of 33% (as measured by NAW Performance Indicators for the first half of 2007-08). The substantial investment in local authority expenditure now announced will support them as they move towards the Wales waste strategy targets for recycling and composting of 40% by 2010.

As in previous years each local authority will receive an allocation of sustainable waste management grant based on its spending needs derived from the Standard Spending Assessment. I will however expect each local authority to provide details of how it intends to use these resources in order to ensure that the money is fully utilised.