Recycling portion in billion pound council spending boost

Three years from now councils will have more than 1.1 billion more than current provision to spend than is currently allocated for environmental and cultural services, including waste, junior environment Minister Chris Mullin announced last week. Speaking at the launch of a recycling report by Aylesford Newsprint, the minister said: “The recent spending review, setting out our plans for the next three years has provided substantial extra funding for local authorities. An additional 140 million has been ring-fenced for local authority waste and recycling and a large and sustained annual increase in the revenue support to local authorities for environmental and cultural services, including waste.” Tackled on how much of the extra money that would actually go to recycling from the increased provision, Mr Mullin conceded that the spending decisions would lie with local authorities themselves.