Sustainable Waste Management Grant 2005-06 TO 2007-08

I am announcing today further substantial investment by the Welsh Assembly Government in improving sustainable waste management in Wales.  Over the next three years the Assembly Government will allocate £93 million to local authorities via the sustainable waste management grant.  In 2005-06 this will be £26 million, the indicative amount for the grant for 2006-07 is £32 million and for 2007-08 is £35 million.  

Data released in 2004-05 showed that local authorities in Wales have used the sustainable waste management grant provided by the Assembly Government to exceed the recycling and composting target of 15% for 2003-04 in the Wales waste strategy.  The substantial investment in local authority expenditure now announced will support them as they move towards the later waste strategy targets for recycling and composting of 25% in 2006-07 and then 40% by 2010.

As in previous years each local authority will receive an allocation of 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.