asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the progress of the national anti-waste campaign since he took office.

The National Anti-Waste campaign has continued and is continuing. The publicity effort designed to encourage initiatives for reducing waste and conserving resources, particularly through co-operation between industry, local authorities and voluntary organisations, has been maintained. A film designed to stimulate voluntary organisations and to encourage cooperation was released in January. Joint studies on particular aspects of recovery and conservation are being pursued with interested parties. Support for research and development on recycling has continued. Schemes for recycling metal cans have been introduced and other recycling schemes such as bottle banks have been expanded. There have also been further developments in the recovery of materials and energy from bulk waste.