CONTROL of recycling waste should be put in the hands of East Lancashire's borough councils, Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett has been told.

Burnley MP Peter Pike spoke out over the confusion facing local authorities in collecting recycling refuse that arises from the cross-over in responsibility between boroughs and Lancashire County Council.

Mr Pike told the Secretary of State that the country might have a better chance of meeting recycling targets if the authorities who collected waste were the same as those who had responsibility for disposing that waste.

Mr Pike said: "Do you not recognise that we might achieve our recycling objectives better if the authorities responsible for the collection of waste were the same as those responsible for the disposal of that waste?

Mrs Beckett replied: "You make a fair point. We are examining the way in which waste collection and waste disposal authorities work together.

"I hope that he knows that the Government recently put in place measures that mean that such authorities will have to draw up joint management plans.

"We have done that precisely because we understand that there can otherwise be different interests and incentives for one authority to leave to another the burden of dealing with these issues."