Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance she has issued on whether not collecting refuse waste could lead to a best value intervention at a local authority.

All local authorities are under a statutory duty to comply with Best Value and must make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way their functions are exercised, as outlined in the existing statutory guidance on Best Value standards and intervention. Where there are concerns about a local authority's compliance with this duty, the Secretary of State may consider a range of evidence before deciding whether to intervene. No specific, separate guidance on whether the collection of refuse waste could lead to a best value intervention has been issued.