Defra has invited comments on its plan to cut back spending on WRAP, the quango charged with spending money on dreaming up burdensome recycling schemes.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has called on stakeholders and partners to submit their views regarding future funding for the Waste & Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP) activities.
Defra has stated that in order for the government to ‘succeed in reducing the current budget deficit,’ its review of funding for WRAP is ‘necessary as a contribution to wider savings’.
It is hoped the review will ‘identify whether the WRAP delivery model continues to be the most appropriate way to deliver policy interventions in support of waste reduction and resource efficiency… and to secure best value for public money’.
Interestingly, spending already seems to have been cut back, although it's slightly unclear by how much because WRAP is only part funded by Defra, the rest coming from the devolved administrations.
A quick look at the accounts suggests there is plenty of flab still to be dealt with. Over £300k is handed out to the two executive directors (plus pension), and there are a dozen non-execs taking home another £200k between them.