Caroline Spelman: Weekly bin collections are important to hard pressed families

Caroline Spelman, environment secretary, local authorities should be providing frontline services such as weekly bin collection:

"Hard pressed families across the country pay their council taxes and local authorities should be looking to deliver the kinds of frontline services that they want.

"This new fund will help councils whose residents want their rubbish collected more frequently to reinstate weekly bin rounds for smelly waste, while also seeking new and innovative ways to increase recycling and look after the environment.

"Conservative councils are already leading the way, with really successful schemes like Windsor and Maidenhead's weekly Recyclebank system, which has seen the amount recycled soar by 35 per cent since its launch."