Environmental Offences (Use of Fixed Penalty Receipts) Regulations 2006

My Lords, I begin by stressing that even if councils do not have quality status, they still keep the receipts. Quality status means that they can spend the money on any of their functions rather than on issues directly related to litter, graffiti, dog fouling and so on. That perhaps answers some of the concerns about the difference. I understand that the quality programme is likely to be reviewed within the next couple of years. At the moment, 150 parish councils out of 8,000 in total have this status. It is, of course, for the councils to decide whether they wish to use the powers they are being given.