The House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has no doubt about it: the edited electoral register should be abolished.

A new deal between the Government and junk mail industry will introduce a wide range of measures to help people cut back on junk mail. Amongst others, the industry will finally introduce an online 'one-point-stop' for opting out of receiving unsolicited mail.

The Direct Marketing Association is to introduce its own one-point-stop for registering with junk mail opt-out schemes. In the process the Mailing Preference Service may become an opt-in / opt-out scheme.

A central opt-in system for paper directories is "an interesting idea" and would help "reduce the burden on resources and the environmental impact of phone books", government has said.

Local Government secretary Eric Pickles has told the Daily Telegraph that he wants local councils to "spend less time and money on weekly town hall Pravdas that end up in the bin".

Figures released by the Direct Marketing Association show that the junk mail industry has met its recycling targets. Opt-out schemes for unaddressed junk mail remain unpopular.

Research by the All Party Group on Junk Mail shows that MPs are critical of the junk mail industry's efforts to 'go green'. The group believes the research shows MPs need to be educated.

The First Post today reports that from January 2010 MPs will no longer be able to claim expenses for sending 'junk mail'. Abolishing the 'communications allowance' was one of the recommendations in the Kelly Report on MP's expenses.

Government has today published a consultation paper on the future of the Edited Electoral Register. Six options are being considered for the future of the register.

As the cost of dealing with household waste rises local councils have been criticised for not doing enough to cut waste. Few councils spend money on waste prevention programmes, with only one in four councils encouraging people to reduce junk mail.