HC Deb 08 July 1982 vol 27 cc450-1
20. Mr. Edwin Wainwright

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tons of straw have been disposed of by burning on land over each of the past four years.

Mrs. Fenner

Detailed records of the tonnage of straw which has been burned in each of the past four years are not available. Estimates, which are based on surveys carried out in 1976 and 1977, show that the average tonnage burnt in England and Wales is about 3.9 million tonnes per annum.

Mr. Wainwright

Is the hon. Lady satisfied that that is the best way to dispose of straw and that the benefits derived from burning are far greater than any other method that could be adopted? If she agrees that other methods should be adopted, what advice will she give to the farmers to make sure that they make better use of their straw?

Mrs. Fenner

Research into alternative uses for straw has been carried out for many years and is still being actively pursued. There is little hope that such uses will account for more than a fraction of surplus straw in the foreseeable future.

Mr. Haselhurst

Can my hon. Friend confirm that, failing any other method of disposal, there is an appreciable cost saving to farmers in being able to dispose of their straw by burning? If there is to be strong public reaction against this, will she consider asking her Ministry to make more of an effort to see whether a more effective alternative can be found?

Mrs. Fenner

I pointed out that research into alternative uses has been going on for some time and is still going on. My hon. Friend will know that the National Farmers Union, in consultation with my Department, has revised and strengthened the code for the burning of straw to provide additional safeguards where burning takes place.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

Could not grassland used for straw burning be turned to more productive use if more effective marginal land schemes were in operation? Why is the Minister dragging his heels over the application to Brussels concerning the marginal land scheme that has been drawn up by his Department?

Mrs. Fenner

The question that the hon. Member for Dearne Valley (Mr. Wainwright) addressed to me was on the subject of straw burning and I think that I should be out of order if I attempted to answer the hon. Gentleman's questions.

Sir Peter Mills

Will the Minister bear in mind that this is a growing and serious problem and give every encouragement to the development of straw briquette-making, which could help considerably and would mean that there was not so much reliance on the coal industry. Does she agree that it is better to rely on agriculture in this regard?

Mrs. Fenner

My right hon. Friend visited a factory in Sittingbourne in Kent recently, which is using straw for making packaging equipment. We hope to see an extension of this good experiment.