§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has of the percentage of the total refuse collected that is processed, as opposed to dumped (a) in Great Britain and (b) in Germany.
§ Mr. MarksThirteen per cent. of the refuse collected by local authorities in England in 1977–78 was processed, mainly by incineration or treatment prior to being landfilled; the remaining 87 per cent was disposed of direct to landfill sites. All such disposals are carried out under controlled conditions as required by the Control of Pollution Act 1974. The comparable figures for Wales in 1976–77 were 3 per cent. and 97 per cent. respectively. Figures for Scotland are not readily available. I regret we have no information regarding West Germany.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the overall annual cost of refuse collection throughout Great Britain.
§ Mr. MarksThe approximate cost in England and Wales in 1977–78 was £250 million. The figure for Scotland is not available for that year, but in 1976–77 it was approximately £35 million.