§ Dr. David Clarkasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the volume of domestic refuse in the United Kingdom in the years 1970, 1975 and 1980; and what percentage of each year's volume was toxic waste.
§ Mr. Giles ShawI regret that figures for 1970 are not available.
The information in the Department of the Environment relates to England only: the position for Scotland and Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State.
In 1975–76, the domestic waste collected by English local authorities amounted to 15,946,000 tonnes, and in 1980–81 to 17,801,000 tonnes. The toxic element in domestic waste consists of items such as aerosols and oven cleaners discarded by householders. The proportion cannot be accurately estimated, but it is very small.