§ Mr. JoplingTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those defence establishments which make a practice of disposing of used tyres and waste oil by burning into the atmosphere; what effect he estimates this practice has on the environment; and what steps he intends to take to eliminate this practice.
§ Mr. AitkenUsed tyres and work oil are disposed of not by burning but in accordance with the duty of core requirements relating to waste embodied in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA), through contracts with appropriately qualified contractors. The only exceptions to this policy are small amounts of both materials which may be burnt during fire-fighting training. This is carried out under strictly controlled conditions and is permitted under the exemptions granted to my Department from the statutory nuisance provisions of the EPA.