§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding ReChem International Ltd. in Pontypool; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesOver the last year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales has received a petition and a number of letters from the residents of the Pontypool area about various issues relevant to ReChem International Ltd. The three main themes have been the company's plans to build a new (replacement) incinerator at its Pontypool site; the question of environmental pollution and the import of toxic waste. The first of these issues is currently the subject of an application to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. The second is being addressed in the major study the Welsh Office has commissioned from the university of East Anglia, and which is now drawing to a close. As regards the third, the Government is committed to the principle of self-sufficiency in waste disposal within the international community, which is incorporated in the European Community Waste Shipment Regulation, agreed at Council on 20 October 1992.