§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the results of the consultation undertaken on the problems of the dispersal of foam plastics in 1998. [144401]
§ Mr. MullinDETR published a consultation paper "Options for Tackling the Problem of Waste Non-Packaging Farm Plastics" in October 1998. This sought opinions on the potential for legislative and voluntary approaches to recycling non-packaging agricultural film. Some 10,000 consultation documents were issued but there was a very limited response to this consultation—only 35. These showed no clear preference for a legislative approach and provided the Government with no clear basis for future action. The issue has been raised again in the context of extending waste management controls to agricultural waste and is being considered currently.