§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on research being undertaken by the Environment Agency concerning the health effects of bioaerosols arising from the incineration and composting of waste. [41218]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 7 March 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 31 January 2002, Official Report, column 473W, on the health effects of bioaerosols from composting. Bioaerosols are not the subject of specific research by the Environment Agency in relation to incineration because the micro-organisms do not survive the incineration process—the residues are essentially sterile in a biological sense. The Environment Agency is, however, currently undertaking a research project relating to waste incineration entitled "Human Health Review of Incineration and Combustion Techniques". The aim of this project is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the nature and degree of any human health impacts of substances released to the environment, from a range of combustion and waste incineration processes burning a range of virgin and waste derived fuels.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment Directive's requirement for manufacturers to be responsible for the treatment and collection of historic waste; [38120]
938W(2) if she will make a statement on financial responsibility for collecting waste electrical goods from households under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; [38119]
(3) what assessment she has made of the feasibility of a visible fee for new electronic and electrical goods, levied at the point of sale, to fund the collection, disposal and treatment of waste electrical goods. [38122]
§ Mr. WilsonI have been asked to reply.
The Department of Trade and Industry is preparing an updated Regulatory Impact Assessment on all costs and benefits associated with the WEEE Directive. I will be depositing this in the Libraries of the House during the next month.
The directive as currently drafted states that producers will, as a minimum, be responsible for the collection costs of WEEE when deposited at a central point. A final decision on implementation cannot be taken until the directive is adopted and we have consulted business again.
The Government will consider the possibility of visible fees alongside other options for fulfilling the financial obligations of the WEEE Directive, as long as the adopted text provides for this.