§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incinerators for disposal of household waste have been granted planning permission in each of the last five years; and when each will be brought into operation. [142306]
§ Keith HillI have been asked to reply.
Information collected by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on planning decisions taken by waste planning authorities in England does not distinguish the waste stream. The number of planning applications for incinerators granted planning permission by waste planning authorities for each of the last five years is as follows:
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- 1998–99—Seven
- 1999–2000—Eight
- 2000–01—Six
- 2001–02—Three
- 2002–03—Two
In addition, a planning application for an incinerator for the disposal of household waste was granted planning permission on appeal in October 2001.
Information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, on when these incinerators were brought, or are likely to be brought, into operation. The Environment Agency, however, advise that three new municipal waste incinerators have come into operation in England in the last five years, though these may not necessarily have emerged from the planning permissions referred to above and could have arisen from earlier decisions.