§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in order that lessons can be learned as to how to handle such situations in the future, he will order an inquiry into the circumstances in which material reported to the Castle Point district council on 6th June as being of a highly inflammable and toxic nature and which had reached a critical state, had to be removed by road transport from the methane terminal at Canvey Island on the following day under police escort through built-up areas to Shoeburyness where it was destroyed; and why it took so long to decide how to dispose of this material.
§ Mr. Denis HowellOn the information that I have, I do not consider that an inquiry would be justified. The responsible authority for waste disposal is the Essex county council. I shall, however, write to the hon. Member.