§ Mr. Bob Dunnasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any arrangements exist between 106W local authorities or under some other arrangement by which inert industrial spoil from derelict sites in some parts of the United Kingdom is transported to those areas where such waste is needed to fill derelict pits, such as chalk pits, in those parts of the United Kingdom where there is a shortage of suitable waste for the purpose.
§ Mr. Giles ShawI am aware of various arrangements of this nature and I greatly welcome them. Colliery spoil or pulverised fuel ash from power stations is quite often used for land restoration following mineral working, and there are also similar arrangements involving the use of domestic refuse. However, few industrial wastes are wholly inert, and the scope for disposal in aquifers such as chalk is therefore limited. Because of high transport costs, most of these arrangements are relatively local in nature, but a number involve the transportation of waste over some distance, normally by rail. Under the Control of Pollution Act 1974, county councils are required to produce waste disposal plans, and we have advised that such plans should include information relating to the quantities of industrial and minerals waste sent to other areas for disposal.