HC Deb 22 December 1982 vol 34 cc567-8W
Mr. McKelvey

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which sections of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 remain to be implemented; and when they will come into force.

Mr. Giles Shaw

Four elements of part I of the Act remain to be implemented. Section 1 requires substantial progress to be made with waste disposal plans before implementation is practicable; the costs of implementing sections 12 to 14 are currently under consideration in conjunction with the local authority associations; section 24 will be implemented when the financial circumstances permit: in the meantime the "Keep Britain Tidy Group" has prepared the "Keep Britain Tidy System" for the use of local authorities; and section 15 is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Details of the proposed programme for implementing the remaining provisions of part II, which I announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, North (Mr. Durant) on 15 February this year—[Vol. 18, c. 36]—are as follows:

  • Phase 1—sections: 32 (part), 34–40, 42, 45, 55, by July 1983;
  • Phase 2—sections: 31, 32, (remaining part), 41 (part), 51, 54, by July 1984;
  • Phase 3—sections: 41 (remaining part) by July 1985;
  • Phase 4—sections: 46, by July 1986;
  • Phase 5—sections: 33, 47, 48, subsequently.

Sections 49, 50 and 56 are already in force in England and Wales but have yet to be implemented in Scotland; sections 43 and 44 apply to England and Wales only. The implementation programme does not include sections 52 and 53.