§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all private, corporate or governmental sources of polychlorinated biphenyls presently being discharged into any of the United Kingdom's freshwater, estuarine or marine ecosystems; and if such a practice is prohibited.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThere are no authorised discharges of polychlorinated biphenyls to water in the United Kingdom. There has been a ban on all unconfined uses of these materials since 1980 and there is now a ban on any new uses.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the projects funded by his Department in 1983, 1984 and 1985 to research and develop waste and emission treatment technologies to reduce wastes and emissions to the environment in general;
(2) if he will list the projects funded by his Department in 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1985–86 to research and develop waste and emission treatment technologies to reduce wastes and emissions to the aqueous environment.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe Department is currently funding some 70 research and development projects on waste and emission treatment technologies to reduce wastes and emissions to the environment in general. The bulk of these are concerned with radioactive waste management; other314W work is undertaken on the treatment of land wastes and air pollution. I will write to the hon. Member listing these projects and those undertaken additionally in 1983–84 and 1984–85, and will indicate which projects cover the reduction of wastes and emissions to the aqueous environment.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent in 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1985–86 on research designed to examine and improve knowledge on sedimentation processes and accumulation, as well as on remobilisation of hazardous substances in the aquatic environment.
§ Mr. WaldegraveResearch expenditure by my Department in this subject area was as follows:
£ 1983–84 556,000 1984–85 567,000 1985–86 542,000