HC Deb 13 April 1988 vol 131 cc161-2W
27. Mr. Fearn

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for the promotion of recycling of waste materials.

Mr. Butcher

My Department encourages the economic reclamation and recycling of waste in three principal ways.

Table 1
The number of inward investment projects: proportions of each year's total (in percentage terms)

for each United Kingdom region

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987
England
North East 12 12 11 11 9 9 7 9 10
North West 5 10 9 10 9 12 7 10 7
Yorkshire and Humberside 15 11 4 5 4 2 4 3 7
West Midlands 6 2 5 1 5 4 17 22 17
East Midlands 8 3 6 10 5 3 5 4 4
South East 13 15 11 19 25 21 22 18 17
South West 7 4 6 5 4 4 4 3 4
Scotland 15 19 21 21 21 23 15 11 10
Wales 10 10 15 13 13 13 12 14 19
Northern Ireland 10 13 11 4 5 8 6 5 6
United Kingdom 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Note: Some non-addition due to rounding errors.

There is an awareness campaign through a video, literature, conferences and other meetings. The issues and opportunities in individual sectors are taken up through specialist conferences and meetings. These have covered or will cover glass, paper, plastics, oil and the role of voluntary collectors. The Department's Warren Spring laboratory carries out research and development work on recycling problems and provides technical advice through its recycling advisory unit.