§ Mr. BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will implement the directive on transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIt is unfortunately not possible, as we had wished, to apply the transfrontier directive to all special wastes as defined in the Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980. The 1980 regulations control the movement of a wider range of difficult wastes than the minimum required by European law and it appears that there is no basis in United Kingdom law to apply the transfrontier directive other than to that minimum.
I accordingly intend to lay in the next few weeks regulations to implement the transfrontier directive in respect of special wastes containing polychlorinated biphenyls and those substances listed in the annex to directive 78/319 (toxic and dangerous waste), except organic and chlorinated solvents which are specifically excluded from the transfrontier directive. This will implement the transfrontier directive in full. Details of the revised basis of implementation are being sent to local authority associations, industry and other interested parties.
Imports of other special wastes will continue to be subject to the special waste regulations but I am investigating the possibility of further measures under United Kingdom law to tighten the controls applicable to such imports.