§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many landfill sites in current use exist in Warwickshire; and how many have been identified as emitting methane or carbon dioxide.
§ Mr. MoynihanI am advised by Warwickshire county council that there are 98 landfill sites currently in use in Warwickshire, of which nine have been identified as emitting landfill gas.
§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what regulations exist covering the control of landfill sites; and if he has any plans to review their working.
§ Mr. MoynihanLandfill sites are licensed by waste disposal authorities under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. Clarification of the types of activity which are and are not subject to licensing is contained in the Licensing of Waste Disposal Regulations: 1976 and 1977, which will be superseded by the Collection and Disposal of Waste Regulations 1988 in October next. We expect to announce shortly our conclusions on proposals for legislative changes to improve arrangements for waste disposal.
§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how often disused landfill sites are inspected and by whom; what record of such visits exists; and if the public are permitted to inspect such records.
§ Mr. MoynihanDistrict councils have a duty under the Public Health Act 1936 to inspect their districts from time to time for the detection of statutory nuisance which may be caused by, inter alia, any accumulation or deposit which is prejudicial to health or is a nuisance. In general, Government advice to authorities is that information collected from exercises of this kind should be made available to the public.
§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many explosions have occurred on or near landfill sites as a result of methane or carbon dioxide gas in each year since 1960.
§ Mr. MoynihanThis information is not held by my Department.