HC Deb 18 October 1989 vol 158 cc151-2W
Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all studies and research conducted or analysed by his Department regarding the treatment of toxic waste and its impact upon the health of people and the environment.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The Department of the Environment has since the early seventies sponsored research and worldwide studies into the treatment of toxic waste and its impact on the environment. All such references numbering some thousands are stored on computer at the waste management information bureau in Harwell. Impact on the health of people is the responsibility of the Department of Health.

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking in order to give statutory rights of consultation to communities affected by the installation and operation of plants dealing with treatment of toxic waste.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Current planning legislation in England and Wales requires that planning applications for plants handling controlled waste are advertised on site and in the local press. Adequate time must be allowed for representations. The disposal facility's licence must also be placed on a register open for public inspection.

The proposed new system for integrated pollution control in England and Wales will apply to industrial processes which among other things generate large amounts of special (dangerous or difficult) waste. Applications for authorisation under the system would be advertised and there would be third party rights to make representations about them.

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department will publish the information it has available on(a) health (b) the safety and (c) the environmental effects of substances which are (i) involved or (ii) produced by the process of incineration of toxic waste.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Health, safety and environ-mental aspects of substances in or produced by the process of incineration of toxic waste are covered by standard textbooks and publications freely available. We monitor the adequacy of such publications and attempt to fill important gaps. For example, we have recently published a report "Dioxins in the Environment" (pollution paper No. 27).