§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what date all hospital incinerators are required to comply with the specifications contained in Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution waste management paper No. 25 on clinical waste.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryDepartment of the Environment waste management paper No. 25 is a technical memorandum providing general advice and guidance. Specific control of clinical waste incinerators with a capacity of more than one tonne per hour is exercised by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. The inspectorate is also currently drawing up specific guidance on standards for smaller incinerators which we propose to schedule for local authority air pollution control under the Environmental Protection Bill. This guidance will be published before any incinerator is scheduled for local authority control, and authorities will be obliged to have regard to it in setting standards in legally binding authorisations for individual hospital incinerators.