§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take either to secure the retention of the South Yorkshire hazardous waste unit or to provide for the environmental protection of south Yorkshire as far as the tipping, storage and management of harmful or toxic waste is concerned.
§ Mr. Trippier[holding answer 23 April 1990]: Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I were concerned to receive notice of the intention of Sheffield and Doncaster to withdraw from the voluntary agreement on waste regulation in South Yorkshire with effect from 1 April 1991. We believe that satisfactory arrangements for the management of hazardous waste within the metropolitan areas require effective co-operation between all the districts in these areas and that is why, in cases where voluntary agreements were not forthcoming in 1985, statutory arrangements were introduced under the Local Government Act 1985. Consequently, I would hope that Sheffield and Doncaster will reconsider their position 124W in relation to the voluntary agreement. In the meantime, I have asked Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to let me have a full assessment of the position.