§ Mr. Harry BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to widen the powers of waste disposal authorities to allow them(a) to ensure that environmental and amenity constraints are fully considered in the implementation of their policies and (b) to minimise the movement of domestic, industrial and special wastes.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryThe existing waste disposal authorities will be reformed under the powers of the Environmental Protection Bill. Their functions will be divided between waste regulation authorities, whose function will be to license waste management facilities and to enforce standards, and the waste disposal authorities, whose functions will be to seek tenders for the disposal of waste.
The waste regulation authorities will have wider powers under the provisions of the Bill to prevent the pollution of the environment or harm to human health. The Secretary of State will issue guidance on the way in which the authorities should carry out their duties and the authorities will be under statutory duty to have regard to this guidance.
The waste disposal authorities will arrange, through competitive tendering, for the disposal of household waste collected by the collection authorities. They will take into account the costs of transporting the waste to the facility in deciding on the tenders they have received. While the authorities are not generally involved in the disposal of industrial waste or special waste, the producers of such waste can also be expected to take into account the costs of transport to the disposal facility. However, some wastes require specialised treatment and it may sometimes be necessary for such waste to move ouside its area of origin to a suitable facility.