§ Mr. WatsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if any information is available to his Department on the practical alternatives to the proposed dumping in the North sea of concentrated phenol contained in the waste products of paracetamol.
§ Mr. GummerThe Ministry has required the company concerned to develop and implement a land-based means of disposal of its waste as soon as possible. A number of processes considered have proved impracticable, since the process chosen will need to treat all constituents of the waste, not just the phenol content (which is less than 0.8 per cent.). The company is now completing its evaluation of a possible process.
Tests on the waste show that under the conditions of disposal it causes no harm to the marine environment. Since no alternative means of disposal yet exists the licence for sea disposal has been renewed for a further period.