§ Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer on 26 November,Official Report, columns 276–77, on the importance his Department places on providing outlets for recycled materials in order to achieve the Government's recycling targets, what is his Department's advice to those companies developing markets for refined refuse derived fuels; how they will be helped by current derogation arrangements; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeighMy Department's advice to all manufacturers of refuse-derived fuel (rdf) would be to work closely with potential users to ensure that the product meets their requirements on, amongst other things, calorific value and burn and emission characteristics. I understand that those companies engaged in developing rdf are already doing this to a large extent, but my department has available two schemes of financial assistance (ETIS, the environmental technology innovation scheme—and DEMOS, DTI's environmental management options scheme) which may be used to aid that process.
The matter of derogation arrangements is one for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.