§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions he plans to introduce in order to reduce the amount of imported toxic waste; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryThe United Kingdom has taken the lead in the European Community and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in calling for all developed countries to become self-sufficient in disposing of their own waste. The United Kingdom is actively involved in negotiations for several international agreements which should help to reduce the amount of imported hazardous waste.
The proposed amendment to the EC framework directive on waste (75/442/EEC) agreed by the Environment Council in June 1990 refers to the objective of self-sufficiency in waste disposal both for the Community as a whole and for member states individually.
The proposed Council regulation on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community would introduce new controls on imports of hazardous waste. The draft OECD decision-recommendation on the reduction of transfrontier movements of waste includes provision for member countries to reduce transfrontier movements to the lowest possible level. Apart from these prospective international agreements the Environmental Protection Act 1990 gives the Secretary of State additional powers, should they be needed, to control imports of waste.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the United Kingdom's position in the league table of European countries which import toxic waste; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. BaldryThere are at present no reliable comparable figures for imports of hazardous waste by European countries. However, figures are likely to be available in the future as a result of two prospective international agreements. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's draft decision-recommendation on the reduction of transfrontier movements of waste includes provision for member countries to co-operate in collecting and publishing data on waste imports and exports. The proposed European Council regulation on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community also includes provision for the collection and publication of information on imports and exports of waste. Imports of hazardous waste into the United Kingdom are not large: in 1989–90 they amounted to about 35,000 tonnes, less than 2 per cent. of the hazardous waste we produce ourselves. The Government are pleased that the trend is downward. Imports in 1989–90 were less than half those two years earlier.