§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of hazardous and toxic waste is(a) produced and (b) processed by each member country of the EC.
§ Mr. BaldryThere are at present no reliable figures on the production and processing of hazardous and toxic waste in member states of the EC. However, authoritative figures should be available in the future. EC directive 91/156 requires the competent authority or authorities of member states to draw up waste management plans indicating, among other things, the type, quantity and origin of waste to be recovered or disposed of; any special arrangements for particular wastes; and suitable disposal sites or installations. The directive will come into force on 1 April 1993. In addition, the statistical office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT) is undertaking a study on waste statistics as part of its current four-year work programme. It is estimated that in 1989–90 the United Kingdom generated between 2 and 2.5 million tonnes of special waste—the United Kingdom definition of hazardous and toxic waste—which were disposed of outside the premises of production.