§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the level of actual applications by local authorities for authorisations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Air Pollution Regulations; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of applications which should have been made to date.
§ Mr. BaldryMy Department has not yet received all the quarterly returns for July, August and September from local authorities enforcing part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The figures for the first quarter (April, May and June) were 18 applications for new processes and 70 applications for existing processes. My Department estimated that the first block of processes due to apply for authorisation in the six months ending 30 September would comprise 4,600 to 4,800 processes as well as between 2,000 and 15,000 waste oil burners. It was only to be expected that the great bulk of applications would be received towards the end of this period.