HC Deb 03 December 1992 vol 215 cc289-90W
Mr. Austin-Walker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what criteria he will adopt regarding stack emissions for waste incinerators approved by him;

(2) what level of emission of dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls he regards as (a) safe and (b) acceptable from waste incinerators;

(3) what criteria he will adopt regarding stack emissions for waste-to-energy incinerators approved by him;

(4) what level of emission of dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls he regards as (a) safe and (b) acceptable from waste-to-energy incinerators.

Mr. Maclean

Prime responsibility for the control of stack emissions from incinerators rests with the appropriate enforcing authority under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; either Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution or the relevant district or borough council. Several guidance notes have been published by the Secretary of State and by the chief inspector, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution concerning emission control standards for incinerators.

In granting authorisations, the regulating body will have regard to the advice contained in the relevant

Table showing provisional 1993–94 SSAs by selected inner London boroughs (excludes the City of London)
Service Relative Position Authority SSA per head or per child
All Other Services Highest SSA Westminster £562 per head
Lowest SSA Greenwich £191 per head
Next Lowest SSA Lewisham £233 per head
Child Social Services Highest SSA Lambeth £860 per child
Lowest SSA Greenwich £311 per child
Next Lowest SSA Lewisham £461 per child
Education Services Highest SSA Tower Hamlets £700 per head
Lowest SSA Kensington £236 per head
Next Lowest SSA Westminster £275 per head

Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in which inner-London boroughs standard spending assessments are below £950 a head; and which are above.

Mr. Robin Squire

Within the provisional standard spending assessments for 1993–94 announced on 26 November, the SSA per head for Greenwich is £923. That for all other inner London boroughs is above £950 per head.

guidance note. These notes provide guidance on the techniques considered to be appropriate to meet the requirement to use the best available techniques not entailing excessive cost to either prevent the release of prescribed substances or, where that is not practicable, to minimise such releases and to render them harmless. They also provide guidance on the levels of releases achievable using these techniques. For dioxins these are set as release limits which accord with the best international safety standards. To facilitate the complete destruction of a wide range of toxic substances, including PCBs, the requirement is to ensure that the gases resulting from the combustion of the waste are raised to a sufficiently high temperature for a minimum time period.

Copies of all guidance notes have been placed in the House Library.