§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has received from local authorities about the compilation of the contaminated land register;
(2) what is the current number of registrations on the contaminated land register; and what is the expected eventual size of the register;
(3) what provision exists for the removal of names from the contaminated land register;
(4) how it is intended to fund the decontamination of contaminated land.
§ Mr. MacleanDuring the 1991 consultation exercise on registers of land which may be contaminated, which local authorities are to compile under section 143 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, some 200 responses were received from local authorities and their representative associations. Many further letters on aspects of registers have been received since the end of consultation.
The statutory requirement for local authorities to compile registers has not yet commenced, so no sites have been entered on registers. It is not possible at this stage to forecast the number of sites which will be registered.
Registers are to record all land which is, or has been, subject to specific contaminative uses to be listed in regulations. Sites will not be removed from registers unless it is shown that the entry was due to a factual error concerning the site's use.
Government financial assistance for treatment of contamination at derelict sites is available under derelict land grant. The criteria for this grant give a high priority to schemes involving treatment of severe contamination. The Government are also making resources available to local authorities by means of supplementary credit approvals for investigation and treatment of contamination of land where it is not practicable to recover the costs of these works from those responsible.
833W
§ Mr. David MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 14 May,Official Report, column 198, to the hon. Member for Newport. West (Mr. Flynn), when he expects to publish the contaminated land register; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanLocal authorities will be required under section 143 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to compile public registers of land which may be contaminated and in due course to publish them. The detailed specifications for registers are still under consideration, but an announcement on how the Government intend to proceed will be made shortly.