§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to provide for the disconnection of all toxic industrial discharges to sewers and the immediate cessation of any new consent to discharge toxic industrial waste into sewers.
§ Mr. MacleanNo. Under the Water Industry Act 1991 it is for sewerage undertakers, and in the case of special category effluent for the Secretary of State, to determine whether to accept such discharges and to set appropriate consent conditions. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 it is for Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, in consultation with sewerage undertakers, to include appropriate conditions in authorizations for processes subject to integrated pollution control, and for the chief inspector to have regard to the best practicable environmental option, which may include disposal to sewer.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether sufficient countries have ratified the Basel convention on the transfrontier movement and disposal of hazardous waste for the convention to enter into force.
§ Mr. MacleanYes. The Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal came into force on 5 May.