HC Deb 18 May 1992 vol 208 cc46-7W
Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list details of the importation of chemical or toxic waste into the United Kingdom via(a) the port of Tilbury and (b) other docks, wharfs or jetties within the county of Essex over the past five years.

Mr. Maclean

Information on the importation of hazardous waste into the United Kingdom is available only for the period since the introduction of the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations in October 1988.

The information requested is as follows:

Year Port Quantity (Tonnes)
October 1988 to March 1989 Tilbury 83
Harwich 104
Purfleet 100
Total October 1988 to March 1989 287

Year Port Quantity (Tonnes)
April 1989 to March 1990 Tilbury 13
Harwich 154
Purfleet 12
Total 1989 to 1990 179
April 1990 to March 1991 Tilbury 26
Harwich 2,383
Total 1990 to 1991 2,409
April 1991 to March 1992 Harwich 3,021
Total 1991 to 1992 3,021
Total October 1988 to March 1992 5,896

Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which body has responsibility for ensuring that tipping of chemical, toxic or other waste into pits within a particular district authority complies with the licences, and health and safety regulations; and what information he has on the frequency with which such checks have been made in respect of each pit in the borough of Thurrock over the past two years.

Mr. Maclean

Essex county council, as waste regulation authority for the Thurrock area, is responsible for granting disposal licences and monitoring them to ensure that their conditions are adhered to and continue to be appropriate. It is the responsibility of the local office of the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 are not breached.

The Department has no record of the number of site visits made by Essex county council in Thurrock. It would be for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment to advise as to any steps taken to monitor compliance with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act.

Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department keeps on the location and size of waste dumps in each local authority area, together with the type and amount of waste accepted in each dump; what such information is available for the borough of Thurrock; and if he will make it his policy to maintain such information as is not already kept centrally.

Mr. Maclean

The Department does not keep detailed information on the size and location of waste disposal facilities. Waste regulation authorities maintain on public registers copies of disposal licences for each facility in their area. Essex county council is the waste regulation authority which covers Thurrock. An environment agency which included the waste regulation functions of local authorities would also have responsibility for the maintenance of the licence information they currently hold.