§ Mr. CallaghanTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to encourage investment in capital equipment for the purpose of recycling of waste materials in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. McLoughlinWaste disposal costs are increasing, as a result of the higher standards required under certain provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This is helping to make recycling a more attractive waste management option, and investment in capital equipment for this purpose will flow naturally as a result. The Government are also encouraging investment by undertaking a number of initiatives aimed at developing markets for recycled materials. These include offering a £20 million grant towards the cost of papermaking plant,138W with the capacity to recycle an extra 350,000 tonnes of waste paper a year, and providing grants for various research and development projects which seek to identify new uses for recovered materials, and which develop and demonstrate new recycling technologies.