Chemical Industry (Hansard, 6 May 1993)

§ Mr. Maclean

I met representatives of the Chemical Industries Association on 24 February to discuss the industry's concern that the process definitions set out in the Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991 do not adequately reflect the complexity of the chemical industry. The industry believes that problems of process definition will result in unreasonable uncertainty and excessive cost for the industry in applying for authorisations under integrated pollution control and will delay the authorisation process.

At the meeting, I promised the industry that we would consider sympathetically the details of their concerns and take measures to overcome them. Since then, a small working party comprising representatives of the industry and of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has been looking into this problem.

Companies within this sector are due to be brought within integrated pollution control this year; the window for applications for authorisation of such process runs from I May to 31 July. In order to avoid the need for applications to be submitted before the detailed outcome of these considerations is known, I propose to extend the application window until 31 October. Amending regulations to that effect will be laid in the very near future.

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I am satisfied that extending the application window in this way will not lead to any weakening in environmental protection, and believe that the operation of integrated pollution control can be improved by making limited changes to the definition of processes in the manufacture and use of organic chemicals falling under section 4.2 of chapter 4 of the regulations. These changes are not expected to affect other industrial sectors or processes subject to local authority air pollution control or to cut across possible changes that may arise from the wider consultation we are currently undertaking in relation to the 1991 regulations.