Waste Disposal

HC Deb 20 July 1994 vol 247 cc310-1W

Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has received from the waste-to-energy industry regarding his Department's circular 8/91;

(2) what plans he has to update his Department's circular 8/91;

(3) if he will recommend improvements to the local authority tendering process for waste disposal contracts in his Department's response to the report of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution on incineration.

Mr. Atkins

We have received representations from the Energy from Waste Association, formerly the recycling waste-to-energy group, about the advice given to waste disposal authorities in circular 8/91—competition for local authority waste disposal contracts and new arrangements for disposal operations—on the duration of waste disposal contracts. In particular, the industry wishes us to emphasise the importance to waste-to-energy schemes of long-term contracts. Similar representationss have been made by the producer responsibility group in its proposals for recovering value from packaging waste.

My Department is currently reviewing the guidance given to local authorities in circular 8/91 about tendering for waste disposal contracts and we intend to issue updated guidance later this year. Among other things, the updated guidance will re-emphasise the importance of taking environmental factors into account in the tendering process, including the benefits of the waste-to-energy option in appropriate circumstances and the contractual arrangements most likely to facilitate its development.

The Government will publish their response to the Royal Commission on environmental pollution's report on incineration shortly. Our response will address the royal commission's recommendation that waste disposal authorities should be encouraged to enter into long-term contracts with operators of incineration plants, extending over 10 years or more. However, this is not an appropriate vehicle for offering detailed guidance on the considera-tions which should be taken into account by authorities in the tendering process.