§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to regulate waste materials spread on UK farmland. [30193]
§ Mr. MorleyThere are regulations to control environmental and public health risks from spreading of waste material on agricultural land. The use of sewage sludge on agricultural land is controlled by the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989 and spreading of other non-agricultural waste is controlled by the waste management licensing system in force under Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and by the associated Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. These controls are the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and are enforced by the Environment Agency in England and Wales.
The Department complements these Regulations by providing farmers with free written guidance, e.g. the Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Air, Soil and Water.