§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what statistics his Department collates on the trans-national movement of waste; what form the information takes; and what public access there is to this information; [34457]
(2) if he will list the types and quantities of toxic waste imported into the United Kingdom in each year since 1992 for (a) recycling and (b) other processing. [34456]
§ Angela EagleInformation relating to transnational shipments of waste into and out of England and Wales is collected on behalf of my Department and the Welsh Office by the Environment Agency. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and the Environment and Heritage Agency of Northern Ireland collect similar information for Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. Information on each shipment of waste is derived from the consignment notes that must accompany all international movements of waste and includes: date of entry/departure, type of waste, hazardous characteristics of shipment, amount imported/exported, country of origin or destination, the type of disposal or recovery operation to be used.
My Department publishes information on the types and quantities of waste imported into England and Wales for recycling and other processing in the "Digest of Environmental Statistics", which is available from the Stationery Office. The Digest also contain less detailed information on the quantities of waste imported into Scotland and Northern Ireland. A facsimile of the Digest is also placed on the Internet at http: \\www.detr.gov.uk\doe\envir\epsim. The tables show the information requested. Figures for 1994 cover only the period 6 May 1994 to 31 December 1994. Figures for 1995 are provisional. Figures for 1994 onwards are not strictly comparable with those for the earlier years, as replacement of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 1988, with Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 on 6 May 1994 led to changes in the operation of the system from which data are derived and to the definitions used.
545W
Imports of waste into England and Wales and other processing in 1992–93 and 1993–94 1992–93 1993–94 Type of waste Recycling Other processes Recycling Other processes Inorganic and organic acids 0 1,047 0 210 Alkalis 0 120 0 1,362 Toxic metal compounds 0 120 128 64 Non-toxic metal compounds 0 0 0 0 Metals (elemental) and metal oxides 0 122 0 201
Imports of waste into England and Wales and other processing in 1992–93 and 1993–94 1992–93 1993–94 Type of waste Recycling Other processes Recycling Other processes Inorganic compounds 0 459 18 1,918 Other organic materials 323 10,457 0 9,660 Organic compounds (excluding PCBs) 159 4,893 261 1,983 PCBs/PCB contaminated waste 0 4,781 0 3,744 Polymeric materials and precursors 0 843 0 2,450 Fuels, oils and greases 0 4,495 0 18,700 Fine chemicals and biocides 0 3,534 16 3,632 Miscellaneous chemical waste 0 777 32 3,064 Filter materials, sludge and rubbish 0 8,778 0 5,934 Interceptor wastes, paints 0 1,213 0 2,173 Miscellaneous wastes 0 3,230 35 10,881 Hospital and similar wastes 0 439 0 0 Total 482 45,308 490 85,976
546W
Imports of waste into England and Wales for recycling and other processing, 1994 and 1995 1994 1995 Wastes consisting of or contaminated with Recycling Other processes Recycling Other processes Health care wastes 0 227 0 196 Fine chemicals and biocides 1,012 8,688 3,151 6,710 Organic solvents, including halogenated organic solvents 4,689 586 999 1,145 Inorganic and organic cyanides 0 320 0 0 Mineral oils, oil/water and hydrocarbon/water mixtures 755 508 1,957 30 PCBs and PCB contaminated items 90 1,767 0 1,487 Tarry residues from refining, distillation and pyrolitic treatments 0 150 80 21 Inks, paints, dyes and pigments 226 338 46 559 Polymeric materials and precursors 476 255 258 70 Photographic chemicals and materials 615 0 5,503 0 Wastes from the treatment of metals and plastics 160 27 14 81 Residues from industrial waste disposal 13,023 585 4,411 928 Heavy metals and their compounds 5,390 40 1,580 153 Arsenic and antimony and their compounds 40 0 0 0 Inorganic fluorine compounds 0 737 0 0 Acids and bases in solid form or solution 22 793 2,000 66 Phenols, ethers and organohalons not elsewhere specified 23 164 0 41 Wastes collected from households 0 245 0 0
Imports of waste into England and Wales for recycling and other processing, 1994 and 1995 1994 1995 Wastes consisting of or contaminated with Recycling Other processes Recycling Other processes Residues from incineration of household waste 0 1,579 0 3,013 Unclassified 1,109 9,693 8,571 7,379 England and Wales 27,630 26,698 28,570 21,879 Scotland 2,441 0 4,308 6 Northern Ireland 0 60 n/a n/a Total 30,070 26,758 32,876 21,885