HC Deb 27 March 1998 vol 309 c292W
Mr. Levitt

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what regulations govern the disposal of slaughterhouse waste on agricultural land. [36063]

Angela Eagle

Activities involving the recovery or disposal of waste are subject to control under the amended EC Framework Directive on waste. The waste management licensing system established under Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 is the main means by which the requirements of the Framework Directive have been transposed into national law. Under this system, anyone who deposits, recovers or disposes of waste must do so in compliance with the conditions of a waste management licence or with the conditions of an exception from waste management licensing.

The speading of waste on land which results in benefit to agriculture or ecological improvement is classified as a waste recovery operation under the Directive and an exemption from licensing for certain types of waste has been provided in Regulation 17 and paragraph 7 of Schedule 3 to the 1994 Regulations. One of the types of waste covered by the exemption is blood and gut contents from abattoirs. We intend to review the exemption in the light of the findings of a research project which is due to be completed at the end of April. I indicated on 13 March 1998, Official Report, column 928, some of the issues I would like to see addressed in the review of the exemption.

The carcases of all BSE suspect cattle are directly incinerated. Commission Regulation No. 716/96 requires that cattle slaughtered under the Over Thirty Months/Scheme are either incinerated or rendered and destroyed. No blood from either group of cattle is being spread on land.

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