§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what actions are taken by his Department to restrict price fluctuations of waste(a) glass, (b) paper and (c) household metal waste. [90349]
§ Dr. HowellsThese wastes constitute potential secondary raw materials and internationally-traded commodities which compete with virgin supplies. Their prices are best set by the operation of the market rather than by Government. However, we are committed to increasing recycling rates and consider the development of new and stable markets for recycled materials as being key to achieving this objective. A range of options for action which might assist in this process have been identified for the DTI by the Recycling Advisory Unit at AEA Technology plc, in a report entitled "Development of Markets for Recycled Materials", and these will be considered in tandem with the recently-published recommendations of DETR's Market Development Group.
§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for each of the past 10 years the total of energy produced by waste incineration; how many incinerators were operating in each of those years; and what is his Department's estimate of the fuel efficiency of incinerators compared to coal, gas and nuclear generation. [90352]
§ Mr. BattleEleven energy from waste projects contracted under the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation arrangements in England and Wales generated almost 981 GW hours of electricity in 1998 and in so doing derived value from about 2 million tonnes of waste and42W made around 100,000 tonnes of ferrous metals available for recycling. These facilities operated with an average load factor in excess of 80 per cent.