Waste Disposal (Hansard, 21 December 2000)

§ Mrs. Organ
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how the Government will allocate the extra resources that are needed to achieve the changes to be made to meet the targets in the new National Waste Strategy, the European Landfill Directive and the recent Best Value Performance Indicators on Recycling; how they will be allocated to(a) waste disposal authorities and (b) waste collection authorities in two tier areas; if they will be ring-fenced; and if they will be allocated via supplementary credit approvals. [142727]

§ Mr. Mullin
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 14 December 2000,Official Report, column 200W.
The additional provision for revenue spending on environmental and cultural services will be distributed through Standard Spending Assessments. We are developing proposals for the allocation of the £140 million provided specifically for waste and recycling, and will consult in the new year. The £220 million PFI credits will be allocated in line with the general criteria set out in my official's letter of 23 December 1999, and the specific criteria for waste projects which I announced on 22 September 2000.

§ Mrs. Organ
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how the Government will protect local authorities if the targets in the National Waste Strategy change after waste disposal companies have introduced plant and infrastructure; and what compensation will be available for local authorities that have built energy-from-waste plants. [142730]

§ Mr. Mullin
The Government have since June 1998 made it clear that we wish to see a firm emphasis on recycling and composting in future local authority waste management. We expect local authorities to take this into account when developing infrastructure. We have no plans to make compensation available to authorities that have built energy from waste plant.

§ Mrs. Organ
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will assist local authorities which have let their new waste disposal contracts before the national strategy takes effect. [143616]

§ Mr. Mullin
I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 14 December 2000,Official Report, column 200W. The Government are providing substantial extra resources for waste and recycling.
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Targets to recycle 25 per cent. of household waste have been in place since the early 1990s. The Government announced their intention to review the national waste strategy in January 1998 and published consultation documents in June 1998 and June 1999. Local authorities were, therefore, given notice of the intention to make a step change in waste management practices.

§ Mr. St. Aubyn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how the proximity principle in waste management will be applied to incinerators that depend for their safe and profitable operation on(a) economies of scale and (b) a constant feed of large volumes of waste taken from a large catchment area. [143395]

§ Mr. Meacher
[holding answer 19 December 2000]: It is for Local Authorities to determine how the proximity principle, that waste should generally be disposed of as near to its place of origin as possible, can best be applied in their area. "Waste Strategy 2000", published in May, emphasises that energy from waste facilities should be appropriately sized and that care must be taken to ensure that contracts are sensitively designed to avoid 'crowding out' recycling.

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many incinerators he estimates will need to be installed to meet the Government's waste targets; and if he will make a statement. [144096]

§ Mr. Mullin
It is for local authorities to decide what mix of waste management facilities is appropriate for their area. The number of incinerators built will depend on how successful we are in tackling waste growth and in increasing recycling and composting.
"Waste Strategy 2000" makes clear the Government's commitment to substantial increases in recycling and composting, and announces statutory targets for the recycling of household waste—doubling it in three years and nearly tripling it in five. Where a local authority does decide that an incinerator is needed, the authority should ensure that the plant is appropriately sized and that contracts are carefully designed so as not to compete with recycling. Incinerators should also incorporate Combined Heat and Power technology—where heat is used to produce electricity and to provide hot water to local homes and businesses—wherever practical.