Small Farm Incinerators (Hansard, 13 June 2000)

Mr. Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of small farm incinerators in each EU member state. [125166]

§ Mr. Hill
No such assessment has been made. We understand, however, that the practice of small-scale animal carcase incineration is less widespread in other member states than in the UK.

Mr. Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the dangers to human health posed by small farm incinerators. [125165]

§ Mr. Hill
The study undertaken on behalf of the Department by the consultants Entec UK Ltd. (copies of which are in the House Library) to underpin a regulatory and environmental impact assessment of the proposed waste incineration Directive considered the health impacts of incineration processes generally (section 1.4) and the health benefits of the proposal in respect of animal carcase incinerators of different capacities (Appendix 1.5.4). The report, however, significantly underestimated the number of small-scale animal carcase incinerators, of which there are some 3,000 operating, and health benefits are accordingly underestimated.