HL Deb 16 May 2000 vol 613 cc8-9WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Answer by the Lord Whitty on 9 April (H.L. Deb., col. 699) on what dates there were communications between officials of the Department of the Environment (and later the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on the draft Incineration of Waste Directive and in particular upon the matter of small incinerators specialising in disposal of animal carcasses; between which individuals any such communication took place; and in what terms. [HL2292]

Lord Whitty

All the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The Air and Environment Quality Division of the Department of the Environment, and subsequently of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, has included the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in all inter-departmental contact on the proposal for a waste incineration directive since the European Commission's initial soundings on its first working paper in February 1994. This includes the period of discussions of the "working paper on the incineration of waste" in meetings of national experts convened by the European Commission from April 1997 to summer 1998.

There was numerous and frequent correspondence between DETR and other interested departments, including MAFF, following the German Presidency's decision to take the draft waste incineration directive to Council Working Group at the start of its term of office in January 1999. Meetings of interested government departments, including MAFF, concerning the proposal were also held on 25 January, 19 March and 14 May 1999. DETR and MAFF officials additionally met bilaterally on 16 April 1999. MAFF concerns about the implications of the proposal for animal carcass incinerators were raised in a letter from the Minister of State of 16 February 1999 and were discussed at all the subsequent meetings involving the two departments.

The Council of Ministers is currently considering the European Parliament's amendments to the waste incineration directive Common Position, including those affecting the scope, at official level. DETR and MAFF remain in close contact during these negotiations.