§ 28. Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the recycling of fridges. [20584]
§ Mr. MeacherAlthough EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 now requires the recovery of CFCs and HCFCs from foam, this had not been the original intention under the proposal for a regulation published by the European Commission in August 1998. The text prepared by the commission only required the recovery of ozone depleting substances from foam "if practicable". The language in the relevant article was changed during negotiations shortly before the draft regulation was agreed by the Environment Council in February 1999. The UK raised this issue at a number of meetings with the commission and other member states in order to seek clarification. However, it was not until June this year that the commission finally clarified that the regulation requires the CFCs and HCFCs to be removed from foams found in waste refrigerators for destruction.
From 1 January 2002, the EC Regulation on Ozone Depleting Substances will require 'controlled substances' (including CFCs) in coolants and in insulating foam to be removed before recycling or reclamation of domestic refrigerators units. Waste refrigeration units will need to be stored until suitable domestic processing facilities come on-line. The Department has issued guidance on CFC extraction plant and guidance on the storage of waste refrigeration equipment, prior to CFC extraction. The Department's website http://www.defra.gov.uk. also contains information on the requirements of the regulation.
We have recently announced an extra £6 million in the local government finance settlement to help local authorities with the extra costs of dealing with fridges to the end of this financial year. We are urgently assessing the impacts of the regulation and will determine what further action will be necessary beyond that.
§ 34. Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local authorities are able to deal with recycling of refrigerators in accordance with EC Regulation 2037/2000. [20590]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Department has written to all English local authorities to inform them of the requirements of the regulation. More recently we have written again to issue guidance on the storage of waste refrigeration equipment, prior to CFC extraction, and to provide information for householders disposing of fridges and freezers.
951WWe have recently announced an extra £6 million in the local government finance settlement to help local authorities with the extra costs of dealing with fridges to the end of this financial year. We are urgently assessing the impacts of the regulation and will determine what further action will be necessary beyond that.