HC Deb 22 October 2001 vol 373 cc24-5W
David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list for each county of England the disposal sites which are(a) available and (b) being used for the disposal of foot and mouth disease (i) carcases and (ii) ash from pyres.[5261]

Mr. Morley

Over the last few weeks most carcases resulting from new cases of foot and mouth disease have been disposed of by rendering. The two rendering plants that are currently available for use for the disposal of foot and mouth disease carcases are in Bradford (West Yorkshire) and Lancaster (Lancashire). The extent to which these plants are used depends on the demand for disposal on any given day.

On the few occasions when disposal demand has exceeded available rendering capacity use has been made of licensed landfill and mass burial sites. The only licensed landfill and mass burial sites that have been used for the disposal of foot and mouth disease carcases in recent weeks are those at Hespin Wood in Cumbria and Tow Law in Co. Durham. Other licensed landfill sites and mass burial sites could be contracted or brought back into operation should additional disposal capacity be required.

Wherever possible, ash from pyres is being buried on site. Where this is not possible it is being disposed of in licensed landfill. The landfill sites in England that are being used for this purpose are at Bishops Cleeve (Gloucestershire), Calvert (Buckinghamshire), Hespin Wood (Cumbria) and Workington (Cumbria). There are no plans to use any other landfill sites for ash disposal.