§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding options she is considering to assist local authorities in the storage and processing of waste refrigeration equipment. [24165]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Department recently announced a payment of £6 million to English local authorities to cover their costs of handling fridges and freezers until March 2002. We shall urgently assess the impacts of the regulation and will determine what further action is required beyond that.
§ Paddy TippingTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the capability of UK high temperature incinerator facilities to deal with the ozone depleting substances from refrigerators. [23952]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 19 December 2001]: The UK's high temperature incinerator facilities have sufficient capacity to deal with all ozone depleting substances from waste refrigerators arising in the UK. In addition I understand that up to 8,000 fridges per week can be disposed of via high temperature incineration in the UK.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she makes available on the safe disposal of commercial refrigerators containing CFCs under EC Regulation 2037/2000. [25726]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Department issued guidance on the storage of all waste refrigeration equipment, including commercial refrigerators, prior to CFC extraction at the beginning of December 2001. Draft guidance on the282W extraction of CFCs from fridges and freezers has also been issued and is now being finalised by the Environment Agency.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects plans for recycling plants for refrigerators to be finalised; and when she expects local authorities to be informed. [25713]
§ Mr. MeacherI understand that a number of commercial companies are investing in plant in the UK and that some plant may be in operation from spring 2002. My Department will host a progress meeting between investors in recycling plant and representatives from local authorities shortly.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what precautions have been taken to ensure that there are alternative recycling routes for used commercial refrigerators and freezers. [25818]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Department has worked closely with the waste management industry and other stakeholders to identify a range of recycling and disposal routes for used commercial refrigerators and freezers. These include refurbishment of working units, disposal via high temperature incineration, export for recycling in other member states or storage in the UK pending treatment. Work is continuing on finalising standards for treatment centres which will inform investment decisions on new facilities.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what(a) representations he has received from and (b) guidance has been issued to (i) retailers, (ii) pub owners, (iii) caterers, (iv) hoteliers, (v) restaurateurs and (vi) vending machine operators about the disposal of commercial refrigerators. [25720]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Department has received a number of such representations from retailers, pub owners, caterers, hoteliers and restauranteurs and vending machine operators, in particular through their trade associations, via stakeholder meetings, and letters and telephone calls.
Guidance on the collection, storage and the safe disposal of commercial refrigerators has been disseminated via trade associations at meetings regarding the management of waste commercial refrigeration equipment. This guidance has also been published on my Department's website www.defra.gov.uk.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether there is an available mobile technology capable of removing CFCs from refrigerators and freezers; [25718]
(2) what attempt there has been to import mobile technology capable of removing CFCs from refrigerators and freezers into the UK; and when such technology can be expected to be in operation. [25719]
§ Mr. MeacherMobile plant capable of removing CFCs from refrigerators and freezers is available from suppliers in Germany. I understand that a number of companies are intending to import this technology for use in the UK. Mobile plant is expected to be in operation from spring 2002.
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§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether(a) retailers, (b) pub owners, (c) caterers, (d) hoteliers, (e) restauranteurs and (f) vending machine operators will refrain from refurbishing existing commercial refrigeration systems until guidance is available for their safe disposal. [25721]
§ Mr. MeacherThere is no reason why commercial operators should refrain from refurbishing commercial refrigeration equipment. Waste refrigeration equipment may be disposed of via high temperature incineration, exported for recycling in other member states, or stored pending treatment in the UK. Guidance on the storage of waste refrigeration equipment, including commercial refrigerators was issued in early December 2001. Officials have met with representatives of the food and drink industry to discuss the disposal routes for commercial refrigeration equipment. Draft guidance on the extraction of CFCs from fridges and freezers has been issued and is now being finalised by the Environment Agency.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimate she has made of the final capacity of the plants capable of removing CFCs from fridges and freezers under EC Regulation 2037/2000; [25724]
(2) how many plants will be needed to meet the United Kingdom's requirements for removing CFCs from refrigerators and freezers. [25717]
§ Mr. MeacherThe number of plants required to recycle waste fridges and freezers in the UK will depend on a number of factors including: the capacity of individual plant (technology used), and the scale of exports of fridges and freezers to other member states for treatment. Following discussions with industry it is anticipated that sufficient capacity for removing CFCs from fridges and freezers will be available to meet UK demand.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the distribution of funding to local authorities for the collection and storage of refrigerators; and what further amounts are expected to be required until recycling plants are in operation. [25714]
§ Mr. Meacher£6 million has been added to the provisional local government finance settlement for 2002–03 for the costs of implementing the ozone depleting substances regulation relating to the period 1 January 2002 to 31 March 2002. This will be distributed to local authorities using Standard Spending Assessments (SSA). We are continuing to assess the impacts of the regulation and will determine what further action is required beyond that.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she expects that the first plants capable of removing CFCs from refrigerators and freezers under EC Regulation 2037/2000 will be open in the UK; [25725]
(2) where the first plant capable of removing CFCs from refrigerators and freezers under EC Regulation 2037/2000 will be located; and what its capacity will be. [25723]
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§ Mr. MeacherIt is expected that the first plant capable of removing CFCs from refrigerators and freezers may be in operation from spring 2002. In the meantime I understand that up to 8,000 refrigerators per week can be disposed of via high temperature incineration.
Decisions regarding the location and capacity of plant are matters for companies investing in these facilities.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from the Environment Agency concerning the arrangements for the(a) storage and (b) disposal of fridges in advance of the development of purpose-built infrastructure in the UK. [25712]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Department is working very closely with the Environment Agency on the development and finalisation of guidance on the storage and disposal of fridges and more generally on the implementation and enforcement of the ozone depleting substances regulations.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with local authorities concerning the allocation of resources to meet the costs of(a) domestic, (b) commercial and (c) industrial refrigerators and air conditioning units (i) disposal and (ii) recycling in the next financial year; and when sufficient local recycling plants for them are expected to be operational. [25716]
§ Mr. MeacherRepresentatives of local authorities have attended a number of meetings regarding the disposal and recycling of refrigeration equipment. My officials are working closely with them to assess the impacts.
Local authorities can charge businesses for the disposal and recycling of commercial and industrial refrigeration equipment or air conditioning units.