HC Deb 14 March 2002 vol 381 cc1232-3W
Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the Ethiopian artefacts that remain in British possession from the raid on Mogdala in 1868. [42723]

Dr. Howells

There have been no requests for return from the Ethiopian Government for any of the objects in question. With regard to the manuscripts in the British Library, microfilm copies have been deposited in Addis Ababa, and scholars have access to the originals at the Library. We understand that the Ethiopian Government are content with these arrangements.

1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000
Thousand tonnes Percentage Thousand tonnes Percentage Thousand tonnes Percentage Thousand tonnes Percentage
Landfilled 21,969 85 23,110 85 23,005 82 23,714 81
Incinerated 2,060 8 1,690 6 2,163 8 2,285 8
Composted and recycled1 1,803 7 2,127 8 2,601 9 3,218 11
Other disposal methods 147 1 238 1 143 1 115 0
Total municipal waste 25,979 100 27,166 100 27,912 100 29,332 100
1 Separate figures for composted and recycled waste not available.

Data for earlier years are not available. 2000–01 data are currently being collected from local authorities. Totals and percentages may not add, due to rounding. Municipal waste in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

The Government's vision for sustainable waste management and their plan of action for achieving that vision are set out in its waste strategy for England and Wales, 'Waste Strategy 2000'. The strategy sets out the Government's targets for dealing with household waste: to recycle or compost at least 25 per cent. of household waste by 2005, 30 per cent. by 2010 and 33 per cent. by 2015. To ensure that all local authorities contribute to achieving the Government's targets, local authorities have been set challenging individual statutory performance standards for recycling and composting.

The Government have also set out the 'waste hierarchy' for municipal waste, whereby minimising the amount of waste produced is the preferred option wherever possible, with re-use, recycling and composting as preferable to incineration and landfill.