HC Deb 18 June 2003 vol 407 cc298-300W
Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the operator pollution risk appraisal score of each of the licensed(a) waste disposal and (b) landfill sites in (i) the Leeds Metropolitan District area and (ii) the Yorkshire and Humberside area was in each year since 1990. [116205]

Mr. Morley

The Environment Agency has supplied the relevant data which will be placed in the House Library.

Bob Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress(a) since February 2002 towards

Target 2000–01 2001–02
Recycle or compost 17 per cent. of

household waste by 2003–04

11.2 per cent.

(Municipal waste 12.3 per cent.)

12.4 per cent.

(Municipal waste 13.5 per cent.)

By 2005 to reduce the amount of

industrial and commercial waste sent to

landfill to 85 per cent. of that landfilled in

1998;

Provisional EA data suggests that was a reduction of 8 per cent. between 1998–99—2000–01

in the amount of waste sent to licensed landfill sites. This means that we are at 92 per cent. of 1998

levels, and are hopeful that we will meet this target. The Environment Agency will be conducting

the next Industrial and Commercial Waste Survey this year.

To recover value from 40 per cent. of municipal waste by 2005 22.3 per cent.
Reduce biodegradable waste landfilled to

75 per cent. of that produced in 1995, by

2010 (with derogation)

It is estimated that we landfilled 93 per cent. of biodegradable

waste produced in 1995, in 2000–01

No current figures available

Since the Waste Summit in 2001, the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit has produced its report. "Waste Not, Want Not". This looks at how our progress in reducing our reliance on landfill and moving towards more sustainable waste management might be speeded up.

The Government published their response on 6 May. In the response, the Government accept the majority of the recommendations and support the direction or intent of many of the others. The Government have already acted on a number of recommendations. A package of measures is now being taken forward:

Landfill Tax will be increased by £3 per tonne in 2005–06 and by at least £3 per tonne in the years thereafter, on the way to a medium to long-term rate of £35 per tonne.

The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme has been reformed and a proportion of the funding—£84/£92/£92 million—has been re-directed to a new Sustainable Waste Management Programme in England in 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06;

The new Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) run by Defra will concentrate on improving waste minimisation, recycling and composting, and researching new technologies for dealing with those wastes which are not readily reduced, reused or recycled. A Local Authority Delivery Taskforce will assist local authorities to meet their recycling and composting targets.

A new Delivery Team and Steering Group is being established in Defra to drive forward implementation of the Government's response to the Strategy report and new programmes of work in Defra and WRAP;

Local authority funding of £90 million each year for 2004–05 and 2005–06 has been provided for the Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund or its successor Performance Reward Fund. meeting the targets of the Government's Waste Management Strategy of 2000 and (b) since the Waste Summit. [117388]

Mr. Morley

The information is as follows:

The Waste and Emissions Trading Bill includes provisions to allow waste disposal authorities to direct waste collection authorities to collect separated waste. It will soon include measures to promote more strategic waste planning at a local level in two tier authorities.

A review of the health and environmental effects of waste management and disposal options has been commissioned. This work is well under way.

There will be a review of the planning guidelines for waste management, Planning Policy Guidance 10. The Government recognise that there will be an increasing need for waste management facilities to deal with our waste, in particular, for recycling. The review will aim to improve the guidance and help local authorities to make timely and appropriate decisions. Expansion of WRAP will take forward a number of waste minimisation schemes: Home composting scheme—increase the number of households carrying out home composting and promote the effectiveness of composting carried out. Reusable nappies scheme—promoting the use of reusable nappies. Retailer initiative—with top retailers, aiming to reduce the amount of waste entering the waste stream from supermarket purchased products. Innovation fund—aimed at identifying and developing innovative approaches to waste minimisation. Kerbside task force—the Recycling and Organics Technical Advisory Team (ROTATE) to work with local authorities to help maximise the potential of kerbside collections, particularly biodegradable organics. National education and awareness programme—raising the general public's awareness of waste issues and the benefits of recycling, Local education and awareness programme—to support the ROTATE and waste minimisation initiatives outlined above. Government estimate that new WIP measures alone will contribute substantially to recycling and composting rates, cumulating to an estimated overall impact of 21 per cent. by 2005–06 and bring us much closer to our targets.