HC Deb 08 September 2003 vol 410 cc312-4W
Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the percentage was of collection of municipal(a) non-recyclable and (b) recyclable waste in the UK in the last 12 months. [127389]

Mr. Morley

The Department does not collect the information required to answer this question fully. However, results from the Department's Municipal Waste Management Survey for England show that 13 per cent. of Municipal Waste collected by local authorities was either recycled or composted in 2001–02.

The Strategy Unit estimated in their report, "Waste Not, Want Not", that over 50 per cent. of household waste sent to landfill sites or incinerated in England could be diverted from incineration or landfill through home composting and recycling on the basis of current best practice.

Sue Doughty

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many(a) on-farm drum incinerators, (b) on-farm carcase incinerators and (c) waste oil burners are in operation in England; and what the total capacity is in each case. [122755]

Mr. Bradshaw

It is not possible to provide the complete detailed breakdown requested.

Neither the Department nor the Environment Agency holds definitive data with regard to on-farm drum incinerators. However it is estimated that approximately 27,000 drum incinerators are in use in England and Wales.

A central register of operators indicates that as at 1 July 2003 there were 306 approved Specified Risk Material (SRM) incinerators in Great Britain. In addition, it is believed there are around 2,500 low capacity (less than 50kg/hour) non-SRM animal carcase incinerators mainly on pig and poultry farms in the UK.

Burning waste oil as a fuel is permitted under an exemption under Part I of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. This exemption only applies when the total amount of waste oil burned does not exceed 2,500 litres an hour in any one engine. At the last count (Nov. 02) the Environment Agency had registered 36 such exemptions.

Applications to operate other types or capacities of waste oil burners are regulated by Local Authorities at a local level and no central database exists. However,

Operator Location Planning Status
NEWLINCS Developments Grimsby Granted
Onyx Portsmouth Granted after appeal
Onyx Marchwood, Southampton Granted
Surrey Waste Management Capel, Surrey Granted, but there has been a successful legal challenge
Grundons Slough Granted
Onyx Chinetham, Surrey Granted
HLC Waste Management Services Neath, Port Talbot Granted
Waste Recycling Group Hull Planning appeal turned down
Kent Enviropower Maidstone,Kent Granted
Riverside Resource Recovery Bexley. London Application submitted; public inquiry under way
Shanks Milton Keynes Application submitted
Onyx Sheffield Application approved
Sita Ridham Dock, Kent Subject to a planning appeal
County Environment Services Roche, Cornwall Application submitted

according to the 2001–02 Local Air Pollution Control Survey it is believed there are over 1,100 small waste oil burners which operate with a maximum burning capacity of 0.4 megawatts to 3 megawatts net rated thermal input. However, the industry estimate is that the actual number of burners with this capacity may be as high as 10,000.

Mr. Hayes

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the waste incinerators undergoing planning review. [128166]

Mr. Morley

Details of planning applications for proposed facilities which have yet to be determined by the respective local planning authorities are not held centrally. The table gives the number and status, as at 16 June 2003, of proposed new municipal waste incineration plants in England and Wales of which we are aware. The table contains information shared with the Environment Agency by prospective applicants for pollution control permits. There may also be other planning applications or amendments which have been submitted to local authorities over which the agency has not been consulted. The planning status may have been changed since the data were supplied.