§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the most recent annual cost of disposing of(a) all waste and (b) disposable nappies in each council area in Northern Ireland. [187767]
§ Angela SmithThe three District Council Waste Management Partnerships are required to submit Annual Performance Reports to the Department of the Environment. The scope of these reports has recently been revised to include details of the combined costs for the treatment and disposal of wastes and the first new data set is due in October 2004. Information on disposal of disposable nappies is not collected separately by district councils. However, on receipt of the Annual Performance Reports, the Department will estimate the cost of treating and disposing of disposable nappies for Northern Ireland as a whole, as well as treatment and disposal costs for all wastes by district council. I will write to the hon. Lady when this information is available and a copy of the letter will be placed in the library.