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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 5 March 1996
ENVIRONMENT
Cement Kilns
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 27 February, Official Report, column 474, if he will now contact other member states of the European Union to request information on the emission regulations applicable to cement plants burning secondary liquid fuels. [18549]
Mr. Clappison: Member states have already adopted a directive--94/67/EC--on the incineration of hazardous waste which will also apply to any other plant that burns such waste. Cement plants burning wastes will thus have to comply with the relevant provisions of this directive in all member states.
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans the Environment Agency has to carry out a detailed analysis of the precipitator dust from cement kilns which burn secondary liquid fuel, with particular reference to the potential of such dust to contaminate soil and groundwater. [18869]
Mr. Clappison: The Environment Agency will require the operators to carry out appropriate analysis for all releases to air, water and land.
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans the Environment Agency has to issue guidance to cement kiln operators on meeting the requirements of the hazardous waste incineration directive. [18868]
Mr. Clappison: Chief inspector's guidance notes reflect the requirements of all relevant directives and will remain applicable in the Environment Agency.
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans the Environment Agency has to consider the overall environmental impact of the burning of secondary liquid fuel in cement kilns, including the deposition of kiln dust at landfill sites. [18870]
Mr. Clappison: The Environment Agency will take into account the overall environmental impact of releases to air, water and land.
Domestic Premises (Commercial Use)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the number of domestic properties that are used for commercial purposes. [18501]
Mr. Clappison: The Department does not collect information on the number of domestic properties that are used for commercial premises.
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Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if people who receive attendance allowance will be added to the list of those eligible for a 100 per cent. home energy efficiency scheme grant after 31 March. [18334]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Yes. We intend that householders over the age of 65 receiving attendance allowance should be able to claim full grants under the home energy efficiency scheme in the same way as householders receiving disability living allowance.
Industrial Processes (Pollution)
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Environment Agency's policy in relation to the continued authorisation of industrial processes operated by companies which have failed to implement solutions to pollution problems within the time scale agreed with the agency or with a predecessor authority. [18871]
Mr. Clappison: Without prejudice to its powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to vary an authorisation, the Environment Agency will require the operators to meet the conditions in their authorisations issued by it or its predecessor authorities.
Water Research Council
Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the conclusions of the 1992 report from the Water Research Council. [18565]
Mr. Clappison: The report "Economics of Lead Pipe Replacement (TMU 9030)" giving the results of research funded by my Department and undertaken by the WRC has been publicly available since the work was completed in 1992. A copy was also placed in the Library of the House.
Derelict Buildings (Westminster Hospital)
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of the derelict buildings of the former Westminster hospital. [18853]
Sir Paul Beresford: None. This is a matter for Westminster city council as local planning authority.
Environmental Protection
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy that proposed variations to authorisations granted under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 shall in all cases be subject to the same consultation procedures as apply in respect of new authorisations. [18872]
Mr. Clappison: There is no need to change the existing regulations--the Environmental Protection (Applications, Appeals and Registers) Regulations 1991--No. 507--which deal with consultation.
Pollution Abatement Measures
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what powers he has to require companies to
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invest in pollution abatement measures in circumstances where savings accrue to such companies from the use of new fuels or processes which emit quantities of pollutants in excess of those emitted by the fuel or process which has been replaced. [18866]
Mr. Clappison: Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution does not allow fuel or process changes that lead to a net adverse environmental effect. Any increased profitability due to fuel or process change is taken into account in assessing the operators' improvement programmes to meet new plant standards under the best available technology not entailing excessive cost criteria of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
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Internal Combustion Engines (Pollution)
Mr. Marlow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in respect of each major toxic element the levels of pollution in the United Kingdom caused by all internal combustion driven transport for each of the years since 1970. [18874]
Mr. Clappison [holding answer 4 March 1996]: I have taken major toxic element to refer to the heavy metals lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel, chromium, arsenic, copper, zinc, selenium and vanadium. The table shows the emissions of each of the above heavy metals due to fuel combustion from all road vehicles since 1970 expressed in tonnes per annum. The latest year for which data are available is 1993.
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| Lead | Cadmium | Mercury | Copper | Arsenic | Chromium | Vanadium | Nickel | Selenium | Zinc | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,557 | 10.93 | 0.00 | 52.59 | 0.00 | 7.12 | 0.00 | 34.80 | 0.96 | 96.340 |
| 1971 | 7,385 | 11.48 | 0.00 | 54.70 | 0.00 | 7.48 | 0.00 | 36.00 | 1.01 | 100.730 |
| 1972 | 7,992 | 12.19 | 0.00 | 56.71 | 0.00 | 7.95 | 0.00 | 36.84 | 1.06 | 105.760 |
| 1973 | 8,510 | 12.98 | 0.00 | 60.73 | 0.00 | 8.46 | 0.00 | 39.58 | 1.13 | 112.910 |
| 1974 | 8,053 | 12.64 | 0.00 | 59.19 | 0.00 | 8.24 | 0.00 | 38.58 | 1.10 | 109.990 |
| 1975 | 7,535 | 12.43 | 0.00 | 58.71 | 0.00 | 8.10 | 0.00 | 38.46 | 1.09 | 108.600 |
| 1976 | 7,689 | 12.94 | 0.00 | 60.29 | 0.00 | 8.44 | 0.00 | 39.19 | 1.12 | 112.350 |
| 1977 | 7,488 | 13.29 | 0.00 | 61.75 | 0.00 | 8.67 | 0.00 | 40.08 | 1.15 | 115.250 |
| 1978 | 7,400 | 14.06 | 0.00 | 64.39 | 0.00 | 9.34 | 0.00 | 42.66 | 1.24 | 123.710 |
| 1979 | 7,449 | 14.32 | 0.00 | 66.01 | 0.00 | 9.34 | 0.00 | 42.66 | 1.24 | 123.710 |
| 1980 | 7,625 | 14.65 | 0.00 | 65.70 | 0.00 | 9.57 | 0.00 | 41.77 | 1.25 | 124.995 |
| 1981 | 6,832 | 14.32 | 0.00 | 63.27 | 0.00 | 9.36 | 0.00 | 39.87 | 1.21 | 121.325 |
| 1982 | 6,953 | 14.72 | 0.00 | 65.20 | 0.00 | 9.62 | 0.00 | 41.14 | 1.25 | 124.890 |
| 1983 | 7,076 | 14.98 | 0.00 | 68.25 | 0.00 | 9.78 | 0.00 | 43.79 | 1.29 | 128.750 |
| 1984 | 7,322 | 15.51 | 0.00 | 72.55 | 0.00 | 10.11 | 0.00 | 47.27 | 1.35 | 134.910 |
| 1985 | 6,698 | 15.66 | 0.00 | 74.79 | 0.00 | 10.20 | 0.00 | 49.28 | 1.38 | 137.550 |
| 1986 | 3,059 | 16.50 | 0.00 | 80.84 | 0.00 | 10.74 | 0.00 | 54.00 | 1.47 | 146.680 |
| 1987 | 3,165 | 17.06 | 0.00 | 85.40 | 0.00 | 11.09 | 0.00 | 57.67 | 1.53 | 153.260 |
| 1988 | 3,294 | 17.91 | 0.00 | 92.22 | 0.00 | 11.62 | 0.00 | 63.16 | 1.63 | 163.100 |
| 1989 | 2,816 | 18.45 | 0.00 | 97.52 | 0.00 | 11.96 | 0.00 | 67.61 | 1.70 | 170.210 |
| 1990 | 2,399 | 18.77 | 0.00 | 101.13 | 0.00 | 12.16 | 0.00 | 70.74 | 1.75 | 174.820 |
| 1991 | 2,162 | 18.55 | 0.00 | 100.85 | 0.00 | 12.01 | 0.00 | 70.83 | 1.74 | 173.570 |
| 1992 | 1,960 | 18.59 | 0.00 | 103.30 | 0.00 | 12.02 | 0.00 | 73.25 | 1.76 | 175.880 |
| 1993 | 1,770 | 18.41 | 0.00 | 106.52 | 0.00 | 11.88 | 0.00 | 76.82 | 1.78 | 177.860 |
Emissions of Heavy Metals from road transport fuel combustion for the period 1970-1993 expressed in tonnes per annum.
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Ocean Policies
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer of 29 November 1995, Official Report, column 737, what consideration the workshop gave to the sustainability of the oceans, ocean science, linking science to management and global arrangements for ensuring effective implementation of ocean policies. [16814]
Mr. Clappison: The London international workshop on decision making on ocean issues, which was held on 30 November to 2 December 1995, considered the key pressures affecting the sustainability of the oceans. The conclusions dealt with possible changes to improve the effectiveness of the current international arrangements for obtaining scientific advice and formulating strategies and priorities for action. A copy of the workshop report has been placed in the Library.
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