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Waste Disposal at Sea

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what discussions and on what dates have taken place between his Department, MAFF and the DTI regarding (a) a common definition of bulky waste and (b) a policy for its disposal at sea; [15629]

(2) what is his Department's definition of bulky waste in respect of disposal of waste at sea; [15628]

(3) what assessment his Department has made of potential disposal sites for bulky wastes at sea; and if he will place in the Library copies of (a) studies evaluated by his Department and (b) correspondence between his Department and other bodies on this subject. [15647]

Mr. Boswell: I have been asked to reply.

The London convention of 1972 on dumping of waste at sea refers to containers, scrap metal and other bulky wastes liable to sink to the sea bottom which may present a serious obstacle to fishing or navigation.

The protocol to the London convention, agreed in November last year, describes bulky wastes as items primarily comprising iron, steel, concrete and similarly unharmful materials for which the primary concern is physical impact.

The Ospar convention, which will shortly supersede the Oslo convention and whose more stringent controls on dumping at sea are already applied to UK waters, does not refer to bulky wastes. Under Ospar the dumping of all wastes or other matter is prohibited except for specified categories which include inert materials of natural origin--for example, rock--and vessels and aircraft until 2004; offshore installations and pipelines may also be considered for disposal. Each case is considered on its merits and it is UK policy to license disposal at sea only when there is no safe and practicable alternative. The only assessment so far undertaken of potential disposal sites at sea for a bulky waste was conducted by the Scottish Office in relation to the Brent Spar. All the studies included in that assessment have already been placed in the Library.

Details of the interdepartmental discussions on this topic could be derived only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what procedure his Department follows in determining best practicable environmental options; and what criteria govern the disposal of bulky wastes at sea, in the case of (a) redundant oil and gas installations, (b) radioactive wastes and (c) other wastes; [15649]

(2) what are the interdepartmental co-ordination and consultation mechanisms used in determining the best practicable environmental options for disposing of bulky wastes at sea, in the case of (a) redundant oil and gas installations, (b) radioactive wastes and (c) other wastes; and by what means public opinion is taken into account. [15653]

Mr. Boswell: I have been asked to reply.

The dumping of waste at sea is subject to the provisions of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 and the UK has agreed to abide by guidelines and assessment procedures adopted under relevant international conventions.

18 Feb 1997 : Column: 452

In particular, we apply annex 11 to the recently agreed protocol to the London convention which sets out the considerations that need to be taken into account when conducting an assessment of wastes that may be considered for dumping at sea. These include whether appropriate opportunities exist to re-use, recycle or treat the waste without undue risks to human health or the environment or disproportionate costs; the chemical, physical and biological properties of the waste; the suitability of the proposed dump site; and potential effects on the environment.

Other Departments and the conservation agencies are consulted on such assessments as appropriate on a case by case basis. In relation to the decommissioning of oil and gas installations, which is the responsibility the Department of Trade and Industry, a wide range of fisheries, amenity and environmental interests are consulted.

WALES

Local Government Finance

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) for each unitary council and (b) for Wales in 1997 prices for the financial years 1996-97 and 1997-98 the (a) standard spending assessment, (b) capping limit for spending and (c) spending on care in the community, indicating the percentage change in each case. [15339]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Table 1 gives the standard spending assessments and table 2 the capping limits on spending for 1996-97 and 1997-98 at constant 1997-98 prices. No adjustments have been made for changes in local authority funding arrangements between 1996-97 and 1997-98.

Outturn expenditure figures for care in the community are not centrally available. Identified allocations for care in the community within authorities standard spending assessments for 1996-97 and 1997-98, at constant 1997-98 prices, are shown in table 3.

Table 1: Standard spending assessments

Council	1997-98 (£000)	(4)1996-97 (£000)	Change (£000)	Percentage change
Blaenau Gwent	65,269	65,786	-517	-0.8
Bridgend	110,865	109,739	1,125	1.0
Caerphilly	147,190	147,213	-23	0.0
Cardiff	250,773	249,935	839	0.3
Carmarthenshire	151,724	151,325	399	0.3
Ceredigion	61,527	61,113	413	0.7
Conwy	92,824	91,849	975	1.1
Denbighshire	79,476	80,126	-650	-0.8
Flintshire	115,628	114,810	819	0.7
Gwynedd	109,516	108,531	985	0.9
Isle of Anglesey	61,760	62,018	-258	-0.4
Merthyr Tydfil	56584	56,976	-393	-0.7
Monmouthshire	65,860	65,325	535	0.8
Neath Port Talbot	122,316	122,860	-544	-0.4
Newport	118,639	119,867	-1,228	-1.0
Pembrokeshire	101,848	102,438	-590	-0.6
Powys	119,200	117,962	1,239	1.1
Rhondda, Cynon Taff	212,409	211,228	1,181	0.6
Swansea	196,438	197,414	-976	-0.5
Torfaen	79,336	79,352	-17	0.0
The Vale of Glamorgan	95,846	96,526	-680	-0.7
Wrexham	100,625	100,529	96	0.1
All councils	2,515,652	2,512,922	2,730	0.1

(4) 1996-97 local government revenue settlement estimated at 1997-98 prices.

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Table 2: Capping limits on spending

Council	1997-98 (£000)	(5)1996-97 (£000)	Change (£000)	Percentage change
Blaenau Gwent	71,106	70,955	151	0.2
Bridgend	117,264	116,250	1,015	0.9
Caerphilly	154,611	154,447	164	0.1
Cardiff	261,849	261,232	617	0.2
Carmarthenshire	159,313	158,311	1,002	0.6
Ceredigion	67,642	67,394	248	0.4
Conwy	92,824	91,849	975	1.1
Denbighshire	84,344	85,145	-801	-0.9
Flintshire	120,836	120,120	716	0.6
Gwynedd	114,524	113,639	884	0.8
Isle of Anglesey	62,582	62,313	269	0.4
Merthyr Tydfil	60,122	59,966	156	0.3
Monmouthshire	65,860	65,325	535	0.8
Neath Port Talbot	132,996	132,365	631	0.5
Newport	120,000	119,867	134	0.1
Pembrokeshire	103,921	103,553	367	0.4
Powys	120,411	119,196	1,215	1.0
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff	228,967	228,261	706	0.3
Swansea	203,116	202,013	1,103	0.5
Torfaen	81,389	81,256	132	0.2
The Vale of Glamorgan	97,404	97,452	-48	0.0
Wrexham	105,055	103,414	1,641	1.6
All councils	2,626,136	2,614,325	11,812	0.5

(5) 1996-97 local government revenue settlement estimated at 1997-98 prices.

Table 3: Allocations within total standard spending assessments in respect of care in the community

Council	1997-98 (£000)	(6)1996-97 (£000)	Change (£000)	Percentage change
Blaenau Gwent	4,240	3,831	409	10.7
Bridgend	7,276	6,526	750	11.5
Caerphilly	9,148	8,242	905	11.0
Cardiff	15,991	14,385	1,606	11.2
Carmarthenshire	11,142	10,031	1,111	11.1
Ceredigion	4,258	3,826	432	11.3
Conwy	7,326	6,611	715	10.8
Denbighshire	5,792	5,271	521	9.9
Flintshire	7,257	6,518	740	11.4
Gwynedd	7,704	6,937	767	11.1
Isle of Anglesey	3,987	3,679	309	8.4
Merthyr Tydfil	3,821	3,480	342	9.8
Monmouthshire	4,540	4,018	522	13.0
Neath Port Talbot	8,909	7,946	963	12.1
Newport	7,356	6,681	675	10.1
Pembrokeshire	6,353	5,706	647	11.3
Powys	7,548	6,818	730	10.7
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff	15,553	14,016	1,538	11.0
Swansea	13,596	12,328	1,268	10.3
Torfaen	4,627	4,167	459	11.0
The Vale of Glamorgan	5,993	5,468	525	9.6
Wrexham	6,793	6,080	713	11.7
All councils	169,209	152,562	16,647	10.9

(6) 1996-97 local government revenue settlement estimated at 1997-98 prices.

18 Feb 1997 : Column: 454

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