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19 Sept 2002 : Column 254W—continued
Hazardous Waste
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the deadline is for adoption of the revised European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste List into UK law. [69747]
Mr. Meacher: The European Waste Catalogue which now incorporates the Hazardous Waste List came into force in January 2002. It will be implemented in the UK as part of the current review of the Special Waste Regulations. Amended Regulations are likely to come into force in the UK during 2003.
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to issue special waste carriers licences to transport end-of-life electrical items that have been reclassified as hazardous waste. [70273]
Mr. Meacher: A licence is not required for the transport of hazardous waste although since 1991 and in accordance with the EC Waste Framework Directive, waste carriers must be registered with the Environment Agency.
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the new definitions of waste under the revised European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste list require all end-of-life electrical products to be reclassified as hazardous waste. [70563]
Mr. Meacher: Electrical or electronic equipment must contain hazardous components for them to be classified as hazardous under the European Waste Catalogue. Hazardous components may include accumulators and batteries containing lead, nickel/cadmium or mercury; mercury switches, and glass from cathode ray tubes and other activated glass, CFC or HCFC.
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Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether retailers will be able to continue to offer take-back of end-of-life electrical products through their home delivery networks when this is reclassified as hazardous waste. [70730]
Mr. Meacher: Electrical or electronic equipment will be classified as hazardous waste only if it has hazardous components. We are aware that retailers are concerned that the reclassification may have implications for their take-back schemes and we are looking at ways of minimising any impact.
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate has been made of the cost to small businesses of the European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste list. [70731]
Mr. Meacher: The changes to the hazardous waste list, which is now incorporated within the European Waste Catalogue, are likely to lead to increased costs for hazardous waste disposal for many small businesses. A regulatory impact assessment estimating these costs will be published with the forthcoming consultation paper on the review of the UK Special Waste Regulations.
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information the Government have given to (a) retailers, (b) manufacturers, (c) local authorities and (d) the waste sector on the revision of the hazardous waste list. [70776]
Mr. Meacher: The changes to the hazardous waste list are to be implemented through a Review of the Special Waste Regulations. We issued a consultation paper containing proposed changes in March 2001. We expect to issue a second consultation paper with draft regulations, which will provide more information, in the next few months. We will consider what additional, more detailed guidance will be required for particular sectors.
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions will be imposed on retailers for handling and storing end-of-life electrical products that have been reclassified as electrical waste. [70775]
Mr. Meacher: Electrical or electronic equipment will be classified as hazardous waste only if it has hazardous components. We are aware that retailers are concerned that the reclassification may have implications for their take-back schemes and we are looking at ways of minimising any impact.
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the revised European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste list will provide that retailers' special waste licences will require them to store end-of-life electrical items at places where they will be reclassified as hazardous waste. [71358]
Mr. Meacher: We are aware that retailers are concerned that the reclassification of some electrical items as hazardous may have implications for their storage. We are looking at ways of minimising any impact and will include our recommendations in the forthcoming consultation paper on the review of the UK Special Waste Regulations.
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Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she has taken to ensure that civic amenity sites will be able to continue accepting end-of-life electrical products if they are reclassified as hazardous waste. [71688]
Mr. Meacher: The Spending Review announced on 15 July that additional money would be available to local authorities via the EPCS block in future years. This will enable local authorities to make any modifications to the licence for a civic amenity site that may be necessary. We are aware that local authorities have some concerns about the implementation domestically of the European Waste Catalogue and we are looking at ways of minimising any impact.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the deadline is for adoption of the revised European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste list into UK law; when it will come into force in the United Kingdom; and what estimate has been made of the cost to small businesses when the European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste List comes into force in the UK. [72002]
Mr. Meacher: The European Waste Catalogue, which incorporates the Hazardous Waste List, came into force in January 2002. It will be implemented in the UK as part of the current review of the Special Waste Regulations. Amended Regulations are likely to come into force in the UK during 2003. The changes are likely to lead to increased costs for hazardous waste disposal for many small businesses. A regulatory impact assessment estimating these costs will be published with the forthcoming consultation paper on the review of the UK Special Waste Regulations.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the revised European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste List will require retailers to have special waste licences to offload and store end-of-life electrical items at stores, depots and yards where they are reclassified as hazardous waste. [71690]
Mr. Meacher: Electrical or electronic equipment will be classified as hazardous waste only if it has hazardous components. We are aware that retailers are concerned that the reclassification may have implications for their take-back schemes and we are looking at ways of minimising any impact. Our recommendations will be outlined in the consultation paper published as part of the current review of the UK Special Waste Regulations.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information the Government have given to (a) retailers, (b) manufacturing, (c) local authorities and (d) the waste sector on the revision of the hazardous waste list. [71691]
Mr. Meacher: The changes to the hazardous waste list are to be implemented through a Review of the Special Waste Regulations. We issued a consultation paper containing proposed changes in March 2001. We expect to issue a second consultation paper with draft regulations, which will provide more information, in the next few months. We will consider what additional, more detailed guidance will be required for particular sectors.
19 Sept 2002 : Column 257W
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the revised European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste List on UK business. [72004]
Mr. Meacher: The changes to the hazardous waste list, which is now incorporated within the European Waste Catalogue, are likely to lead to increased costs for hazardous waste disposal for many businesses. A regulatory impact assessment estimating these costs will be published with the forthcoming consultation paper on the review of the UK Special Waste Regulations.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the new definitions of waste under the revised European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste List require all end-of-life electrical products to be reclassified as hazardous waste. [72005]
Mr. Meacher: Electrical or electronic equipment must contain hazardous components for them to be classified as hazardous under the European Waste Catalogue. Hazardous components may include accumulators and batteries containing lead, nickel/cadmium or mercury; mercury switches, and glass from cathode ray tubes and other activated glass, CFC or HCFC.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from (a) local authorities, (b) retailers and (c) waste management companies about the impact of the revised European Waste Catalogue and Hazardous Waste List on the UK's disposal and recycling infrastructure. [72021]
Mr. Meacher: We have had informal exchanges with all these stakeholders and are aware of their concerns. We will shortly be consulting on the current review of the UK Special Waste Regulations and will ensure all these groups are fully involved.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether retailers will be able to continue to offer take-back of end-of-life electrical products through their home delivery networks when this is reclassified as hazardous waste; and what plans she has to issue special waste carriers' licences to transport end-of-life electrical items that have been reclassified as hazardous waste. [72003]
Mr. Meacher: Electrical or electronic equipment will be classified as hazardous waste only if it has hazardous components. We are aware that retailers are concerned that the reclassification may have implications for their take-back schemes and we are looking at ways of minimising any impact. Irrespective of this, a licence is not required for the transport of hazardous waste although since 1991 and in accordance with the EC Waste Framework Directive, waste carriers must be registered with the Environment Agency.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions will be imposed on retailers in handling and storing end-of-life electrical products that have been reclassified as hazardous waste. [71689]
19 Sept 2002 : Column 258W
Mr. Meacher: We are aware that retailers are concerned that the reclassification of some electrical items as hazardous may have implications for their handling and storage. We are looking at ways of minimising any impact and will include our recommendations in the forthcoming consultation paper on the review of the UK Special Waste Regulations.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what types of waste previously not hazardous waste will be reclassified as hazardous waste; and what assessment she has made of the effect on disposal routes of the reclassification of waste as hazardous. [71687]
Mr. Meacher: The European Hazardous Waste List (94/904/EC) has recently been extensively revised, and over 200 additions have been made. It will be transposed into UK law as part of the current review of the UK Special Waste Regulations. The most significant additions include end-of-life vehicles containing hazardous liquids or components, electrical equipment containing CFC/HCFC/HFC (fridges/freezers), and the following items if they contain hazardous substances: electrical equipment, contaminated soils, insulation materials, and bottom ash.
Reclassification of waste as hazardous will restrict its disposal via landfill to those sites classified as landfill sites for hazardous waste by the Environment Agency. Landfill site operators should have submitted site conditioning plans (required by 16 July) detailing what classification they are seeking for their site. It is still too early to assess what hazardous waste capacity will be available after 16 July but the waste management industry have informed us that they do not foresee a shortfall.
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