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1 Sept 2003 : Column 840W—continued
Global Environmental Policy
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) US and (b) European colleagues on the progress of global environmental policy. [126731]
Mr. Morley: During 2003, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had discussions with US and EU colleagues to take forward global environmental policy and international sustainable development in the following fora: the G8 Environment Ministers meeting in Paris in April; the High Level Ministerial Segment of the eleventh session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD11) in New York in April; the Kiev Environment for Europe Conference in May and the European Environment Councils in Brussels in March and June. She has also corresponded in writing and by telephone with US and EU colleagues on these issues. The WSSD highlighted the need for real change and action—this has remained her main focus.
The positive outcome of the CAP reform negotiations at the European Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg in June will also play an important role in reducing environmental degradation and pursuing sustainable development objectives.
Other Defra Ministers have also discussed these issues with US and EU colleagues at, among others, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 22nd Governing Council in Nairobi, the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit in February and the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto in March.
GM Crops
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the consultation on genetically modified crops. [126117]
Mr. Morley: The public debate on GM issues ('GM Nation?') is being managed by an independent steering board at arm's length from Government. The public phase of the debate was launched on 3 June and was followed by six regional launch events. Further local meetings have been organised throughout the UK by organisations and individuals, and the public were also able to participate via the interactive debate website. As of 11 July, over 17,000 feedback questionnaires had been received. The Steering Board is due to submit its report to Government in September.
The public debate is one strand of a wider GM dialogue announced by the Secretary of State last July, which also comprises a Science Review and a study by the Strategy Unit into the overall costs and benefits of GM crops. The Strategy Unit's report was published on 11 July; the report is available online at www.strategy.gov.uk and a copy has also been placed in the Library. The report of the science review was
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published on 21 July. Both the Strategy Unit and the Science Review panel have invited comments on their reports. The Food Standards Agency also published its report on "Consumers views on GM food" on 16 July, which represents the FSA's contribution to the public debate.
Separately, we are expecting publication of the results of our Farm Scale Evaluation (FSE) crop trials this autumn, which will then be in the public domain, and people will be able to comment on them if they wish. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, which will provide independent advice to Government on the implications of the FSE results, has decided to hold a special meeting in public to take evidence on the results from experts and stakeholders.
Before any GM crop can be cultivated in the EU, each member state has the opportunity to scrutinise the application for marketing consent for commercial cultivation. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis under EC Directive 2001/18 on the deliberate release of Genetically Modified Organisms into the environment. The directive provides for mandatory public consultation on each application.
We will decide our policy on the commercial cultivation of GM crops based on an objective assessment of all the available information, including the reports of the three strands of the GM dialogue and the results of our Farm Scale Evaluation crop trials.
Greenfield Sites
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for the Government's direction that brownfield or derelict land assets be used as a priority before greenfield sites of the High Court judgement by Mr. Justice Sullivan on 8July on the case brought by Laing Homes over a site near High Wycombe. [126732]
Alun Michael: The judgment in R (Laing Homes Ltd.) v Buckinghamshire County Council & the Secretary of State for the Environment Food & Rural Affairs (third party) (2003) concluded that village green rights could not be established in the particular circumstances of that case, because the land to be registered had been used to cultivate, and harvest, an annual hay crop.
The specific controls over development on village greens are separate from planning controls. Planning consent is required before land can be developed for housing. It remains Government policy that local planning authorities should provide sufficient housing land but give priority to re using previously-developed land within urban areas, bringing empty homes back into use and converting existing buildings, in preference to the development of greenfield sites.
Hazardous Waste
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will list the methods of treatment and their capacity that will be available from 16 July 2004 to treat hazardous waste containing (a) high levels of mercury, (b) high levels of arsenic, (c) high levels of nickel and (d) isocyanates before landfill; [126878]
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- (2) if she will list the methods of treatment, and their capacity, that will be available from 16 July 2004 to treat hazardous waste arising from the manufacture, formulation, supply and use of plastics and organic waste from paints and inks before landfill. [126883]
Mr. Morley: A range of possible treatment methods exist now and in the future to deal with hazardous waste. These range from high temperature incineration and solidification to landfill. Treatment standards for wastes with high levels of mercury, arsenic and nickel and containing isocyanate will form part of the waste acceptance criteria currently being developed and on which there will be a Government consultation shortly.
Similarly, hazardous waste arising from the manufacture, formulation, supply and use of plastics and organic waste from paints and inks will be subject to the requirements of the waste acceptance criteria before landfill. The nature and properties of the wastes and the requirements to meet the waste acceptance criteria influence the most appropriate treatment technique.
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the hazardous waste landfill capacity that will be required from 16 July 2004. [126879]
Mr. Morley: In 2001, some 2.3 million tonnes of special waste was consigned to landfill in England and Wales, which represents some 45 per cent. of total special waste consigned.
Projections for future years are affected by a range of factors, including the likely increase in costs of treatment and disposal, and the impact of this change in costs on producers efforts to minimise waste. Changes to the hazardous waste list are likely to increase the amount of hazardous waste to be consigned. These and other factors are currently being investigated in support of work on possible scenarios for the hazardous waste forum, which is due to report in the autumn. The scenarios currently envisaged suggest a range for consignable hazardous waste of between 4.3 and 7.3 million tonnes per annum over the next five years. It is likely that the proportion of this waste being consigned to landfill will decrease markedly as costs of landfill disposal increase, and treatment requirements apply, making alternative treatments more economically attractive and in some cases necessary.
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the permitted capacity is of landfill sites that will be classified as hazardous from 16 July 2004. [126880]
Mr. Morley: The information requested is not available centrally at the present time, but will be compiled by the Environment Agency from landfill permit applications received, and should be available in December.,
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the amount of hazardous waste produced in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002; and what projections her Department has made of hazardous waste produced in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004, (iii) 2005 and (iv) 2006. [126881]
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Mr. Morley: Data collected by the Environment Agency on the amount of special waste consigned per annum show that for England and Wales, the following amounts were consigned:
| Million tonnes | |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 4.9 |
| 2000 | 5.3 |
| 2001 | 5.3 |
Note:
Data for 2002 is not yet available.
Projections for future years are affected by a range of factors, including the likely increase in costs of treatment and disposal, and the impact of this change in costs on producers efforts to minimise waste. Changes to the hazardous waste list are likely to increase the amount of hazardous waste to be consigned. These and other factors are currently being investigated in support of work on possible scenarios for the hazardous waste forum, which is due to report in the autumn. The scenarios currently envisaged suggest a range for consignable hazardous waste of between 4.3 and 7.3 million tonnes per annum over the next five years.
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to (1) what standards she will require hazardous waste arising from the manufacture, formulation, supply and use of plastics to be treated before landfill from 16 July 2004; and on what basis these standards have been set; [126872]
- (2) to what standards she will require organic based waste from paints and inks to be treated before landfill from July 2004; and on what basis these standards have been set; [126873]
(3) to what standards she will require hazardous waste containing (a) high levels of mercury, (b) high levels of arsenic, (c) high levels of nickel and (d) icocynates to be treated before landfill from 16 July 2004; and on what basis these standards have been set. [126874]
Mr. Morley: Under the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002, waste can only be accepted at landfill if it does not result in unacceptable emissions to groundwater, surface water, or the surrounding environment, jeopardise environment protection measures, put at risk waste stabilisation measures at the landfill or endanger human health. As from July 2004, all hazardous waste as defined in the Regulations will require treatment prior to landfill. This requirement will extend to non-hazardous waste on a date yet to be specified.
When the Council Decision on Waste Acceptance Criteria is implemented, for waste to be accepted in hazardous waste landfills, separate cells in non hazardous waste landfills or in inert waste landfills, it must meet the criteria set out in the Decision. These criteria include limit values for chemical and other contaminants and for organic content. These values were drawn up by an EU Commission scientific modelling group, chaired by a scientist from the Environment Agency.
We will be consulting shortly on the implementing of the Council Decision on Waste Acceptance Criteria in England and Wales. Overall, the Government is
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committed to reducing the UK's reliance on landfill, which makes little practical use of waste and is a missed opportunity to recover value from waste.
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what environmental assessment she has made of not requiring hazardous waste arising from the manufacture, formulation, supply and use of plastics to be treated before landfill from 16 July 2004; [126875]
- (2) what environmental assessment she has made of not requiring hazardous waste containing (a) high levels of mercury, (b) high levels of arsenic, (c) high levels of nickel and (d) icocynates to be treated before landfill from 16 July 2004. [126882]
Mr. Morley: Under the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002, that implemented the technical and regulatory components of the Landfill Directive, all hazardous waste as defined in the Regulations will require treatment prior to landfill from July 2004.
The only exception is waste for which such treatment does not contribute to the objectives of the Directive by reducing the quantity or the hazards to human health or the environment.
Overall, the Government is committed to reducing the UK's reliance on landfill, which makes little practical use of waste and is a missed opportunity to recover value from waste.
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of (a) municipal, (b) commercial, (c) industrial and (d) other waste was sent to exempt landfill sites in each year since 1997. [126876]
Mr. Morley: None; no general rules have been made under Article 11(1)(a) of the Waste Framework Directive which would enable a landfill site to operate under the terms of an exemption from waste management licensing. The derogation in the Landfill Directive for landfills serving islands and isolated settlements was not taken up for England because no existing sites met the criteria and any future site in these locations should meet the full requirements of the Directive.
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