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Recycling

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the tonnage of household recycling was in 2002–03 of the 10 local authorities in England that achieved the (a) highest and (b) lowest rates for household recycling in 2002–03. [169772]

Mr. Morley: Provisional results from Defra's 2002–03 Municipal Waste Management Survey indicate that the tonnage of household waste recycled and composted by the local authorities in England that achieved the 10 highest and lowest rates for household recycling and composting in 2002–03 (as measured by the Best Value Performance Indicator dataset for 2002–03), is as presented in the following table:

Local authority	Type of local authority(4)	Tonnage of household waste recycled and composted in 2002–03(5)
Daventry District Council	WCA	16,132
Lichfield District Council	WCA	17,428
Wyre District Council	WCA	11,312
Melton District Council	WCA	6,001
Isle of Wight District    Council	UA	18,823
St. Edmundsbury District    Council	WCA	14,258
Windsor and Maidenhead    Borough Council	UA	19,009
Forest Heath District    Council	WCA	7,444
Eastleigh	WCA	10,759
Chiltern District Council(6)	WCA	7,870
Dorset County Council(6)	WDA	55,658
Kettering District Council	WCA	1,412
North Tyneside Council	UA	3,735
Rochdale Metropolitan    Borough Council	WCA	2,778
Corby District Council	WCA	928
Tower Hamlets London    Borough	UA	2,684
Bolsover District Council	WCA	1,030
Hackney London Borough	WCA	2,426
Sunderland City Council	UA	2,718
Barking and Dagenham    London Borough	WCA	2,090
Liverpool Metropolitan    Borough Council	WCA	3,320

⁽⁴⁾ The Waste Disposal Authority (WDA) and Unitary Authority (UA) recycling rate includes all recycling in the area, i.e. the amount recycled by the authority through its own civic amenity sites plus the amount recycled by its constituent collection authorities through bring or kerbside collection schemes. Waste Collection Authorities' (WCA) rates do not take account of waste deposited at civic amenity sites for recycling or disposal.
⁽⁵⁾ The tonnage of household waste sent for recycling and composting by each local authority is not collected with the Best Value Performance Indicator dataset. The tonnages given are collected through the Municipal Waste Management Survey 2002–03.
⁽⁶⁾ Joint tenth place.



 
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Sewers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the population in their domestic premises in Greater London has access to (a) mains sewerage systems, (b) unadopted sewers, (c) sewers connected to a private treatment facility and (d) septic tanks. [168943]

Mr. Morley: Detailed information on the number of properties served by various types of sewerage system is not available. However, estimates do exist.

(a) I have been informed by Thames Water that the vast majority of properties in the Metropolitan London area are connected to the foul water sewerage system. I understand that virtually every property has the opportunity to connect to the public sewerage system under Section 106 of the Water Industry Act 1991.

(b) Nationally around 40 per cent. of properties connect to public sewers via unadopted sewers. (This is assuming 'unadopted sewers' mean all private sewers i.e. they are not adopted by the relevant sewerage undertaker). Separate data for Greater London are not available.

(c) Nationally around 10 per cent. of properties are estimated to be connected to completely private systems. This includes those connected to private treatment facilities, septic tanks and cesspools. Separate data for Greater London are not available.

(d) No data are available on the number of properties with a septic tank, as distinct from other forms of private sewage treatment, either nationally or for Greater London.

Ship Dismantling (Teesside)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of the environmental assessment underlying the decision that dismantling of the US ghost ships on Teesside is now the preferred environmental option; what views have recently been expressed on the matter by the Environment Agency; on what date her view was reached; and if she will make a statement. [169857]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 30 April 2004]: The Government position remains as stated to the House on 22 April 2004, Official Report, column 435. Four US ships are currently docked in Graythorp dock near Hartlepool. Applications are due to be submitted for the necessary permissions for dismantling to take place at this location, and an associated Environmental Impact Assessment is being prepared. The applications will need to be considered by the relevant authorities. In the meantime, dismantling work is prevented, and the ships are subject to regular inspection by the Environment Agency.

Substitute Fuels Protocol

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures have been taken to consult the public over proposed amendments to the Environment Agency's Substitute Fuels Protocol. [169924]

 
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Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency is undertaking a 12 week consultation on its proposals to revise the Substitute Fuels Protocol for use on cement and lime kilns, in accordance with Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations. Responses are invited by 18 June 2004. The consultation document has been sent to a variety of stakeholders and published on the Environment Agency's website. The Agency has engaged with the environmental trade press to encourage coverage of the consultation in relevant magazines and journals.

In preparing the list of consultees for direct mailing, the Agency has included national organisations such as trade associations, Government agencies, local organisations and members of the public with an interest in this subject.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received to extend the consultation period for amendments to the Environment Agency's Substitute Fuels Protocol. [169925]

Mr. Morley: The Department has not received any representations to extend the consultation period.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will extend the consultation period for amendments to the Environment Agency's Substitute Fuels Protocol. [169926]

Mr. Morley: The consultation period, of 12 weeks, has been set in accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations. The Environment Agency considers that the 12-week period is appropriate in this case. The Agency has consulted on amendments to the Substitute Fuels Protocol on several consultations in the past.

Sustainable Development

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on (a) the positions taken by her delegation at the 12 Commission on Sustainable Development in New York and (b) the outcome of that meeting. [172020]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 10 May 2004]: The Twelfth UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 12) met in New York from 19 to 30 April to review progress towards implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) commitments on water, sanitation and human settlements. Over 100 Ministers attended the ministerial segment (28 to 30 April) including my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and myself, along with senior representatives of the major UN and other international institutions. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan addressed the opening session.

The UK delegation, led by the Secretary of State, played a leading role at CSD 12, in concert with EU partners, in identifying obstacles to progress and examples of best practice. Amongst the priorities we identified were: incorporation of water, sanitation and
 
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human settlements issues in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and national Sustainable development strategies; integrated water resource management plans to be in place by 2005; innovative financial mechanisms, such as the UK's proposed International Finance Facility; promotion of small-scale local initiatives and partnerships; and improved coordination between UN agencies and with international financial institutions.

CSD 12 raised the profile of these issues and stimulated inclusive and interactive debate by all parties. The Chairman's Summary of the ministerial segment recognises that we are not yet on track to meet the targets, identifies the main obstacles faced and picks up on most of the UK's priorities. It also sets out a number of challenges to be addressed in the second year of the cycle on water, sanitation and human settlements, culminating at CSD 13 in May 2005, which has the task of agreeing the policy responses needed to get back on track with these international targets.

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