Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many licences for (a) domestic (b) commercial and (c) industrial waste incineration were (i) granted and (ii) refused in each of the last five years; and for what reasons those licences were refused.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Regulation of incinerators in England is split between the Environment Agency (EA) and local authorities. The EA regulates incinerators with a capacity of greater than 3 tonnes per hour for non-hazardous waste and 10 tonnes per day for hazardous waste. Incinerators below this size are regulated by local authorities.
Since the start of 2015 the EA has granted 27 permits for new incinerators which may take in waste arising from domestic, commercial and industrial sources and which can be classed under the following waste types for each year:
Principle waste type | Number of permits issued | ||||
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
Mixed municipal waste | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Waste wood | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | - |
Refuse-derived fuel | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 |
Solid recovered fuel | 1 | - | - | - | - |
Non-recyclable waste plastics | - | - | - | - | 1 |
The EA also refused one permit in 2016 for a mixed municipal waste incinerator because the operator had failed to demonstrate that the height of its chimney was satisfactory.
While the EA has only refused one incinerator permit application in the last five years, other potentially unsuitable plants have been prevented during that time due to challenges from the EA, either as part of discussions before a formal application was made, or during the assessment process leading to the operator withdrawing their application. However, the EA does not keep records of such events.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many waste incineration plants burning (a) residential, (b) commercial and (c) industrial waste were licensed in each of the last five years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Environment Agency is responsible for issuing environmental permits for waste incineration plants in England. The following numbers of new permits have been issued for relevant plants over the last five years:
2014: Three plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste and one plant permitted to burn hazardous industrial wastes
2015: Two plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste
2016: Two plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste
2017: Two plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste
2018: One plant permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste
2019 to date: Two plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much (a) residential, (b) commercial and (c) industrial waste originating in England has been sent for processing in Wales in each of the last five years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
This level of detailed information is not routinely collated and cannot be readily compiled from information held by Defra for residential, commercial or industrial waste originating in England.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect on the environment of vehicle and HGV emissions associated with waste processing plants in the UK.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We have not carried out a specific assessment in England (waste is a devolved matter). Impacts from vehicle movements would have been assessed when the planning application for the waste facility was under consideration by the local authority.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the response of 5 March 2019 to freedom of information request number FOI2019/02691, how many additional Defra group staff have been placed in EU exit roles since 31 December 2018.
Answered by David Rutley
Defra have placed an additional c.700 staff into EU Exit work between 31 December 2018 and 31 March 2019.
The figures for the end of April have not yet been published.