New clause 32 - Moratorium on new municipal incinerators
Waste and Emissions Trading Bill [Lords]
6:00 pm
Mr Norman Baker (Lewes, Liberal Democrat)
That is a very relevant point and the hon. Gentleman is right to raise it. There is a case for small-scale incinerators for specific local purposes. For example, incineration might be appropriate for farms, which face particular difficulties. Incineration is the flower that will grow and cast a shadow over everything else. It will extinguish the sunlight from other options and ensure that they do not see the light of day. That is because a waste disposal authority, in considering its options, is limited to 35 per cent. landfill. It has to make up the huge gap.
Recycling in this country is, as the Minister said, pathetic. The Government set strong and difficult
targets for recycling in ''Waste Strategy 2000''—33 per cent. of household waste and a waste recovery target of 67 per cent. by 2015. They were right to do that in the context of the country's generally pathetic performance in recycling, reuse and waste minimisation.
As a consequence of the Bill, local authorities will be obliged to meet strong targets at an early stage or face penalties. I do not disagree with the philosophy—they should face penalties if they cannot meet targets—but what are they going to do? Are they going to say, ''We agree with this; let us try to meet our targets by recycling, reuse and waste minimisation. There is a scheme involving one small firm here and a voluntary organisation there''? They will not do that. They will say, ''We have a major problem in meeting the target in the short time before a penalty kicks in. The only way to do it is by incineration.''
That will be the logical conclusion of authority after authority around the country. Many are reaching it now. They are planning for incineration in East Sussex, in Surrey and elsewhere. As soon as recycling is mentioned, authorities opt with their feet and their cheque books for incineration now. That is what is happening. I am afraid that an explosion in incineration is inevitable.