How much waste went to landfill in 2004–05.

An estimated 81 million tonnes of waste was sent to landfill in England in the last year for which we have figures. That is 45 per cent. of the waste stream, compared with 50 per cent. in 1998–99.

We are running out of landfill sites, and the Minister will be aware that some 90 per cent. of household electrical goods are dumped into landfill. The future is unclear because of the complete Horlicks that the Government are making over the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive. In the meantime, however, charitable organisations such as the GreenHouse project in Worthing, of which I am a patron, are doing great work to promote the reuse of electrical goods and household furniture, which is restored and sold on at a discount to families on benefits to help them to kit out their homes. These are fantastic projects. What is the Minister doing to promote that kind of innovative reuse?

I am very interested in the project to which the hon. Gentleman refers. He is welcome to write to me about it, because it is the kind of project that the Government are doing a great deal to support. We have an excellent record on recycling, compared with the miserable record that we inherited from the previous Conservative Government. We have trebled the rate of recycling in eight years. His question about the WEEE directive needs to be referred to my colleagues at the DTI.

Does my hon. Friend agree that we still have far too heavy a dependence on landfill in this country? Is he aware that a European framework agreement that is expected to be finished early in the new year states that no European nation will have any landfill after 2010? We could not possibly meet that target. Representatives of the industry are universally saying that they have not been consulted on this matter or called in to talk to the Minister's Department. Is it not time that the Department got moving?

No, I do not accept that. My hon. Friend is talking about something that is not a legally binding directive; it is a discussion document. Our landfill targets are certainly challenging, and we will have to do a lot better than we are at the moment if we are to meet them. However, I would point out to my hon. Friend that we are not doing badly. As I said, we have trebled our recycling rates in the past eight years. We are also reviewing our waste strategy to see whether we need to set even more ambitious targets. However, we are improving from a very low base. We had the worst record in Europe on landfill under the previous Conservative Government.

Given that one of the significant waste streams that could be diverted from landfill is organic matter, when will the Government define when compost ceases to be waste and can be classified as a product? The lack of that qualification is hampering the development of markets for the output of sustainable waste management.

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. He will be aware that this matter is being discussed at European level. However, that does not mean that we should take our foot off the accelerator in regard to composting. Composting rates in this country are showing encouraging increases, as are our recycling rates.

I am sure that my hon. Friend, like me, will welcome the increase in the landfill levy escalator that will take place next year. Is his Department considering ways in which a fraction of the percentage increase in that escalator could be returned to business for the purpose of recycling and reuse of materials, as has already been done this year?

My hon. Friend will be aware that the landfill tax escalator is not intended only to incentivise local authorities to divert waste away from landfill, in which it has been successful, but to recycle the money raised through schemes such as the Waste and Resources Action Programme. That scheme advises business and helps local authorities to increase their recycling and waste minimisation and to improve and find better markets for recycled goods, as certain materials pose a number of challenges.

The Minister and the Environment Agency followed up effectively my question to the Prime Minister about the designation of pet cemeteries as landfill. I know that the Environment Agency has recommended that his Department adopt a new position. When will he make a decision on that recommendation?

I am pleased that the hon. Gentleman was happy with the response elicited by his question. My understanding was that we had already made a decision in principle, along lines that would have met his wishes, and that the matter was now resting with the Environment Agency. I pledge to check up on that and I will write to him about it.