Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – in the House of Commons at on 9 May 2024.
James Wild
Conservative, North West Norfolk
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) operational and (b) consented waste incineration plant capacity.
Mark Spencer
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Officials are currently assessing planned residual waste treatment capacity, including incineration, against expected future residual waste arising in England, so that we can understand our future capacity needs following the implementation of key commitments in the resources and waste strategy. This capacity assessment will be published in due course.
James Wild
Conservative, North West Norfolk
My North West Norfolk constituents welcome the moratorium on new waste incinerators and the review, but given that the incinerators already operating and those with consent provide enough capacity as we meet legally binding targets to halve residual waste, may I urge the Minister to make that temporary pause permanent so that we do not have to have an unnecessary and unwanted incinerator in Wisbech?
Mark Spencer
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
DEFRA officials are currently scoping the need for a review of the role of waste incineration facilities, and I do not want to prejudge the conclusions of that exercise. The current pause period will end on
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