Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Waste Incineration Plant Capacity

Thursday 9 May 2024 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Officials are assessing planned residual waste treatment capacity, including incineration, against expected future waste generation in England.
  • DEFRA officials are scoping the need for a review of the role of waste incineration facilities.
  • The current pause on new waste incinerators will end on 24 May.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 James Wild Con North West Norfolk
Environment
Context

The MP is concerned about the adequacy of waste incineration plant capacity in England, given existing operational and consented plants.

Question

What assessment has been made of the adequacy of (a) operational and (b) consented waste incineration plant capacity?

Answer from Mark Spencer

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about operational and consented capacities was not directly addressed with concrete figures or timelines.

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Q2 James Wild Con North West Norfolk
Environment
Context

The MP's constituents welcome the temporary pause on new waste incinerators but are concerned about an unnecessary and unwanted facility in Wisbech.

Question

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?

Answer from Mark Spencer

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 24 May, and the next steps will be announced no later than that date.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP's request for a permanent moratorium was not directly addressed with a concrete commitment.

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