House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Waste Management Strategy in Northern Ireland Sixth Report of Session 2004-05 Volume II Oral and written evidence Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 21 February 2005 HC 349-II [Incorporating HC 637-i to viii, Session 2003-04] Published on 28 February 2005 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £21.50 The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Northern Ireland Office (but excluding individual cases and advice given by the Crown Solicitor); and other matters within the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (but excluding the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Northern Ireland and the drafting of legislation by the Office of the Legislative Counsel). Current membership Mr Michael Mates, MP (Conservative, East Hampshire) (Chairman) Mr Adrian Bailey, MP (Labour / Co-operative, West Bromwich West) Mr Roy Beggs, MP (Ulster Unionist Party, East Antrim) Mr Tony Clarke, MP (Labour, Northampton South) Mr Iain Luke, MP (Labour, Dundee East ) (Added 20 October 2003) Mr Eddie McGrady, MP (Socialist Democratic Labour Party, South Down) Mr Stephen Pound, MP (Labour, Ealing North) Mr Gregory Campbell, MP (Democratic Unionist Party, East Londonderry) Rev Martin Smyth, MP (Ulster Unionist Party, Belfast South) Mr Hugo Swire, MP (Conservative, East Devon) Mr Mark Tami, MP (Labour, Alyn & Deeside) Mr Bill Tynan, MP (Labour, Hamilton South) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk. Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/northern_ireland_affairs.cfm. A list of Reports of the Committee in the present Parliament is at the back of this volume. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Dr John Patterson (Clerk), Hugh Farren (Attached Clerk), Dr Aileen O’Neill (Committee Specialist), Tony Catinella (Committee Assistant), Chryssa Poupard (Secretary) Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 2172/3; the Committee’s email address is [email protected] Witnesses Wednesday 26 May 2004 Page Mr John Quinn and Mr Richard Burnett, Technical Advisers Group and arc21 Ev 10 Tuesday 15 June 2004 Mr Eamon Molly and Mr John Kelpie, North West Region Waste Management Group and Mr Graham Byrne and Mr Andrew Baskin, southern Waste Management Partnership Ev 28 Wednesday 23 June 2004 Mrs Deirdre Stewart and Mr Brian Gregory, Confederation of British Industry, Northern Ireland Ev 44 Mr Eric Randall and Mr John McMullan, Bryson House Recycling the Northern Ireland Charity Ev 55 Wednesday 8 September 2004 Mr Phillip Ward and Mr Steve Creed, Waste and Resources Action Programme Ev 67 Wednesday 13 October 2004 Professor Deborah Boyd and Mr Trevor Knipe, Waste Management Advisory Board for Northern Ireland Ev 79 Tuesday 26 October 2004 Mr Stephen Aston, Ms Pat Corker, Mr Noel Scott and Mr Brendan O’Neill, Department of the Environment Ev 171 Mr Paul Walsh, Queen’s University Belfast, Mr Gordon Best and Mr Bill Weir, Quarry Products Association Northern Ireland Ev 195 Mr John Woods and Dr Cathy Maguire, Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland Ev 205 Wednesday 17 November 2004 Angela Smith MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office, Mr Stephen Aston and Mr Noel Scott, Department of the Environment Ev 214 List of written evidence 1 Technical Advisers Group Ev 1 2 arc21 Ev 7 3 North West Region Waste Management Group Ev 23 4 Southern Waste Management Partnership Ev 26 5 Southern Waste Management Partnership, Supplementary memorandum Ev 40 6 Confederation of British Industry Northern Ireland Ev 42 7 Bryson House Recycling Ev 53 8 Bryson House Recycling, Supplementary memorandum Ev 62 9 Waste and Resources Action Programme Ev 64 10 Waste Management Advisory Board for Northern Ireland Ev 75 11 Department of the Environment Ev 92 12 Department of the Environment Planning Service and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Ev 145 13 Department of the Environment Planning Service, Supplementary memorandum Ev 146 14 Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Supplementary memorandum Ev 148 15 Quarry Products Association, Northern Ireland Ev 182 16 Quarry Products Association, Northern Ireland, Supplementary memorandum Ev 186 17 Professor P A Muhammed Basheer Ev 186 18 Friends of the Earth (Northern Ireland) Ev 201 19 Department of the Environment, Environment and Heritage Service, Supplementary memorandum Ev 225 20 Network for Organisations Interested in the Environment Ev 232 21 Dr Robin Curry Ev 234 22 Frank Ferguson and Associates, Consulting Engineers Ev 238 23 Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Ev 239 24 Social Democratic Labour Party Ev 242 25 Belfast City Council Ev 243 26 Sterecycle Ev 246 27 Sinn Fein Ev 246 28 PM Group plc Ev 248 993587PAG1 Page Type [SO] 22-02-05 22:59:48 Pag Table: COENEW PPSysB Unit: PAG1 Northern Ireland Affairs Committee: Evidence Ev 1 Oral evidence Taken before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Northern Ireland Affairs Sub-Committee on Wednesday 26 May 2004 Members present: Mr Tony Clarke, in the Chair Mr Iain Luke The Reverend Martin Smyth Mr Eddie McGrady Mark Tami Memoranda submitted by the Technical Advisers Group Executive Summary — TAG is concerned at the potential implications to Local Government of non-compliance with European Directives, particularly as Council performance is influenced by many factors outside its control. — Given the significance of the situation, we are concerned to learn of Government’s intended timing for issue of the revised Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy in Autumn 2005, in light of the need for early implementation of critical recommendations. — We have concerns at the perceived lack of an integrated long term business planning approach by Government to legislation, guidance, policy making and implementation, given the eVects of Central Government’s performance on Local Government meeting targets. — We would encourage a more joined up approach by Government to waste management issues, particularly within DOE and between key delivery departments and Councils. — We are concerned that the current land-use planning process has the potential to seriously aVect Northern Ireland’s Environmental Performance and investor confidence. — There is an urgent requirement for the current back-log of planning applications to be relieved as a priority to provide for both interim and longer term capacity, particularly in relation to landfill. — Government must provide a clear protocol which allows new waste management proposals, not included in the Waste Management Plans, to be considered. — There is a huge infrastructural deficit in terms of waste treatment and processing capacity in Northern Ireland. — It is recognised that there are many reasons for this including a lack of prioritisation until relatively recently. — This issue materially aVects the region’s capability to meet Waste Framework and Landfill Directive targets including those relating to the reduction of household waste sent to landfill and the development of the recycling industry in Northern Ireland. — There are a number of critical factors involved in addressing this deficit, including making a long term commitment to funding capital programmes to an extent commensurate with the value and phasing of development required. — In addition, there is a need to facilitate more robust partnerships, lever private sector money, fast track the planning process and integrate land-use and waste management planning. — We consider that this requires urgent prioritisation within the Programme for Government. — In this regard, we would support the establishment of an Inter-agency Taskforce involving Central and Local Government Departments and the Strategic Investment Board. — We would encourage the initiation of new primary legislation which provides for more partnership options to be available, particularly between Local Government and the private sector in terms of financing and delivery the necessary waste management infrastructure development. — Government’s current policy of capacity management, particularly relating to landfill, must be urgently reviewed as it appears to be in conflict with the objectives of Best Value and choice in the market place. — The proposed Northern Ireland Landfill Allowances Scheme needs to be radically revised to reflect the proposals in Waste Management Plans and the way infrastructure will be developed in Northern Ireland. 9935871001 Page Type [E] 22-02-05 22:59:48 Pag Table: COENEW PPSysB Unit: PAG1 Ev 2 Northern Ireland Affairs Committee: Evidence — Government needs to give more definitive and clear direction on technological solutions, including incineration, and provide a transparent decision making framework which will inform land-use planning in terms of providing the integrated network of facilities required in Northern Ireland.