Chamber and committees

Paragraph 4.40 of the Framework Document governing the relationship between ministers and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), provides for parliamentary questions related to matters delegated to the SPS to be referred to the Chief Executive for a response.

The SPS, as the customer of the services provided by the contractor, Premier Prison Services, seeks such information as is appropriate for monitoring the output performance of the contract. This does not include the sort of input information sought which is solely a matter for the contractor.

This information is provided in the SPS Annual Reports, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 7929). It is also available on the SPS website.

The Scottish Executive supports the Waste and Resources Action Programme which is a major programme (with over £40 million public funding) for England, Wales and Scotland aimed at creating and developing stable and efficient markets for recycled materials. One of its seven work programmes, launched in June 2001, is focused on developing the market for paper. This work aims to benefit local authority paper recycling schemes across the UK.

I replied to the letter from Scottish Borders Council on 5 September 2001 advising that the Scottish Executive would not be prepared to make representations to Her Majesty's Treasury on its behalf as requested.

There is no evidence to indicate that higher levels of dioxins are emitted when recycled liquid fuel is used to provide energy in cement kilns compared with emissions from purpose-built incinerators. The use of this type of fuel in cement kilns is treated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as a process of co-incineration falling within the scope of the EC Hazardous Waste Incineration Directive. That directive requires a dioxin limit of 0.1 nanogrammes per cubic metre for hazardous waste incinerators. This is the same limit that SEPA applies to purpose-built incinerators.The recycling of waste products into fuels that are useable in processes such as cement production reduces the demand for raw materials and helps to conserve fossil fuel resources.

The current level of municipal waste incinerated in Scotland is around 2%. The National Waste Strategy provides the framework for waste management policy in Scotland and, through the development of 11 area waste plans, will determine the best practicable environmental options for future waste management. A major objective of the strategy is to reduce the reliance on landfill, moving instead to options higher up the waste hierarchy i.e. reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and energy recovery. It would therefore be inappropriate to implement a policy of decreasing the level of waste disposal by incineration.The Renewables Obligation (Scotland) consultation paper issued by the Executive on 3 August 2001 sets out the policy on energy-from-waste as a source of renewable energy. Following initial consultation the Executive proposes not to support the conventional incineration of municipal waste. New, cleaner thermal technologies such as gasification and pyrolysis will be supported where these fit in with an integrated waste management system. This would involve thermal treatment only of the residues left once separation, recycling and composting has been carried out first.Copies of the consultation paper are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 15597).

This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information requested is not held centrally.

I propose to consult on the published review later this year.

The use of substitute liquid fuel in a cement kiln is treated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as a process of co-incineration falling within the scope of the EC Hazardous Waste Incineration Directive. That directive requires a dioxin limit of 0.1 nanogrammes per cubic metre for hazardous waste incinerators.The World Health Organisation (WHO) does not set standards for emissions from processes. WHO standards for dioxins are in terms of "Tolerable Daily Intakes" or "TDIs". The main source of these intakes is our food. The WHO currently recommends a TDI of between 1 and 4 picogrammes of dioxins per kilogramme of body weight. The European Union's Scientific Committee on Food defines its recommended limits on intake in terms of a "Tolerable Weekly Intake" which is currently set at 14 picogrammes of dioxins per kilogramme of body weight. For the UK, limits on intake are currently subject to consideration by the Food Standards Agency's Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.

The Executive is satisfied with the environmental and health and safety legislation which regulate the cement manufacturing process. Assessment of the effectiveness of pollution controls and health and safety procedures at particular sites is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Health and Safety Executive.