Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to re-introduce the moratorium on allowing the development of incinerators to go ahead; and what his policy is when an incinerator project has received planning permission but work hasn't commenced.

The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy, which will support economic growth, deliver green jobs, promote the efficient and productive use of resources, minimise negative environmental impacts and help us accelerate to Net Zero. There will, however, still be a need for the safe and sanitary management of residual waste. In accordance with the Waste Hierarchy, sending residual waste that cannot currently be prevented, prepared for reuse, or recycled to Energy from Waste plants is preferable to disposal in landfill.

We are clear that we do not support incineration overcapacity. Local authorities act independently of central Government, and Ministers have limited remit to intervene in the day-to-day affairs of local authorities. Once planning permission is granted the default time limit within which to begin construction is three years from the moment of the grant of planning permission. However, local planning authorities may vary this if there are good planning reasons for doing so.