To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the contribution of residual municipal solid waste for the production of energy to the security of energy supply; and if he will make a statement on its overall position in the energy mix. (107303)

[holding answer 4 December 2006]: The Government’s waste policy prioritises prevention, reuse and recycling over the recovery of energy from residual wastes. But where prevention, reuse and recycling are not practical, recovering energy from waste could displace fossil generation and contribute to our energy policy and climate change goals as a secure source of low carbon energy. DEFRA have indicated energy from residual waste could provide some 6 TWh by 2020.

DTI commissioned Ilex Energy Consultants to look at the potential contribution from energy from waste during the review of the renewables obligation in 2005 and the reports are available at http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file21117.pdf and http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file22325.pdf. Following the review eligibility for energy from waste was extended to include good quality CHP projects and dedicated biomass projects from which at least 90 per cent. of the energy produced came from biomass.