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Work on the development of a carbon impact assessment tool is at an early stage. We are in discussion with the Sustainable Development Commission and considering what other organisations can assist us in this work.

Paragraph 2.1.2 of the current National Waste Plan says: The proximity and self-sufficiency principles require waste to be dealt with as close as possible to where it is produced. It is European Union policy that individual Member States should deal with their own waste, avoiding export to other countries. Scotland aims to follow this principle. However, it is acknowledged that dealing with all waste within Scotland may not be possible and may not always be the best solution. Scotland also aims to follow the proximity principle as far as possible at area waste planning level, although there may clear benefits from joint infrastructure solutions between areas. (http://www.sepa.org.uk/pdf/nws/guidance/national_plan_2003.pdf)

As indicated in the parliamentary statement on waste policy on 24 January, the government will include material in the National Planning Framework to reflect the government''s priorities on waste. In addition, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are producing revised guidelines on energy from waste plants, to reflect the need for high efficiency plants. SEPA are also responsible for the licensing of waste management plants. Guidance on waste technologies can be found on the Waste Technology Data Centre website, which has been supported by SEPA. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wtd/.

The government''s intention is that energy from waste plants should have efficiency levels of at least 60%. However, the government recognises that in some cases developments such as planned housing or factories to take the heat generated by the energy from waste plants may not be in place when any plants start to operate. In these cases, the government would expect the operators of the plants to have clear plans in place to use the heat once other developments are in place. The operators would, of course, be expected to develop facilities capable of utilising waste heat at the outset.

The previous administration, in Technical Notes relating to spending reviews, used a definition of recycling, including organic waste which is composted, contained in the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997. This definition is that recycling means the reprocessing in a production process of the waste materials for the original purpose or for other purposes including organic recycling but excluding energy recovery.

Yes the Scottish Government does intend to agree specific targets on waste with each local authority, principally to ensure that each local authority diverts sufficient biodegradable municipal waste from landfill in order for Scotland to meet its EU Landfill Directive obligation in 2010 and also to ensure that each local authority contributes to National Indicators 39 (amount of waste going to landfill) and 32 (ecological footprint) within the Scottish Government''s National Performance Framework.

Scottish Government will seek to ensure that local authorities contribute towards the National Performance Framework by agreeing local outcomes to be included in their single outcome agreements (SOAs).

No. The Landfill Allowance Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2005 set maximum amounts of biodegradable municipal waste that can be disposed of by local authorities to landfill each year and any penalty liabilities that are notified by the Scottish ministers under the regulations fall to the local authorities themselves. In any event, the distribution of year-on-year allowances has only been set up until 2010 and none of the local authority plans envisaged delivery of infrastructure before this time.

The Scottish Government intends to consider setting targets for waste in these sectors as part of the review of the National Waste Plan.

As the Government indicated in the Parliamentary statement on waste on 24 January 2008, we will ensure that the new National Planning Framework reflects the government''s key objectives on waste.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9129 on 20 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.